Deaf people in Laos face a number of issues, but here I will focus the four most significant issues. First, the activities of the Lao Association for the Deaf are not sustainable. One of the reasons is finance. The association engages in activities, receives grants and funds from NGOs and other entities, but these funds have a fixed business period like one to two years. After the business period expires, there are no financial resources and activities come to a halt. Second, we do not have enough sign language interpreters. Currently there are only three sign language interpreters in Laos. Even though there are 18 provinces in Laos, there are only three interpreters. The reason is the unstable income of sign language interpreters. NGOs give some support, but the funds only cover a short period of time and is of a very small amount of money, so the interpreters quit. Third, deaf people have inadequate academic history. Deaf people in Laos can only proceed to junior high school at the most. There are only two deaf schools in entire Laos, and these schools only have primary schools and junior high schools. Nothing stops deaf people from going onto a high school, but there are no sign language interpreters at high schools. So what happens is, deaf people cannot go to high school because this means it is not possible to attend class with sign language. Fourth, there are few deaf people with sign language skills. Deaf people who can communicate in sign language are either those who went to a deaf school, or who are active in the Association for the Deaf. Deaf people in the countryside or in the mountainous areas often grow up without any chance to see sign language.

First of all, as part of the group training, I participated in a leadership training program. There are many different people with disabilities. Some without much knowledge, some can exercise leadership skills, there are many different people, but I learned that if a leader could teach people with disabilities the people could get united, whether or not they have knowledge. When you have peers, it is easier to negotiate with government authorities. In Laos, however, people with disabilities are dispersed all over the place. So I hope to work hard to unite people with disabilities and engage in activities together.

Next, I visited NPO Japanese ASL Signers Society for my individual training, where I learned presentation techniques that match the needs of deaf people. For example, I had to practice my presentation, thinking about where to stand as the presenter. If there are both deaf and hearing people in a speech event, and if a deaf person asks questions, the deaf people behind this deaf person (who is asking questions) cannot see their sign language. In this case, I, as a speaker, have to repeat the question in sign language so that the people behind the deaf person can also understand the question. This is the kind of things I learned. I also learned that sticking strictly to the time allowed for your presentation is actually a technique.

My next training destination was Shiga Prefecture Deaf Association. The association had many departments, like a department for instructing sign language, PR department, youth department, senior citizens department and women department. I joined in the activities of each department as part of my training. The departments had their own activities, and saw leaders from each department getting together for a board meeting, where they reported about their activities, and their future activity plans. This meeting was being held regularly, once every month. In Laos, we only have such meetings once or twice a year. I understood that having regular meetings like this would help activities to proceed smoothly. Apparently, Shiga Prefecture Deaf Association charges its members annual membership fees for sustainable operation. We do that at the Lao Association for the Deaf as well, but the fees are really so small that it is difficult to operate the association with just membership fees. To supplement this, we get funds from NGOs, but when their support ends at the end of the term, the association’s activities come to a halt. I thought that, in order to improve this situation and have a more sustainable operation, the Lao Association for the Deaf also needed to think of other means, like charging more membership fees perhaps.

In Shiga, they showed me devices that I had never seen in Laos. I took part in a welfare convention for the deaf, and when I went in, the convention hall was so big, and people seated at the back could see the stage very well. What solves this problem, is the large screen installed in the middle of the stage. When a deaf person is talking on stage using sign language, the person appears on the large screen. Hearing people are probably okay just with what they hear through the microphones, but for us, we cannot understand what is being said, unless we can see it in sign language, so it is tremendous help if there is a large screen. Conversely, if the speaker is a hearing person and does not use sign language, the screen is divided into two sections. One section shows the speaker, and the other section shows the sign language interpreter. I wanted to create such an environment in Laos as well.

My next training destination was Wakayama Prefectural Association for the Deaf. The association established “Kishu No Te”, a regional activity support center, offering daytime services for deaf people. Some elderly deaf people who go to general elderly care facilities, but often they cannot communicate with other users or members of staff and can get isolated. This was why “Kishu No Te” center was established to allow sign language communication. The center offers a number of activities. For example, they invite speakers to hold lectures, host study sessions, or handicraft circles, so these activities also keep people active and possibly prevent dementia. It was an extremely fun place for me personally. There are many deaf people in Laos who confine themselves to their homes, so it would be ideal if there was a place like “Kishu No Te” in Laos. I would like it to be a place not just for elderly deaf people but also for young deaf people. In Laos there are many deaf people who cannot find work, and many people, even if they are young, often keep themselves to their homes, so I would like it to be a place for such people.

Wakayama Prefectural Association for the Deaf is also focusing their efforts into a campaign to raise funds to establish a small-scale elderly people’s home, where elderly deaf people can live comfortably and safely. The association raised funds not just from its members but from businesses and hearing people, and bought a plot of land. But they do not have a building yet, so they are continuing with the campaign. The campaign was not something the association started voluntarily, but something they are doing on behalf of deaf people in the prefecture, responding to their requests. I felt I would like my association in Laos do the same, to raise funds. The Lao Association for the Deaf is working under the umbrella of an association of people with physical disabilities. Associations of people with visual impairment, and intellectual impairment, branched off and became independent, but the Association for the Deaf has not done that. We would like to have our own office and I think it would be a good idea to run a campaign to raise funds like Wakayama Prefectural Association.

Next, I attended the Diploma Course for Sign Interpreters, College, and National Rehabilitation Center for Persons with Disabilities, where I learned about natural approach. Natural approach is a teaching method for grammar unique to Japanese sign language, like CL (classifier) and NMS (non-manual signals). The lecturer also taught us about appropriate behavior for people wishing to become sign language interpreters. I have not seen teaching going this far in Laos so when I am back in Laos, I would also like to instruct people about appropriate behavior for potential sign language interpreters.

In this section I would like to talk about the fun memories of Japan I have had. In the New Year, I had two occasions to wear a kimono, in Kyoto and Hyogo. The hard part was walking. When you wear a kimono, you have to walk with your toes turned inwards, and that was quite hard. But I love kimono, they are beautiful.

After returning home, there are two things I want to achieve at the Lao Association for the Deaf. One, is to improve the organizational strength of the association. Second, I want to develop sign language interpreters and have more sign language interpreters available. Third, I want to teach deaf people the Lao language and sign language, and encourage a situation where more deaf people can write Lao and communicate in Lao sign language. Fourth, I want to create a community of deaf people, a place where deaf people can get together, learn together and engage in activities together. Finally, I want to negotiate with government authorities and overseas NGOs to gain support. In order for deaf people to continue with their activities, sign language interpreters must intervene. I would like to get support from the government and NGOs so that we can pay sustainable salaries to sign language interpreters and create an environment where the interpreters and deaf people can engage in activities together, for a long time to come.

Finally, I would like to say thank you, to everyone from the Duskin AINOWA Foundation, the people who instructed me during my training period, and everyone from Toyama Sunrise.