ANTIGONISH: While he’s reminded numerous times on a daily basis, Andrew Chacko has never heard someone tell him how well he’s doing, whether in his personal or professional life.
The 38-year-old Chacko, who was born without the ability to hear, was born in Canada and grew up in India before moving back to Canada in 2008.
Through Andrew Stalker, who was acting as Chacko’s interpreter for his interview with The Reporter using American Sign Language (ASL), Chacko said he knew Indian Sign Language and could read and write simple English phrases but he had trouble settling into Canadian life.
Stalker, who is the essential skills, employment, and community engagement instructor with Antigonish County Adult Learning Association (ACALA), suggested Chacko experienced issues connecting with others due to a language barrier, while also having to deal with the physical challenges of communicating.
On Sept. 8, Chacko was recognized by the Council of the Federation as the Nova Scotia recipient of its literacy award for his leadership, resilience, and dedication to literacy and ASL during International Literacy Day.
The Council of the Federation Literacy Award is presented annually to adult learners who demonstrate outstanding achievements in literacy and make significant contributions to their school, workplace, or community.
“Andrew’s commitment to not only learn ASL to connect with others, but then to be at the forefront of his community’s ASL program, is truly inspiring,” Premier Tim Houston said in a press release. “I admire his leadership as he continuously dedicates his time to make his community more connected and inclusive.”
Chacko said he is proud to receive such an honour.
“It’s nice that different people see and they recognize his hard work,” Stalker said. “It was difficult meeting people; it was lonely. And now, he makes so many friends and he gets to be in the community, helping and doing.”
By the time Chacko moved from British Columbia to Nova Scotia and settled in Antigonish in 2015, he joined ACALA to improve his reading and writing skills to better connect with others and boost his employment opportunities.
“It was somewhat my fault, I knew (Andrew) from church,” Stalker said. “When I asked him, I was thinking about helping him with the normal things that we teach; writing and reading, (but) it didn’t really work.”
He explained Chacko would come in with a teacher, be provided homework, then go home, read his course material, and write the exercise, but Stalker noted “it was kind of boring for him.”
The most important thing about coming to ACALA for Chacko was making friends, and through learning and teaching ASL, it allowed him to meet people.
“I’ve been able to (learn to) communicate with friends, it’s been better,” he said. “Making art, having new relationships, going for coffee, communicating with people. I’m able to do more things.”
Despite facing challenges, Chacko was motivated to learn ASL and quickly reached an intermediate level.
“It was very difficult coming here and ACALA helped me learn how to get work and then work skills,” Chacko said. “Before stating at ACALA, I knew my cousin, his wife, and one or two friends through church. But (not many) people use sign, so that’s why I didn’t have many friends.”
Something ACALA does, Stalker said, is teach people who move here from different countries the English language and some learn ASL at the same time.
“Having these signs to go with the English words, seem to be helpful for some types of learners,” Stalker suggested.
More important than joining ACALA for his own personal gain has been Chacko’s commitment to the personal growth of other people.
“None of us went to school to teach ASL, so we don’t advertise ASL classes,” Stalker said. “What our ASL tutorials are about is just a group of people with an interest and we use internet resources, and we use multiple resources to learn as a group.”
One thing that Chacko did in the first year while he was in the work skills program, Stalker said, was to volunteer and work in the bakery of the Canadian Association for Community Living (CACL). Another volunteer job he’s particular proud of is with the St. James United Church hot lunch program.
“Andrew worked there and he would teach people how to sign; thank you, please, and how are you,” Stalker said. “And he gained more valuable work skills.”
When asked how proud he is of Chacko, Stalker suggested there’s something special about him.
“He has a strength, bravery, and confidence and it comes from, I don’t know,” Stalker said. “His whole life, he has had difficulties connecting with people and a lot of strange things happen, and he just gets used to it, and he just keeps going.”
In addition to helping run ASL tutorials, Chacko does cleaning, gardening, and outdoor maintenance for the Town of Antigonish and local community groups, but notes he’s still working on his time management skills.
“I continue to volunteer at ACALA with ASL classes,” Chacko added. “The more people who know sign language, the more people like me, who need sign language to communicate, can make friends and have better opportunities.”