The Deaf Ottawans Equals in Every Respect Awareness Campaign
In the context of the campaign, we will share various fun facts about the Deaf franco-Ottawan community.
Their history, their culture, their leaders and much more will be shared one day at a time.
This awareness campaign about Deaf and hard of hearing franco-ottawans couldn’t have been possible without the micro-grant from the Association of francophone communities of Ottawa’s grant program Bilingual Ottawa, funded by the Government of Canada.
We would like to thank these individuals and organizations that have contributed from near and far to this awareness campaign, the only one of its kind.
Thanks to these partners and funding agencies that have financially contributed to the campaign:
ACFO Ottawa’s mission is to promote the Francophonie as well as the francophone community’s collective interests in all its diversity, while increasing its visibility across Ontario.
CBLS offers a range of consulting services to support institutions, corporations, organizations and individuals in meeting their accessibility objectives for people who are Deaf or hard of hearing, including innovations for service offerings, service networks and the development of various unique programs adapted to their context.
© 2020 – CB Linguistic Services
The Deaf Franco-Ottawan Community in the spotlight
In Ottawa, the vibrant Deaf franco-ottawan community shows that there are significant differences in regard to LSQ in that area compared to the LSQ that is mainly used in Quebec. Sign languages are known for having dialects just as any other languages that have their own dialects as well.
Culture is an inherent part of any language and community of individuals that carry their history and traditions from one generation to the next. Deaf communities across the world have their own cultures, which is a set of social beliefs, norms, arts, literature, history, values, and significant territorial pillars such as Deaf institutes and Deaf clubs.
All languages deserve to be celebrated, cultivated and encouraged to thrive, including sign languages.
There is a unique Deaf Ottawans community whose main language is the langue des signes québécoise (LSQ). Although it is very often believed that it is only used in Quebec, it is indeed present in Ontario as well as in other French-speaking cities.
Thanks to the Association des communautés francophones d’Ottawa (ACFO) and Bilingual Ottawa, we are very happy to highlight the LSQ Deaf Ottawans community, Deaf Ottawans equals in every respect.
Roger St-louis
A man who worked tirelessly for French-LSQ bilingualism in Ottawa! Mr. St-Louis played a big role in the establishment of a provincial school for Deaf francophones and he set up a training program for French-LSQ interpreters.
Serge Briere
Serge Brière was a pioneer in theater within the LSQ Deaf community. He left his mark in the Franco-ontarian and Quebec Deaf communities. At Montreal’s Deaf club (Centre des loisirs des Sourds de Montréal), the stage bears his name since 2005.
The motto of RESO is “With LSQ and French, any Deaf child can communicate, succeed and flourish!” Discover the importance of RESO in the life of families of Deaf and hard of hearing children and the story of Joël Lemay, one of the first Deaf children of RESO who has now become an adult.
The Consortium Centre Jules-Léger, a provincial institution offering specialized education, managed by Francophones, for Francophones. Mr. Jules Léger said that “the future belongs to those who fight”. See the history of the CCJL.
One of them, Jonathan Poulin-Desbiens is an artist who has mainly distinguished himself in the theater
Learn more about this talented young Deaf.
SPiLL.PROpagation was founded by a group of Deaf artists and allied artists and is committed to producing exciting collaborative opportunities that enhance the arts. Discover this artist’s center for multidisciplinary creation and production in sign language:
One of the greatest experiences of his athletic career was winning the World Deaf Curling Championship in Switzerland against Russia in 2013 with the Canadian Deaf Sports Association (CDSA).
Get to know this inspiring athlete.
What do Dimitri Jean-Paul, Marie-Josée Blier and Imane Moussa have in common?
They are young
They have great values
They are Franco-Ontarians or have spent most of their life there
They are involved in their community
But above all, they are some of the proud representatives of the future of the Franco-Ontarian Deaf community.
How to become an ally ?
As with all languages, the LSQ does not stand on its own. The LSQ comes with culture, community, history and traditions. Understanding the uniqueness of Franco-Ottavian Deaf people comes down to understanding and fully grasping their history as well as the importance of historic sites that have profoundly transformed their lives and their language.
Deaf and hard of hearing individuals are human beings that have developed their own tools and skills in order to contribute to society. Employment opportunities should include Deaf and hard of hearing people who have the proper skills in their fields as well. It only requires a couple of accommodations and adjustments and that’s all there is to it! They can grow with you too!
Deaf and hard of hearing individuals are versatile humans who have so much to contribute to society. They survived decades, even centuries, despite all forms of oppression and discrimination towards them. They still shined, all proud of the beauty of their sign language. It is even more true for franco-ottawans that are part of a minority within a minority. We can also think about various minority and radicalized groups such as people of color, LGBTQ2+ community, senior citizens, women, children, and so much more.
