‘I was made for this role’ - Antoinette Aiken honoured to be signing for deaf community

Antoinette Aiken dreamt of being a pilot but missed out because her parents were unable to pay for her studies.

The sign language expert, who has been at the forefront of communicating COVID-19 information to the deaf community, took up signing after not being able to complete college in the USA. That temporary setback did little to stall Aiken's progress. In fact, in a rather philosophical manner, she said that "I don't regret it, as it has made me who I am today".

Born to deaf parents Kathe Lyn and Neville Anthony Aiken, Antoinette, from a very early age, had to use sign language to communicate with them. However, it was her stepmother, Lesline Aiken, who ensured that she learnt Jamaican sign language at the age of 11.

Aiken has been the go-to person for signing at government events such as sittings of Parliament. She now has the responsibility to communicate to an estimated 5,400 deaf people in Jamaica about what to expect from COVID-19 and how to prepare themselves. It is a role she takes very seriously.

"I am grateful to be placed in a position to fill this gap. Never in a million years would I have seen myself in this role; after all, I wanted to be a pilot," Aiken said, even as she referenced the book of Jeremiah which, she said, reassures her that this is her fate and destiny. "I was made for this role, not based on what I think, but based on the reassurance I get from the community. I am who I am because of the deaf community, not because of my own merit."

The forgotten community

She added, "I have had parents of deaf children and adults come up to me and say how grateful they are for the access, not to mention members of the deaf community. The deaf community, as I say, is always the forgotten community, but not this time."

Jamaican sign language is a visual language that requires the use of your hands, and in Jamaica, you use your entire body to interpret; many of the signs are on the face.

But it is this touching of the face that health officials said could lead to people contracting the novel coronavirus.

Aiken, however, does not believe that the members of the deaf community are at an elevated risk of contracting it.

She said that once information is shared, "I strongly believe that they will pass through this with ease."

And while her primary concern is the deaf community, Aiken is hoping that all Jamaicans are paying attention to the warnings about COVID-19 and doing their part to contain its spread.

"Social distancing is important, and stay home, if you can. As the prime minister said, we don't need any weak fences. Take the necessary precautions and ensure your household is safe," she said. "I believe we will pass through this, once we take the necessary precautions. Some people are not taking this seriously and we should, for the safety of our nation and our elderly. We have a lot of people who are susceptible to getting really sick due to underlying conditions, and we should bear that in mind. Now is the time to be selfless; not selfish."