Hands That Speak: Brighton JHS Raising Sign Language Awareness

In light of the 78th Anniversary of the Republic of Indonesia, Brighton JHS Depok spread an awareness of Sign Language usage through school clubs, extracurriculars, and other activities. Inspired by this year's independence theme, "Terus Melaju untuk Indonesia Maju", Brighton JHS and the students strive to promote inclusivity by raising an awareness of sign language usage. You may wonder, why is it important to learn sign language as a skill? Learning sign language helps us to be a person who is heedful of our surroundings. It is a skill everyone should acquire since there are around 2,5 milion people in Indonesia who are mute and deaf. Not only does picking up sign language as a skillset allow us to communicate and understand with people with impairments, according to the National Institute of Health (NIH), learning a second language serves as a stimulants for our brains by giving a cognitive workout. Understanding one another require us to learn the other person’s language, so that we may empathize and see the world through their lenses.  A uniquely Indonesian form of sign language brings people together 10.3 Communicating with Others: The Development and Use of Language – Introduction to Psychology "I come from a place where you don't need to talk all the time. There is sign language you learn."  ~ Warwick Thornton.