Living Library challenges discrimination and prejudice in our communities

By Mary Dennehy

A UNIQUE event staged in Tallaght last week challenges prejudice and discrimination by providing members of the community with an opportunity to speak with a person who may be marginalised or at risk of stereotype.

Organised by Cheeverstown House, the event was called Living Library and instead of books telling the stories, the stories were told by people.

These ‘living books’ have either been subjected to discrimination themselves or represent groups or individuals within society who are at risk.

Deaf from birth, Shane Keogh (41), who is a Community Resource Officer with DeafHear Tallaght, was one of the ‘living books’ at the event – and engaged in one-on-one conversations with members of the public.

In a conversation with The Echo, Shane stressed how he is no different to anybody else – he just speaks a different language.

“During the Living Library event I had an Irish Sign Language (ISL) interpreter to communicate with people,” Shane said.

“Without an ISL interpreter, people could very easily discriminate against me or label me as a ‘disabled person’ due to communication barriers, as I would have struggled to communicate with people and answer their questions.

“Without an ISL interpreter there would have been a lot of written communication or gestures.

“Remember ISL is my first language and English second and if people have my language then there is no need for an ISL interpreter.

“I do lip-read but it doesn’t give me the same understanding when a person is speaking as an ISL interpreter and I believe that events like the Living Library are very important in offering people an opportunity to learn more about the lives of others.”

Shane works in the Tallaght office of DeafHear, a national charity which provides specialist services to deaf and hard-of-hearing people and their families – alongside advocating for equal access and opportunities.

“Our services are open to anyone who is affected by hearing loss and we work with all ages, from offering support to the parents of a baby who has been diagnosed with a hearing loss or organising activities for children and supporting adults who have acquired age-related hearing loss,” he said.

“Supports for deaf and hard-of-hearing people are vital, with, for example, one in 1,000 babies born deaf, and by the age of 70 more than half of us will have significant hearing loss.”

Gerry O’ Connor, the socialisation co-ordinator with Cheeverstown House, told The Echo how the event helped to build inclusion.

He said: “We wanted people to make a personal connection, that personal connection between two people when they have a personal conversation.

“Sometimes it’s the small things that can change attitudes and opinions and, through a conversation, we can all realise that there’s more that unites us than divides us.”

Other people who participated in the event, which was staged in the County Library, Tallaght, included a refugee, a Muslim, a person with a learning disability, an Irish Traveller, a person who is homeless, an older person and a blind person.

For further information on DeafHear Tallaght, which is the resource centre covering Dublin South, Kildare and Wicklow, visit www.deafhear.ie.