culture

What is most painful for the persons with hearing impairment is that they cannot properly communicate with the ordinary people.

So they are afraid to join the social activities.

But Kim Ji Ye, Pak Thae Wi and four other persons with hearing impairment are now working at the Ragwon IT Trading Company. They have become full-fledged skilled workers who can apply any image processing programs as skilfully as other employees and play their part for the development of the collective.

“At first when we decided to admit them to the company as employees, there were some dissenting opinions. In fact, Kim Ji Ye is a daughter of our employee. We sympathized with the company officials who wanted to relieve the mental suffering of the employee who was anxious about the future of his child. But we were much worried about whether they could acquire the computer image processing technology,” said Kim Il Ryong, a section chief of the company, referring to it. “That is why some people offered their opinion that they should help them well so that they would not feel any inconvenience in life.”

At that time, Han Jong Sil, director of the company, said that the country adopted the law on ensuring the rights of disabled persons to protect persons with disabilities and guarantee their rights, earnestly asking the employees to help them fully exercise their rights as citizens.

Soon Kim Ji Ye and Pak Thae Wi were employed by the company.

But all things were not optimistic as they thought.

It was not an easy job to teach the persons with hearing impairment computer skills.

“At that time, too, our director said the company employed Ji Ye and Thae Wi not merely for the reason that we were sympathetic to them. We should help them even by learning sign language,” said Kang Su Ryon, a technical expert of the company, recollecting those days.

The employees began to learn simple sign language during their leisure time from that day.

Now almost all employees of the company can communicate with the disabled persons in sign language.

Kim Ji Ye and Pak Thae Wi improved their skills day after day with the sincere assistance from the employees and today they have become innovators and skilled workers.

During these years they cherished heartfelt gratitude to the socialist system of the country.

They attended the art performance to mark the 113th birth anniversary of President Kim Il Sung in April this year and sang the song “We Are the Happiest in the World" together with other employees in sign language, making a good impression on the audience.

Ri Kum Ryong, Ji Ye’s mother, said that her desire was fulfilled the day when she saw her daughter lead the social life and take the stage for performance like others under the benevolent socialist system, enjoying warm love and affection of the kindhearted people.

In May, four other persons with hearing impairment were employed by the company.

“Our employees showed deep sincerity for Kim Ji Ye, Pak Thae Wi and other persons with hearing impairment as they were greatly moved by the law on the protection of disabled persons of the country adopted to help them fulfil their dreams and hopes,” said Han Jong Sil.