dinsdag 23 september, 2025 om 14:17:02
Hengevelde is taking a unique step towards inclusivity, with a growing number of residents learning Dutch Sign language (NSL) too better connect with 4-year-old Gijs Bloemen, who was born deaf. A new video series, starting this week with Gijs’s cousin Pem demonstrating farm animals in sign, aims to broaden NSL knowledge throughout the village.
The initiative responds to the Bloemen family’s desire for gijs to fully participate in community life,fostering genuine understanding and dialog. While Gijs communicates through sign language and benefits from a brainstem implant allowing him to perceive some sounds, verbal communication remains a challenge. This effort seeks to bridge that gap, ensuring Gijs-and others who use sign-feel truly at home in Hengevelde. The project’s success could serve as a model for other communities seeking to become more accessible to the deaf and hard-of-hearing.
Gijs, the son of Jeffrey Bloemen and Anouk Doeschot, and brother to Lot, shares a lively home life with his twin sister, jet. He attends the Enkschool in Zwolle, a specialized school for deaf and hard-of-hearing children, since last school year.
Born without auditory nerves, Gijs is profoundly deaf.A specialized auditory brainstem implant (ABI) allows him to detect sounds, though understanding speech is currently not possible. the family reports that many in their immediate circle have already begun learning NSL, with some achieving considerable fluency.
This week’s video features Gijs’s aunt, Pem, signing the names of various farm animals, offering a simple and engaging introduction to NSL for all Hengevelde residents. The hope is to encourage further participation and create a more inclusive surroundings for Gijs and others who rely on sign language.
