Latest News Archive

Please select Category, Year, and then Month to display items
Previous Archive
23 September 2022 | Story Rulanzen Martin | Photo Rulanzen Martin
Renata van Reenen
Renata van Reenen has been a South African Sign Language (SASL) champion since primary school, and she is using her postgraduate degree to further SASL in higher education.

Renata van Reenen, a master’s student at the University of the Free State (UFS), recalls how a school talk in 1998 by Deaf activist Johan Gouws instilled in her a kind of ‘duty’ to become a champion for Deaf people. Van Reenen, who in 1987 became the first Deaf child in South Africa to receive a cochlear implant, says it was at this talk that she realised that, as a Deaf person, she has her own language, identity, and culture – and that she is not “a person with a disability”. 

Van Reenen is currently a language facilitator in the UFS Department of South African Sign Language (SASL) and Deaf Studies, and she believes that Deaf students should be empowered to embrace their attributes. Her interests include exploring different sign languages around the world, Deaf issues, and how Deaf children are supported in schools for the Deaf. “One of my hobbies is to put my creative ideas on paper, and I would like to develop and record these stories in SASL so they can be accessible to Deaf schools as resource materials,” she says. “These materials would then also be accessible when teaching the subject South African Sign Language as a Home Language.”

Van Reenen, who worked as an assistant teacher at a school for the Deaf for seven years, is passionate about SASL and the lived experiences of the Deaf. We asked her to share some views on empowering the Deaf and SASL: 

Why is it important to empower Deaf students?

When I was 17, I had no Deaf identity. I did not understand sign language and how it was used – when the Deaf person gave a speech at the school, it changed my life. I realised that I am a Deaf person with my own language, identity, and culture, and that I am not a person with a disability. I strongly believe that Deaf students need to be empowered to fully embrace their identity, language, and culture, and through this expectance show the world who we are. My favourite motto I always share with my Deaf learners is: “Believe in yourself, show them what you can do.” I also encourage them to continuously teach Hearing students the beautiful language, as the famous Deaf quote states: “Sign language is the noblest gift God has given to Deaf people.” George Veditz, the former president of the National Association of the Deaf of the United States, said, “As long as we have Deaf people on Earth, we will have signs.” He protected our language at a time (the early 20th century) when the world strongly believed that Deaf people had to learn through oralism and had to learn spoken language in order to function as a “normal person” alongside hearing people.

As a Deaf person, do you believe the UFS community is doing enough to accommodate you, and how do you feel about being part of the Department of SASL and Deaf Studies? 

When I received a link for a workshop I had to attend, I was so overwhelmed when I saw the interpreter on the video link, and knew that it would be extremely helpful for me during my research. The UFS Centre for Universal Access and Disability Support made sure I have full access to any workshops the university provides. It is amazing that my supervisor can also sign. That made me feel at home, being in a Deaf world without communication barriers. The department is an amazing team that supports and encourages me during my studies.

What will you be doing in honour of Deaf Awareness Month?

The SASL Department and I, along with Deaf Studies, have organised a “Signing Space” event in September to bring Deaf and Hearing students together to socialise with each other. This event will give Hearing students the opportunity to learn about the Deaf world. During this event I will give a small presentation such as “Poetry in SASL” that will show that Deaf people have their own literature, and that it forms part of their language, SASL. We will not only focus on presentations but also on fun activities, such as games that are prominent within the Deaf community. 

Why did you decide to pursue your MA at the UFS? 

During the coronavirus pandemic I applied to the University of Gallaudet in Washington, DC to study for a Master of Education in Sign Language degree. Gallaudet is the world's only university in which all programmes and services are specifically designed to accommodate deaf and hard of hearing students. I was accepted to study further and to ultimately become a teacher or lecturer. My aim was to train Deaf adults to qualify in different areas of SASL, ranging from SASL Linguistics, SASL Pedagogy, SASL Media Production, and so forth. In an ideal world these could be offered as short courses through some tertiary institutions which already offer SASL on undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Unfortunately, I did not have enough support, but I did not let it stop my dream. I decided to change my university of choice and applied at the University of the Free State. I am pursuing my MA degree and continuing my studies as a Deaf person. The University of the Free State is providing and recognising SASL. This is a positive step, as South African Sign Language will soon be the twelfth official language of South Africa.

