There are many issues within the deaf community but, for me, none

Hear, O listeners, the heartfelt words of Rachel Shenton, who declared: “There are many issues within the deaf community but, for me, none more important than access to education for deaf children.” In this saying lies a truth that pierces the soul: that while every community faces struggles, the struggle for knowledge is the most essential, for it is the key that unlocks all others. To be denied education is to be denied the fullness of life, the tools of freedom, the dignity of opportunity. Shenton speaks not only of policy, but of justice, of a birthright too often withheld.

The meaning of her words shines clearly. Within the deaf community, challenges abound—social isolation, barriers in employment, struggles for representation. Yet all these flow from a single root: without equal education, the child is left vulnerable, unable to shape their future with their own hands. To grant the deaf child access to learning is to grant them equality, confidence, and the power to carve their own destiny. To deny it is to cast them into silence deeper than the absence of sound.

History bears witness to this truth. Consider the story of Helen Keller, a child both deaf and blind, who, without guidance, lived in a prison of darkness and silence. Yet when Anne Sullivan came to her, teaching her letters by pressing signs into her palm, Helen’s world burst open with meaning. From that moment, she soared, becoming an author, an activist, and a beacon to millions. Her life proves Shenton’s conviction: when a deaf child receives education, they do not merely learn—they awaken to their full humanity.

So too, in the 19th century, Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet established a school for the deaf in America, believing that every soul deserved the blessing of knowledge. With his efforts arose not only a school, but a language—American Sign Language—that gave identity and dignity to generations of the deaf. Without this vision, countless children would have been left in silence. This tale, like Shenton’s plea, proclaims that true civilization is measured by how it educates its most vulnerable.

The origin of Shenton’s words comes from her life as both an actress and an advocate. Having witnessed the struggles of her own father, who became deaf late in life, she understood the deep barriers that arise when communication and education are withheld. Her advocacy led her to champion deaf children, declaring that while many issues clamor for attention, the foundation of all progress lies in opening the doors of learning. For with education, a deaf child can face the world not as one diminished, but as one empowered.

The wisdom here is timeless: to lift a people, begin with the children; to lift the children, begin with education. No wall of silence is too high when the bridge of learning is built. No barrier of misunderstanding is too great when the child is given the language to express their heart and the tools to engage with the world. To educate the deaf child is to transform a community, a nation, and even humanity itself.

The lesson, O listener, is clear: do not overlook the importance of education for those who are marginalized. If you have power, use it to demand schools and resources for deaf children. If you are a teacher, learn to include them; if you are a parent, fight for their rights; if you are a citizen, lend your voice to their cause. Do not think this issue belongs only to the deaf—it belongs to us all, for the measure of a just society is whether every child is given the chance to rise.

Thus remember Rachel Shenton’s words: “None more important than access to education for deaf children.” Let this truth burn within you like a torch. For when the smallest and most vulnerable among us are given the gift of learning, the whole world is lifted higher, and what once seemed silence resounds with the music of human potential fulfilled.