Connex bus drivers to learn sign language

Boaz Fyler
Published: 09.30/10, 07:59
Israel Activism

Transportation's company to learn sign language in hopes of improving service to deaf community

Bus drivers working for the Connex transportation company will soon know sign language. A joint project by the Pay it Forward in Signs association and the Connex bus company will enable the company's future bus drivers to communicate fluently with deaf passengers.

'Thank you' in sign language

An initial group of 30 drivers are taking part in the program, and convened in Modi'in on Tuesday for a course that has been especially adapted for driver-passenger communication, the association said.

The basic signs to be taught to the driver are: Hello, thank you, station, money, change, where do I get off, and more.

"First and foremost, we wish to educate the drivers and the passengers on tolerance towards the hard of hearing, and uproot the stigma that the hard of hearing are retarded," a joint press release issued by the two bodies said.

Yaeli Raz, the project's coordinator told Ynet, "As a person who has been deaf since birth, I understand the importance of the matter, and am happy to donate my time to teach the public transportation drivers to be more sensitive to the community to which I belong. I also urge other companies to follow in Connex's footsteps and train their drivers to communicate with us."

After completing the course, every driver will wear a special pin, showing that he or she is capable of communicating in sign language. The driver's bus will also be marked with a sticker indicating that the vehicle is adapted for the hearing impaired.

As part of the project, Pay it Forward in Signs volunteers will hand out fliers on buses and at the company's terminals.

Sarel Oren Ohana, the project's initiator and manager said, "The deaf community is considered an above-average consumer of public transportation, and this is a great service for them. Even if the drivers don't speak sign language perfectly, it's important to us that they know how to identify a deaf person, and offer them the required sensitivity in order to communicate appropriately."

Moshe Lasker, CEO of Veolia, the company that operates Connex, said, "It is a great honor for us to be the first, pioneers among the public transportation companies who joined the Pay it Forward in Sign program. The program's values are perfectly in line with the company's values. We believe it will become a model in creating awareness, bridging and uniting the deaf and hearing communities in Israel."

Source: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3947086,00.html