Kia ora, kotu katoa. My name is Robbie – sign name. Myself, really I am hearing impaired, yeah, but still, I strongly connect with being Deaf, and Deaf culture yes.
Identity, what does that mean? A long time ago I didn’t understand what having an identity meant. It was like the Deaf…. Like Victoria University, and a variety of people who explained to me what having an identity meant.
It means having a connection with Deaf Club, being connected, with sport, yeah It means looking out at other people and looking at myself ‘I’m Deaf, same as the others out there which means what, that’s my identity – Deaf. And being connected with all the others in the Deaf community. It is right and I love it.
