It’s no secret that the world is experiencing climate changes that even frighten the top experts. We only have one planet to call home for our lifetime and let’s be honest, we cannot afford to destroy it. Unfortunately, humans are at fault for it. As you know, there are so many reasons why.
Some factors are weak policies, fossil fuel emissions, food waste, and landfills. Who suffers the most from environmental issues? Is it the top 1% of the world? No. It’s the impoverished communities. These communities often face hazardous living conditions, unsafe drinking water, and land pollution. They also have very little say in how corporations use their land for resources, destroying the land, and disrupting life, all for profit. This is especially true for minorities, like the Deaf, who don’t have much access to information relating to issues that impact them.
Norway has a long history of preserving nature and educating its citizens on being environmentally conscious. So, let’s look at environmental issues and the deaf community in Norway.
Norwegian Deaf Community
There are reported to be 22,500 Deaf people living in Norway and of those, around 20,000 use Norwegian Sign Language or (Norsk Tegnspråk) as their primary language. NSL is considered an indigenous, minority language in Norway. It is not based on Norwegian and has unique characteristics. In 2021, the Norwegian parliament passed a law through The Norwegian Act that protects the use and access to sign language. It is fully protected by the law with 500 interpreters available, according to the European Union. Even further, The Norwegian Directorate for Education and Training developed a framework for curriculum in schools and universities to properly teach Norwegian Sign Language. It prepares learners to compete in a modern world with new language skills.
How Norway is Far Ahead in the Climate Change Game
Photo by Markus Spiske
Norway is a country that leads the way in environmental standards. While it is impacted by climate change, land pollution, and a decline in biodiversity, some blame the tradition of whale culling, dating back to 800 CE. Despite this, Norway’s standards are superior to other countries.
Tunley Environment published a report on Norway’s efforts for a cleaner planet, highlighting its solar-powered waste system that strains less energy on the power grid and keeps the streets surprisingly clean. The electrification of shipping ports also reduces emissions by 3%, making the air cleaner and free from pollutants. Norway’s commitment to preserving its natural beauty and aesthetic shows its dedication to the environment. Their conscious effort to keep the natural beauty of public places clean and beautiful is one of the many reasons it is such a happy country. A stable and comfortable environment can increase the quality of life for many citizens, even the Deaf.
Environmental Awareness in the Deaf Community
Helping the Deaf understand the world around them is an entirely different ballgame. It takes different methods and styles to convey what’s happening. A Journal called Frontiers studied how to present information about the environment to Swedish and Norwegian Deaf people. First, the researchers point out that environmental awareness depends on where the Deaf or disabled person lives. The geographical location can have a tremendous impact on their education. There are a lot of Deaf schools in the bigger cities like Oslo but less in the smaller villages and isolated areas.
Where can the Deaf get Access to Environmental Information?
One of the ways Deaf people can learn about the environment is through media. Some media is adapted with closed captioning and other aids to make them accessible to Deaf people. They can also find Deaf-friendly websites, such as Dagani’s Project SIGND covering many environmental issues.
Considering the prevalence of social media, it only makes sense for the Deaf community to gravitate towards these platforms. Social media has a lot of features for Deaf or disabled people. Viewers can watch shorts, reels, and other content to learn about environmental issues in their community or worldwide. These visual aids like closed captions, make social media one of the best ways for the Deaf to access information about environmental issues.
However, it is important to note that not all content is formatted for Deaf people, which could create challenges for Deaf viewers who want to access them. Therefore, it is crucial to ensure that videos are adapted to the needs of people with various disabilities to increase access to information.
Environmental Initiatives for the Deaf Community
Norway has dozens of organizations that strive to protect the environment. Friends of Norway, Nature and Youth, and many more are involved. However, there aren’t specific environmental organizations for the Deaf. There are however, associations for the Deaf like Signo, and the Norwegian Deaf Association, amongst others that assist the Deaf community in education. Education in these organizations includes sign language, culture, and more to involve the Deaf community in all facets of Norwegian life.
Therefore there is inaccessibility for Deaf people who want to be involved in environmentally friendly efforts. Organizations should be accessible to the Deaf community by reducing the communication barriers and opening up to providing context and information in sign language or providing interpreters within these organizations.
Call to Action for Increased Inclusion of the Deaf Community in Environmental Efforts
Photo by Tobias Bjørkli
The world faces numerous environmental challenges caused by human behavior, such as poor governance, fossil fuels, food waste, wildlife extinction, and plastic pollution. Sadly, minority and impoverished communities are the ones who suffer the most from these environmental issues. The Deaf community in Norway is no exception. However, Norway has made impressive progress in making Norwegian Sign Language an officially recognized language and providing equal access to education for the Deaf community. Additionally, Norway is leading the way towards a cleaner planet with its innovative solar-powered waste system, electrification of shipping ports, and commitment to preserving natural beauty. Yet, environmental awareness in the Deaf community is still a challenge. It will remain a challenge until organizations create more inclusive settings for the Deaf to be part of the conversation.
Learn more about how Deaf people are taking a stand in environmental issues at https://www.unspokenasl.com/aslblogs/
Photo Credit to: Photo by Just a Dream Pictures
