My name is Jaan-Raul Ojastu, and since February 1, I have been working as a youth worker at the Lille Youth Center of the Tartu Youth Work Center. At the same time, I am studying special education at the University of Tartu and have already completed all my courses, with only my final bachelor's exam remaining in the spring. In addition to my studies, I am also a member of the board of the Estonian Deaf Youth Organization.
Since all my courses were completed, I started looking for jobs in my field. However, finding a job proved difficult for several reasons. The main reason was my deafness, which caused many employers to treat me differently. Employers with limited knowledge become fearful upon learning about it, leading to all sorts of questions and prejudices – how can deaf people who use sign language work, perhaps cooperation wouldn't go well, how to communicate with them, and so on.
When I found a position on the Unemployment Insurance Fund's website – a youth worker – and reviewed its job description and criteria, something in my heart told me I could apply for this position, as my experience and knowledge met the requirements. However, some doubts arose due to society's (including employers') skeptical attitude in the past. At some point, I gathered myself and decided to apply for the youth worker position at TNTK. Some time later, the employer contacted me and invited me to a job interview, which I hadn't expected. After the interview, I received a letter that seemed to change my life. I was hired.
When applying for the position of youth worker at TNTK, my expectations were to support young people's development opportunities and contribute to them in various areas. My vision is that young deaf people who use sign language can integrate into the hearing world,, which has not really happened so far. Therefore, I want to create an environment that is safe for deaf young people, so that they do not feel embarrassed or uncomfortable among hearing people. In addition, I would also like to expand opportunities to learn about Estonian sign language and/or deaf culture and make them visible to everyone.
I believe readers will have all sorts of questions about how I communicate with local staff and young people if they don't speak Estonian Sign Language themselves. There are always several ways to communicate, for example, in writing or even through a (mobile) application. Hearing staff also have the opportunity to acquire basic knowledge of Estonian Sign Language, and for quicker meetings, a remote interpretation service* helps ensure smooth communication. Of course, I am also ready to accept challenges that may arise during the work.
The youth centers of the Tartu Youth Work Center are great places where young people can participate in workshops, develop skills, take initiative, meet new people, etc. The centers are open to all young people, but since the sign language deaf community is small and collectivist, they remain remain skeptical aboutwhether they would feel comfortable in an environment where Estonian sign language is not spoken. I sincerely hope that my presence and involvement in the youth center will breakthe the uncertainty of sign language-using young people about attending the youth center.
* remote interpreting service – a service where Estonian sign language speech is translated into spoken Estonian via video connections, and vice versa.
Additional information:
Jaan-Raul Ojastu
Youth worker at Lille Youth Centre
+372 5306 6855 (SMS only)