News Archive

UFS Communication and Brand Management Department once again honoured for ground-breaking communication work
2016-04-29

Description: Martie en Leonie award Tags: Martie en Leonie award

The UFS was announced as winner in the internal communication category of the African Excellence Award after entering the B Safe Take Action campaign. The university also received a Gold Award at the 2016 PRISM Awards. Here are Martie Nortjé, Assistant Director: Communication and Brand Management, and Leonie Bolleurs, Assistant Director: Internal Communication, from the University of the Free State.
Photo: Hannes Pieterse

Within a week, the Department of Communication and Brand Management at the University of the Free State brought home two gold awards. In April this year, the department was announced as winner in the Internal Communication Category of the African Excellence Awards for the B Safe Take Action campaign. They also received Gold at the 2016 PRISM Awards for the KovsieGear entry.
 
PRISM Award for the UFS KovsieGear shop
 
Martie Nortjé, Assistant Director: Branding and Merchandise, attended the PRISM Award function in Johannesburg where she received the Gold award for the UFS KovsieGear shop for the best entry in the corporate communication category. This is the second consecutive year that the department received Gold at the PRISM Awards. Last year, the department received Gold for the B Safe Take Action campaign.
 
The idea for a university-owned shop was initiated in 2013. Launched in January 2014, KovsieGear is used to strengthen the brand and creating a sense of ownership among all stakeholders. The KovsieGear team is grateful for the continuous support of staff and students, as well as alumni.
 
The PRISM awards of the Public Relations Institute of Southern Africa (PRISA) are Africa’s most sought-after award in the public relations industry, and are presented to public relations and communication professionals who have incorporated strategy, creativity, and professionalism successfully into public relations and communication programmes and strategies, showcasing a successful public relations campaign.
 
African Excellence Award for B Safe Take Action Campaign
 
The B Safe Take Action campaign also received an award recently at a gala event hosted by the African Excellence Awards in Cape Town. Leonie Bolleurs, Project Manager of the B Safe Take Action campaign, received the award on behalf of the university.
 
It is of cardinal importance for the university that its students, staff, and assets are safe. Once again, this award demonstrates that the university is serious about the safety of its staff and students. This is especially so, since it is the objective of the campaign to develop a culture of safety awareness in students and staff alike.
 
The hosts of the African Excellence Awards are The Communication Director, the magazine for Corporate Communications and Public Relations (PR) in Europe, which enjoys worldwide distribution. According to Rudolf Hetzel, Chairman of the jury and publisher of The Communication Director, the African Excellence Awards are an opportunity for all those working in the field of PR and communications throughout Africa to come together, and honour ground-breaking communication campaigns and projects.
 
Quality work
 
“I am extremely proud of the Communication and Brand Management team for performing excellently once again in national and continental awards programmes. The awards are a good benchmark for the quality and standard of the work we produce,” said Lacea Loader, Director of the Department of Communication and Brand Management.  
 
In the past two years, the department also received other awards for their work. This include:
-    UFS #FaceOfFacebook campaign received a Gold Quill Excellence Award from the International Association for Business Communicators (IABC), both internationally and in the Africa region.
-    B Safe Take Action campaign received a Gold Quill Merit Award from the IABC, both internationally and in the Africa region.
-    UFS #FaceOfFacebook campaign received a Bronze Stevie Award from the International Business Awards (IBA).
-    B Safe Take Action campaign received a Bronze Stevie Award from the IBA.
-    #UFStoday Facebook campaign received a Merit Award from Marketing Advancement Communication in Education (MACE).
-    The NSFAS awareness campaign received a Merit Award from MACE.
 

 

We use cookies to make interactions with our websites and services easy and meaningful. To better understand how they are used, read more about the UFS cookie policy. By continuing to use this site you are giving us your consent to do this.

Accept