Bali has a village where all residents know sign language

Bali is one of 13, 667 islands in Indonesia, in southeastern Asia. In the north of this island there is a small village of about 3, 000 called Bengkala, and a curious fact about the place is that everyone who lives there is fluent in kata kolok, a centuries-old sign language. This is because in the region the incidence of people who are born deaf or dumb is 15 times higher than the world average, and some believe that this number was already higher.

The high incidence of deafness is apparently caused by a recessive gene, DFNB3, which appears to be quite common among residents of the region for at least seven generations. Parents with normal hearing have children who do not hear and couples with one or both deaf parents have children who listen perfectly. Because of this, people with hearing impairment are treated in a completely normal way by everyone in Bengkala, and teaching signs is part of the education of all children.

The kata kolok was created precisely to integrate equivalently the people who could not hear and those who were able to do so, and has been passed down through all generations. In schools, teachers use centenary gestures as they speak for all students to learn together, and international sign language is also taught there today.

Many do not even perceive deafness as abnormal, and some even believe that this is a gift from Dewa Kolok, the god of the deaf. According to Bengkala residents, the deity lives in a local cemetery and protects the villagers. Others believe the deafness in the area is the result of a long-ago curse on the area when two people with magical powers clashed and one cursed the other to be unable to hear.

Bengkala deaf people, instead of being discriminated against, are considered physically stronger, happier, loyal and honest than people who normally listen. Their qualities are so recognized that they are sometimes recruited to work as hansip (civil guards) and pecalang (traditional Balinese security guards), as they are more disciplined and efficient. If they catch a thief, for example, they will hit him much worse than usual because they won't hear him scream.

One of the most important traditions there is the "janger kolok", or dance of the deaf. It is a style created specifically for the local hearing impaired. At least three times a month for the past 30 years, 16 dancers have taken to the stage to perform dance routines, which only synchronize with visual cues for the participants but still maintain a perfect rhythm.

Do you know how to communicate through sign language? If so, did you learn how? Comment on the Mega Curious Forum