IN RESPONSE TO THE NEGATIVE COMMENTS ABOUT DEAF DRIVERS

I usually surf the internet in the morning to keep myself updated with news and I was crossing Linda Ikeji’s blog when an article caught my attention: a lady was telling about her experience in a Keke Napep driven by a Deaf driver, not that the title actually caught my attention, it was the comments coming from the readers that did, one named STERN said “How can a deaf man drive! this is very risky, This is how people use their own hands to kill themselves” and the rest of so many other negative comments too.. Someone identified as ANONYMOUS also said this: “Finally, a sensible comment, a deaf person driving is a hazard”. “Driving as a deaf person is really not safe. U cant hear d horns, meaning ur life n that of your passengers are in danger” and so many other endless comments.

I recalled sometime ago, there was a news titled; Deaf, Dumb Bus Driver Arrested (http://www.pmnewsnigeria.com/2013/05/28/deaf-dumb-bus-driver-arrested/) spreading everywhere and then there was a response from a Deaf Lawyer named Gbenga Aina in the United States of America (http://inyamu.blogspot.com.ng/2013/06/response-to-outrageous-deaf-and-dumb.html)

This is one of the problems we, Deaf people are facing in a NONCHALANT SOCIETY. There was a lot of drama during my driving in Lagos state, I have been driving since 2011 and I have had so many encounters with police men, FRSC and VIO officers at different times.There was a time, a police man found out that I am deaf, he was angry, he asked me to get out of car and asked how come I am driving when I can’t hear, I told him, how come I graduated with my masters degree when I can’t hear (I know it was kind of an embarrassment for him). When I was driving from Lagos to Ibadan, in the middle of the road, one of FRSC officers stopped me, and he seized my driver license when he found out that I couldn't hear, he said I must explain how I obtained my driver’s license, it was so annoying that day.

I think I have to let the readers know that Deaf people can do anything, the only problem they have is that they can’t hear that’s all. In school, one reads to pass, not by hearing, same goes to driving, its making use of good eyes by looking at the mirror, rear view mirrors, not by hearing alone. To buttress my point, we have a lot of car-accidents by hearing people daily, but none or very few from Deaf people. Let me tell you the facts about Deafness and Driving:

FACT:
•    Deaf people have the right to drive (http://www.wfdeaf.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/WFD-Statement-on-Deaf-Peoples-right-to-drive-a-car-or-other-vehicles-updated-31-March-20091.pdf)
•   A lot of Deaf people have been driving all over the world (Deafness is not easily identified physically that’s why we can’t know when they are driving)
•  Deaf people have low record of car-accident (https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/sites/fmcsa.dot.gov/files/docs/hearing2.pdf & http://www.englishmed.com/html/reading/deafpeople/deafpeople.html)
• Deaf people are better in driving compare to Hearing people (http://viewsfromthetreehouse.com/2014/04/07/why-deaf-people-make-better-drivers/ &http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/11/101110205051.htm)