Party mense se stilte is sag, ander hard, nog ander s\u2019n weer vreedsaam of selfs vreesaanjaend. Myne was lank laasgenoemde \u2013 soveel so dat die openingslirieke van die liedjie \u201cHello darkness, my old friend\u2026\u201d vir my verregaande was. <\/p>\n
Die donker weens my blindheid en die gepaar<\/p>\n
dgaande al groter wordende stilte het my keel soms laat toetrek. <\/p>\n
Die onsekerheid was die ergste.<\/p>\n
Iewers in die Bybel staan geskryf, \u201c . . . my volk gaan ten gronde weens \u2019n gebrek aan kennis . . .\u201d<\/p>\n
Wel, ek het nie net ten gronde gegaan nie \u2013 ek was heeltemal platgeslaan, omdat ek nie verstaan het wat aan die gang is nie.<\/p>\n
Nadat ek my sig aan die einde van graad elf aan \u2019n hoofstroomskool verloor het, moes ek my skoolloopbaan aan die Pionierskool voltooi. <\/p>\n
Dit was \u2019n bitter pil om te sluk, aangesien ek reeds graad elf geslaag het en ook as onderhoofmeisie van ons skool gekies is. <\/p>\n
Die verskil van vakke, asook die feit dat ek eers Braille magtig moes word, het veroorsaak dat ek weer graad tien vir ses maande en daarna weer graad elf die volgende jaar moes doen. Ek kon nie verstaan hoekom my ander blinde maatjies so goed kon hoor, terwyl ek soms dae lank heeltemal niks, behalwe \u2019n harde gesuis, kon hoor nie. Die gesuis sou dan, net so skielik soos wat dit gekom het, verdwyn, maar daarna sou my gehoor in die algemeen \u2019n klein bietjie swakker as voorheen wees.<\/p>\n
Oor die jare het die gehoorverlies al erger en erger geword. Tydens my studie aan die Universiteit Stellenbosch moes ek dae aaneen tuis bly omdat klasbywoning feitlik nutteloos was. Ek het toe aan die einde van die derde kwartaal uit absolute desperaatheid my studie opgeskop \u2013 iets wat ek my jare later steeds nooit mee kon versoen nie. Ek wou so graag leer!<\/p>\n
Dit was eers in 2016, tydens my studie by Innovation for the Blind, dat daar lig was. <\/p>\n
\u201cJy\u2019s doofblind,\u201d het dr. Johan Pretorius van DoofBlind SA ges\u00ea. \u201cJy\u2019s deel van meer as nege honderd duisend DoofBlindes in Suid-Afrika!\u201d Met hierdie woorde word die lig uiteindelik pynlik aangeskakel.<\/p>\n
When you know better, you do better!<\/span> Gerat met hierdie nuwe kennis het ek baie beter gevaar.<\/p>\n Dr. Pretorius het my vingerspel geleer, sodat hy die woorde wat ek nie goed kon hoor nie, vir my kon spel, en so het ons treetjie vir treetjie my studie voltooi. Later het ek \u2019n kogli\u00eare inplantaat ontvang.<\/p>\n Vandag lei ek \u2019n vol lewe. Ek is tans die nasionale voorsitter van DoofBlind SA en \u2019n direksielid van die SBA, die Stigting vir Bemagtiging deur Afrikaans.<\/p>\n Hoe klink my stilte nou? Vreedsaam, vrolik, veilig! <\/p>\n Uiteindelik is my \u201csilence<\/span>\u201d inderdaad \u201cgolden<\/span>\u201d!<\/p>\n Rochelle McDonald is \u2019n sprekende voorbeeld van drome wat wel waar word, ongeag jou persoonlike uitdagings. Sy is pas aangestel as nasionale ontwikkelingsko\u00f6rdineerder van DoofBlind SA.<\/p>\n Party mense se stilte is sag, ander hard, nog ander s\u2019n weer vreedsaam of selfs vreesaanjaend. Hare was lank laasgenoemde \u2013 soveel so dat die openingslirieke van die liedjie \u201cHello darkness, my old friend\u2026\u201d vir haar verregaande was, skryf Rochelle McDonald<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":53829,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_linkdex":"","_yoast_wpseo_content_score":"","_yoast_wpseo_inclusive_language_score":"","_yoast_wpseo_is_cornerstone":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image-id":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image-id":"","newspack_ads_suppress_ads":false,"newspack_sponsor_sponsorship_scope":"","newspack_sponsor_native_byline_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_native_category_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_style":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_placement":"inherit","_crsspst_to_novanewscoza":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozabloemnewsexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozacityvision":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozadistrictmailhelderberg":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaeikestadnuus":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozahermanustimes":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozakomani-karoo":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozakougaexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozamthathaexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozanoordkaapbulletin":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozapaarlpost":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozapeexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozapeoplespost":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaswartlandgazette":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozatygerburger":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaudexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozavistanews":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozavrystaatkroon":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaweskusnuus":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaweslander":false,"_EventAllDay":"","_EventTimezone":"","_EventStartDate":"","_EventEndDate":"","_EventStartDateUTC":"","_EventEndDateUTC":"","_EventShowMap":"","_EventShowMapLink":"","_EventURL":"","_EventCost":"","_EventCostDescription":"","_EventCurrencySymbol":"","_EventCurrencyCode":"","_EventCurrencyPosition":"","_EventDateTimeSeparator":"","_EventTimeRangeSeparator":"","_EventOrganizerID":"","_EventVenueID":"","_OrganizerEmail":"","_OrganizerPhone":"","_OrganizerWebsite":"","_VenueAddress":"","_VenueCity":"","_VenueCountry":"","_VenueProvince":"","_VenueState":"","_VenueZip":"","_VenuePhone":"","_VenueURL":"","_VenueStateProvince":"","_VenueLat":"","_VenueLng":"","_VenueShowMap":"","_VenueShowMapLink":"","_application":"","_batch_id":"","_company_name":"","_company_tagline":"","_company_twitter":"","_company_video":"","_company_website":"","_custom_id":"898a5629-c2cf-4246-8bcb-dbd24e6d1f3f","_EventDuration":"","_EventOrigin":"","_EventTimezoneAbbr":"","_featured":"","_filled":"","_job_expires":"","_job_location":"","_media_credit":"","_media_credit_url":"","_menu_item_menu_item_parent":"","_menu_item_object":"","_menu_item_object_id":"","_menu_item_target":"","_menu_item_type":"","_menu_item_url":"","_menu_item_xfn":"","_navis_media_can_distribute":"","_navis_media_credit_org":"","_OrganizerOrigin":"","_provider":"","_pum_built_in":"","_pum_default_theme":"","_pum_form_conversion_count":"","_remote_id":"","_remote_name":"","_remote_position":"","_report_frequency":"","_report_reference_dates":"","_send_attempts":"","_site_id":"","_sitemap_exclude":"","_sitemap_frequency":"","_sitemap_priority":"","_source_url":"","_subscription_period":"","_subscription_period_interval":"","_subscription_price":"","_tec_slr_enabled":"","_tec_slr_layout":"","_template_type":"","_ticket_end_date":"","_ticket_start_date":"","_tribe_aggregator_allow_multiple_organizers":"","_tribe_aggregator_content_type":"","_tribe_aggregator_file":"","_tribe_aggregator_finalized":"","_tribe_aggregator_hash":"","_tribe_aggregator_import_id":"","_tribe_aggregator_import_name":"","_tribe_aggregator_interactive":"","_tribe_aggregator_origin":"","_tribe_aggregator_post_status":"","_tribe_aggregator_preview":"","_tribe_aggregator_source_name":"","_tribe_aggregator_type":"","_tribe_default_ticket_provider":"","_tribe_hide_attendees_list":"","_tribe_rsvp_for_event":"","_tribe_ticket_capacity":"","_tribe_ticket_header":"","_tribe_ticket_show_description":"","_tribe_ticket_show_not_going":"","_tribe_ticket_version":"","_type":"","_VenueOrigin":"","_wp_attachment_context":"","_wp_attachment_image_alt":"","_wp_font_face_file":"","_wp_old_date":"","_yoast_wpseo_estimated-reading-time-minutes":"","_yoast_wpseo_focuskeywords":"","_yoast_wpseo_focuskw_text_input":"","_yoast_wpseo_keywordsynonyms":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_block-catalog":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_job_listing_type":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_nova_retailer":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_publication":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_tribe_events_cat":"","_yoast_wpseo_videositemap-duration":"","_yoast_wpseo_videositemap-rating":"","_menu_item_classes":[],"_tribe_modified_fields":[],"_wp_attachment_backup_sizes":[],"_wp_suggested_privacy_policy_content":[],"_yoast_post_redirect_info":[],"_yoast_wpseo_video_meta":[],"activation_date":"","archive_insertion_is_repeating":"","archive_insertion_posts_count":"","article_feature_media":"","article_feature_type":"","article_main_image_caption":"","article_media_icon":"","article_template":"","author_byline":"Rochelle McDonald","background_color":"","block_editor":"","byline":"","cmplz_hide_cookiebanner":"","competition_end_date":"","contact_advertise_email":"","contact_advertise_phone":"","contact_editorial_email":"","contact_general_email":"","contact_general_phone":"","contact_office_hours":"","contact_physical_address":"","enabled":"","featured_image_custom_caption":"","featured_video_url":"","fields":"","font_body":"","font_header":"","frequency":"","headline":"","hide_border":"","icon":"","is_wp_suggestion":"","issuu_download_url":"","issuu_embed_url":"","language_version_url":"","large_border":"","name":"","nm_contact_name":"","nm_contact_number":"","nm_date_lost":"","no_overlay_background":"","node-url":"","obituary_born_date":"","obituary_died_date":"","obituary_memoriam_text":"","origin":"","overlay_color":"","overlay_opacity":"","overlay_size":"","placement":"","plural_label":"","post_author":"","post_id":"","post_language":"en","secret-key":"","sponsored_utm_campaign":"","sponsored_utm_content":"","sponsored_utm_medium":"","sponsored_utm_source":"","sponsored_utm_term":"","start_date":"","utm_suppression":"","video_embed_url":"","wp_pattern_sync_status":"","data_version":[],"enclosure":[],"pongrass_image":[],"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_newspack_byline_active":false,"_newspack_byline":"","newspack_content_restriction_is_exempt":false,"scaip_prevent_shortcode_addition":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"newspack_spnsrs_tax":[],"publication":[],"class_list":["post-53827","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n