Miss SA Mia Le Roux shared a powerful message of self-belief and inclusivity at the South African Sign Language School Festival.
Pretoria, South Africa (11 September 2024) – September is the International Month for Deaf People, and the country’s first hearing-impaired Miss SA, Mia Le Roux, was in full support of the South African Sign Language School Festival held at Transoranje School For the Deaf on Tuesday, 10 September.
The festival aimed to celebrate inclusivity, bridge the gap between deaf and hearing learners and ensure that sign language becomes an integral part of building a more inclusive and connected society.
Speaking at the event, which was supported by the Gauteng Department of Education, Le Roux said it was extremely important for her to use her platform to help shine a light on the blind spots of our nation including the deaf community.
Her message to young learners with hearing impairments was to stop apologising for being different.
“Stop apologising for not being something that society expects you to be. Earn yourself, trust within yourself and believe in yourself because you are capable of so much.”
She also touched on the topics of diversity and education, expressing that diversity is beautiful and should be celebrated and that young people needed to prioritise empowering and equipping themselves to step into their power and secure a bright future.
For Le Roux, there is still a long road to inclusivity in our country but having a little compassion and using the information at our disposal is a key starting point.
“There is a lot we can do. A starting point is just to find the information. The information is out there on the internet. It is the architecture that offers programs on how to be inclusive.
“Take some initiative to reach out and educate yourself on how to be inclusive (of differently-abled people). At the end of the day, we all need some compassion, kindness and empathy.”
Sources: Gauteng Department of Education
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