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A8-The Canadian Champion, Tuesday, December 19, 2006 ww.anfeeso.mCOMMUNITY 487 1Laurnier Ave. Deaf teen educating others through poetry By Stephanie Thiessen CANADIAN CHAMPION STAFF TTemigbt be deaf, but dont lever misiake Nazini Bbîmani for betng Ldumb, or anything less than the vocal, intelligent, cloquent I 3-y'ear-old poet he is. If y'ou do, you might just find yoursell heing gîven a passionate reminder oflubs abil- itres tbrougb a self-written rap/poemn, like tbe insensitive store clerk Naz met recently in Brampton. Naz sard the cashier wouldn'i respond bo bis repeated inquiries of tbe price of a pack of gum, and was generally dîsmîssive ofbhim. Not one to back down, Naz returrncd the ncxr day and perrirmed bts i ap Theb Deal' World' for the mari. "I arn deal so do nul shout, Icai n ASI oir iei mc sec your inoutb," une fine ol tbc poern reads. No, Naz certaîn> rsn't duînb; lic bas a voice, and be uses it. In Septimber, Naz started at f C. Dniry Scboul for tbe Deaf. Wbat mnakes bts story particular ly inrcrestrng is that bc camne ail thé wav lrurii Lngland ro do rt. Togcrbcr wîtb bts muru, Sbelu, Naz relo- catcd so bce could take advantagc of wh at be calîs "tbe best scbool in tbc world". "The scbool bas bielped nic so inuch andl I feel ibat I belong to tbe deal curnmunîry," said Naz. He's bad a tougb life, t0 say the leasi. Naz was born wvitb cerebral palsy and a nurirber of otber conditions includîng a beart defcî and asîbrua. Naz bas severe ro profouncl beaning loss, alrbougb be can comnrunicare well because be lip reads and can speak. But bis bearing loss is degenerative, so wbat little bearing be bas clrînisbes day by day. Naz and bis moîber don't think be'll bc able to speak anymore once be loses the rest of bis bcaring. I don't know wbat l'm goirîg tu do wben I can't bear (anytbing)," Naz sard. Altbougb Naz bas always used poeîry and rap tu express brmscll, is become cvcn freer-llowrng now tbat bes ai F.C. Drury. Sbiclu, xbo's a single parent, sarcl tbats because uf the newîo(und irecdoni andl conli- dence lie feels i bis identrry as a ceaf pcr- son. lie even bas a stage name, Deal i Naz. Naz said poctr>' rnakes brm ledl powerful. "A word that can bc beard can mnake a grear difference - and I wanr io sec the worlcl cbanged," bc saîd. Many of is poemns arc about deai people, alibougbi not all ýV ln Na:7 Pet furns fbe Deai \\ urld, lie EXPRESSING HIMSELF: Nazim Bhimani, a i 3-year-old poet and rapper wvho's deaf, poses wuith from England and moved to Milton to attend E.C. Drury Sehool for the Deaf. closes brs ey'es and secins iu summunin up an>' anger be's ever Icîr. 'Il am deai and ver>' well educaied, our nigbîs inusi nul be violaîed," be reertes. Hrs facial expressions conve>, îniensîiy and passion, and bis ey'es renaîi clused as be signs alorîg witb the words. Then, alter tbe last fine is delivered, Naz opens bis eyes, looks ai bis moisi for approval and breaks oui inru a big srsnile. The rougIr go>' is gorre "Ever>' lime bc perforins, ibere are icars," Sbelu sard. "h1 rnakes me su bappy lu be alîve anîd ru be bis mum. l'ru su blecssed." The wbecls for tbe Obimanis' rnive were setirn rnotion abur a y'ear-anid-a- bail agu, whien Naz anrd lîrs inrun vîsîredliber biroiber in Canada. Naz luxed ir and dîdn'î wani ru cas e. On tbe plane ride hume, Sbelci ftud ber- seli îalking wîîlr a teacher, wlru rulc ber about L C . Drury Sciruol for the Deaf. fi secined meani lu be. Naz inuveci iu C.anada ahuit a y'ear agu anîd atîended a scboul in Bramnur uniil be was accepied ai F.(. Drury. lui a bu>' xx bu\was burîliec rnecicssN ai bis sebool in lEnglanci, bis iiew scbuol seîns lîke a drearsi come truc. Suddenly, ever>'unes jusi lîke bii. "We biave goo uucncr and respect cacb uîber," lie sard. E.C. Drur>' Scliuul for the Deal, on Ontario Street, is cuirprisedi of an eleinen- lary and a secuirdar>' sebool. Il was estab- lîsbed in 1963 and is tbe lirgesi of tbe îbre deaf scbools in Ontariu. Tbe elenenrars' scbuol bas 106 siudents raîrgiîg frori juniur kindergarrer te, grade 8. Souie ufthe sîudeîrîs are bused ti, wbile (libers îakc adx'aniage ut' ibe scbuul's resi- dential prograro, andc curne frurin as lar awav' as the Niagara Regiurî Paul Bartu, principal of tbe elerneirîary scboul, saic tire sclboul is fur siuderris xs'b are severel>' deal file refers Ici it as a bi-liii gual - Amecricair Sign Language (ASI-) and Englisb and bi-cuirural scbuol. "lis- a cultural centre fur tbe deai," Bartu sard. "Onre otritie mainî leners of tbe prugrain is stucleirs sec îbemselves as a cîlicral/lin- guisîre gruup, raîber tbaîr an irîrpaireci cbild." Stîmetiig r iai in,îkes tire schbutl spcc il GRHA eAN/ANDA CHAP * me of his przdpee.Bimn *eycm *s th I tms fh ecesacda hm As soncn * h an nw rts sme ofguge hîs prizedkl piee.Biaîecn cam AsLes, proxring ibe stuenî wr tu r "fles ver>' outgoing and does wonderful poetry," Bartu sard. "He's feeling coinfortable wvitb bis new fniends and lîkes tbe rdentrty of being a deaf person anîd a deaf poer." Bartu sard Naz is a student wbo'll bave exery opporuuity ru go ro unixersi> anîd becoriec "a sciccessiol bi-lingual, bi-cultural aduli." its clear Naz bias cîuîckly found bis place ai tbe sebool, and bas ex cr underraken surrie iunclraising ventures - gi'ng poct>' read- ings ai Milton Mail -iu rarse inune>' for a trip ru Quebec bis class will be takring rîexr y'ear. He's a happy boy wrrb purpuse. A line i une of bis pocrus says iî aIll "1 sec m>'y deafness is reali> a blessing i disguise. " Siepliaîrii Tir tesseir iair bc' itot lied ai Cogeo ~ ~NLaurier Plaza CogecoCable500 Laurier Avenue IJ&JI/3tPPtMilton, ON L9T 4R3 Channel 14 cl/eltpi905-878-9306