Imagine a World – Leah Kalaitzi’s powerful poem about the BSL (Scotland) Bill (BSL)

Posted on December 28, 2014 by



Imagine a world
without speaking your language
Your language is English

To watch this poem in BSL, signed by Leah, click play below:

Imagine you are very ill
you go to the doctor
you try to explain
what’s wrong
Your doctor doesn’t understand you
No English interpreter booked
A few weeks later you are critically ill
in hospital and death is at the door
Unfairness
Lack of access

Imagine you are at school
sitting in a classroom
full of children laughing and chatting away in another language, not in English
Isolation
Poor education

Imagine you go to a restaurant
you try to order some food
the menu is not in English
you try to order
The waiter doesn’t understand you
Hunger grows
Lost in translation grows

Imagine you go to a train station
running for your life
to catch the train to London
You caught it
you are out of breath
Later you realise it is the wrong train
because you missed the announcement
that the train to London changed platform
Disappointment
Abandonment

Imagine you are at work
you try to ask your colleagues some questions
Your colleagues hardly understand English
Confusion
Frustration

Now tell me
wouldn’t you wish your English language
to become an official language and an Act, would you?

What about us?
Deaf people and their beautiful rich BSL language?
Would you consider the BSL (Scotland) Bill now for us, wouldn’t you?
 
Written by Leah Kalaitzi 10.12.14 

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Posted in: Leah Kalaitzi, poem