‘I was shut out of university because I’m deaf’

Life feels good when you achieve your goals and pursue your passion. In this encounter with YETUNDE OLADEINDE, Jane Ottah , talks about how she was expelled from the university just because she is deaf

HABEN Girma is Harvard Law School’s first deaf and blind graduate. For the Eritrean-American, this was a dream come true and now that she has the world in her pocket; her passion is to help fight and open doors for other people in her shoes. The pretty lady who graduated from Harvard in 2013 is

passionate about making education accessible for those who believe that they can achieve their goal, just like she did.

Like Haben, you come across another beautiful young lady, Jane Ottah, who is also deaf. A bright future, a world where she can stand out and make a difference is what she desires. To make this a reality, Ottah, who hails from Arochukwu local government area of Abia State, burned the midnight oil and finally gained admission to the Rivers State University of Science and Technology. That was the first phase to achieving her dream and she made up her mind to put in her best and prove her mettle.

Dreams die first

Unfortunately, this tall dream is about to come to a halt. Reason: The University which matriculated her has expelled her from the institution just because she is, wait for it: deaf! Ever since she got the news, everything around her crumbled and she does not really know where to start from. The decision is also seen to be harsh by her family, loved ones and friends especially those who are also deaf. They recently had a live open theatre at the canteen section of the Federal Secretariat in Abuja last month to raise money to support her, and all performers were deaf

The support from friends is encouraging but she needs more than this as a ray of hope to fulfil her dreams. Telling her story, she says, “I was born and raised in Port Harcourt and it is a wonderful family. It is a family of nine (dad, mom and siblings), we are five girls and two boys. I was studying Educational Foundations and I was in 100 Level when this happened. The university decided to stop me in my first semester end when I was writing my first semester examination.”

Sadly, she continues her story: “I was undergoing medical check up, where I told them everything because they asked me what was wrong with my voice and I decided to let them know. They didn’t know about my hearing problem and I decided to let them know. Then they wrote a letter to the HOD immediately, but I did not know what they were writing. They just asked me to go and I should come back the next day.”

The following day, it was bad news and the fact that her dreams were crumbling like a pack of cards hit her badly. “My initial reaction was that I wanted to see the Vice Chancellor but I was not allowed to see anyone. So I went home and broke the news to my father, who was also devastated. The following day, we both went to the school to let them know that I can do it. I wanted them to give me a chance to prove myself, but they kept promising but failed.”

Asked how she feels about this, she says, “I feel very bad and the experience would have taken away my life, I was devastated and really depressed. When I accepted the letter, I opened it and after reading I fainted as I was shocked. If it wasn’t for my friend that was with me, I won’t have been in this world by now but I am grateful that I am alive.”

Angry and disappointed, you want to know what she wants to do at this point and she replies: “I will like to sue the University for the damage they caused me; I am not doing this for myself but for all those who have the same problem with me. This is not the first time it has happened, it had happened many times but they just forget it and keep silent. But, for me, it’s a big no, because it can ruin my future and it’s a good thing so that other universities would learn from this and never to try it again.”

No going back

Now you want to know the other challenges that she was faced with before this experience, and Ottah responds: “The only challenge I was facing is that I have a hearing problem and I don’t find it hard, I find it easy because I am used to it.”

Next you want to know if it was tough getting admission into the university, and she answers: “It was very easy for me to get admission because I worked hard for it. I did everything by myself and it’s with the help of God that I gained admission. It’s not by my power; it’s by the power of God.”

The conversation moves on to the day to day challenges that Ottah is faced with trying to survive. “The day to day challenge I am faced with now is being worried, staying at home and doing nothing. It hurts so badly; that is what I keep thinking about everyday and I am getting more depressed. I keep worrying that if I don’t get education I am not going anywhere in life and I can’t even get a job or help others in life.”

Interestingly, you find her mood change a bit when you ask her to talk about some of the memorable moments in her life. Her words: “Some of the memorable moments in my life are as follows: the day I became deaf was the worst day of my life. Another sad day was the day I was sent away from school as a kid just because of my hearing problem; that was in primary school. I ended up staying at home for nine years without education.”

Ottah adds that “I would say that the day I started my primary education at the age of 15 years was the beginning of my joy. Also, the happiest moment of my life was the day I graduated from Hallel College High School with the best result and this is what took me to the university. It came through hard work and God.”

Are there some people that she admires? “Yes. There are many people that I admire, like Sir Bunmi, a deaf lawyer based in the USA; he is my role model. He encourages people to be strong no matter the circumstances they are facing. The list of people that I admire includes Sir Lawrence, Sir Olawale, Dr Tola and some of the great men and women who are deaf, graduated with degrees, masters, PhD and they teach others, and we even have doctors, lecturers and other professionals.”

If Ottah has to advise young people, what will she tell them? “My advice to the young people out there is that they should work hard for their future and that they should not run away in the face of challenges. Instead of quitting, it is important for them to stand strong and fight for what belongs to them. That is to say fight for your right, if you don’t, nobody will.”

Just before Ottah leaves, you want to know who or what gives her inspiration and she says: “I like people who do not look down on others, just because you are in the high class doesn’t mean you are better than anyone. You just have to know that everyone is equal in the eyes of God. Be humble in everything you do, apply love and understanding and the sky will be your starting point.”

Source: thenation