By Oyeleke Bernice
Adedeji Damilola is a prelingually deaf who acquired deafness before the age of understanding and so she didn’t experience a personal grieving process since her parents had provided her with appropriate deaf education. She has grown into a Deaf adult with healthy sense of self. Damilola is happily married with two lovely daughters.
Meet Oluwadamilola Dorcas Adedeji as she shares inspiring story to encourage others:
My name is Mrs Adedeji Oluwadamilola Dorcas. I was born and bred in Ibadan. I lost my hearing when I was 2 years old in 1990. My parent told me that it was caused by loud sound. I was positioned near a loud speaker and the loud sound caused my hearing loss.
Fortunately for me, we were living in a city that has a lot of special schools. My parents enrolled me at a private school for the deaf and later changed to a govt school (Ibadan school for the Deaf). I proceeded to Methodist Grammar School, Bodija, Ibadan where I had my secondary education.
One day, a staff of Guidance and Counseling Department, University of Ibadan(UI) visited my daddy’s shop when I was in JSS and discussed my condition with my Dad. Thereafter, my dad encouraged me to learn trade work and acquire other skills alongside my education. I was interested in learning Computer. I learnt computer under Mr Femi Adewoyin who loves deaf people and encouraged many deaf to learn computer. He encouraged me to sit for Jamb (UME) and I got admitted to University of Ilorin to study Guidance and Counseling. After completion of my First Degree . I was posted to University of Ibadan for my NYSC and UI posted me to the department of Special Education.
At UI, I engaged myself in different type of work for the department. I was very diligent at discharging my duties coupled with my computer skill, I was retained by the department upon completion of my youth service program. This, to me, was a surprise. Today, I am permanently employed as nonacademic staff at the University of Ibadan.
Without Sign language I will not be here in UI. Thank God that we have many interpreters and some staffs who know sign language in my office.
I am proud of myself and what I have been able to achieve because my parent provided me with deaf education and i use sign Language for communication.