This work serves to question the language barriers and segregation against the speech and sight impaired communities. South Africa is a multi-lingual country with 11 official languages, however sign language is not one of them. This begs the question whether our diversity is really all inclusive or limited to able bodied people.

The introduction of braille into the artwork in the form of an embossing was to create an awareness to us of how the coldness and uncomfortable experience of not being able to understand what is right in front of you. This is why working with copper etch as a technique to create this work made sense, because of its cold, firm and not easily disturbed nature I was able to create a work that speaks to more than the majority population.

There are twelve distinctly different dialects of sign language in South Africa, yet not one of them is included in the primary education system. I believe the integration of sign language into primary education would create an inclusive environment were speech impaired people would not need to reduce themselves to simplistic hand gestures that abled people understand to ask for help or communication the smallest of things.