Annabelle Xerri’s efforts were recognised recently and she will receive the prestigious Queen’s Young Leaders Award which will be presented next year by the Queen.

Ms Xerri calls the award a golden opportunity to raise more awareness about the deaf. She has suffered from impaired hearing since the age of six and has learnt to lip-read.

“I feel honoured and humbled to have been selected for the Queen's Young Leaders Award 2016, which celebrates and supports exceptional young people from across the Commonwealth. It came as a big and wonderful surprise, as I did not expect to be shortlisted at all, let alone selected. We will receive a unique package of training, mentoring and networking, including a one-week residential programme in the UK during which we will collect the Award from the Queen. With this prestigious award, I will not only be representing Malta and Gozo, but also the Deaf community.”

“When people hear or read about my story, the words 'deafness', 'people with hearing loss', and 'sign language' are on people's lips around Malta and Gozo. People can see that the deaf can lead a very normal life. People will get curious and they will want to find out more about the life of persons with hearing loss. The majority of people do not know anything about the deaf community, mainly because deafness is an invisible disability.”

“These persons are uneducated about this beautiful deaf culture, which has its very own language. And one of my goals is to educate those who are unaware. One cannot simply blame a hearing person for not knowing how to communicate with a deaf person. People need to learn. And only deaf persons can teach them. 

“I am from Ghajnsielem Gozo, and I could hear perfectly well until I lost my hearing and became about 90% deaf from both ears when I was six years old due to a viral infection.”

Ms Xerri explained how she struggled to follow lectures at university given her hearing impairment.

“Although it was difficult for me to participate during lectures at university as lip-reading is not so easy when many people are talking at once or during heated discussions or when there is a lack of good lighting, I still managed to graduate with the help of a good friend who helped me with notes during lectures.

“This was a big achievement as I never thought I'd make it this far. Upon graduating looking for employment was a nightmare. Employers would rather employ a hearing person, even if I had the same or even better qualifications. I was unable to find employment due to being deaf

“I lost any confidence I had and it was impossible to avoid feeling like a failure. Yet I knew that it was no one’s fault. I knew that the reason was the lack of awareness - employers were not aware that a deaf person (or any person with a disability) is just as capable as a hearing person. I have nothing different from my hearing friends who graduated with me with the same qualifications. I eventually found employment with some help, and at the same time, a friend encouraged me to speak out and start spreading awareness.”

Ms Xerri was hesitant to go public about her disability initially, but after some gentle encouragement from her boyfriend she decided to open up a Facebook page to raise awareness about the deaf and people with hearing loss.

“At first I thought that I would only receive support from family and friends. However, the feedback I received was overwhelming. People I never knew were following and supporting my page on Facebook - A Silent World. Before I knew it, I was contacted by a local magazine who wanted to conduct an interview with me and with two other deaf persons. Although I was still feeling uncomfortable about publicity, I took the opportunity to gain more followers for my Facebook page and to raise more awareness about the deaf.

“During the magazine interview, I met with another deaf girl who communicated using sign language - up to that point, I never learned or used sign language in my life, mainly because in Gozo there are no sign language lessons due to lack of teachers, and there are also no interpreters.  She invited me to go to deaf club in Valletta to meet other deaf people. And I did. Together with my (hearing) boyfriend, I went to this deaf club. I was 25-years-old then, and for the first time in my life I felt at home.”

“Don't get me wrong - I love my parents, my family, my (now) husband and my friends. But they are all hearing, and I was always the deaf one, the odd one out. They all supported me so very much, by being patient, repeating to me and by making sure that I understood what they were saying. But meeting deaf people at the deaf club was just amazing. Hanging out with them felt like this comfortable nest where I did not feel frightened or different. I instantly wanted to learn sign language to be able to communicate with them more easily.”

Ms Xerri’s campaign soon gained momentum, leading to her becoming a member of the Deaf People Association.

“Together, we work as volunteers not only to raise awareness but also to improve accessibility for the deaf in Malta and Gozo. We exert reasonable pressure on Maltese authorities to ensure that deaf people have equal opportunities to enable them to live an independent life of the highest possible quality.

“Our work includes campaigning for greater access to the media, by introducing subtitles and sign language interpreters, and recently we successfully received backing from two local cinemas that introduced regular subtitled films. As a board member, duties include also fundraising for  the Deaf People Association (Malta), representing  deaf people in disability forums at national, European, and international events, representing the Deaf Association at the Platform of Human Rights Organisations in Malta, and representing the Deaf Association at the Malta disabled people's parliament in 2014.

“In November, together with the other board members, we also represented the Deaf Association at the European Union of the Deaf. Together, we have also been working with authorities to make Maltese Sign Language recognised as one of Malta's official languages. This way, public places (like education, health centres, hospital, police, fire stations, museums, etc) would become more accessible with the introduction of sign language.

“This would also increase the possibility of having more interpreters as well as increase the possibility of having more teachers that teach sign language, currently, there are only two teachers in Malta that teach sign language, and no teachers in Gozo. I am hoping that having Maltese Sign Language recognized as one of Malta's official languages, would also help in introducing sign language accessibility in Gozo, the place where I come from, as there are many deaf persons who could benefit from it!”

She implores all parents who have children with hearing problems to send their children to learn sign language, saying her life is much easier now that she can use the services of sign language interpreters.

“Unlike before, I can now participate in any activity which involves communication. Interpreters make these activities accessible, whereas before I learned sign language, I used to refrain from participating due to being deaf. I had gotten used to living a life in a society that is designed for hearing people.

“ I thought that not participating in such activities was just another thing that I had to deal with, like how for example, I have to deal with not being able to go to the cinema with my hearing friends, because there are no subtitles.  So I avoided seminars, conferences, events, and any other opportunity that came up, because I knew I could not fully participate. I would get bored due to not being able to hear what is being said.

“Whereas today, I grab every opportunity that comes my way because now I can participate with the help of sign language interpreters. I have a better quality of life. I can express my views and opinions, because now I know what the discussion is about. I can even take part in heated discussions - something which was impossible before I learned sign language! All this thanks to the service of the interpreters. Life is suddenly much more interesting than before. 

“My goal is to raise awareness in the hearing society about the deaf, how to communicate with deaf persons and the challenges they face. Moreover, I will continue encouraging deaf persons to learn sign language instead of reading lips only, thus increase sign language users in Malta and Gozo. Because then their life would then be in a much better place!”