Video by the Office des personnes handicapées du Québec (OPHQ) — released June 2018. Captioned, without the Quebec Sign Language (LSQ) inset.
Lise, the model on the new poster of the Semaine québécoise des personnes handicapées (Quebec Week for People with Disabilities), generously agreed to be interviewed by the Office. In this video, she tells us more about her disability. What does it mean to live with a language disorder? What obstacles does she face every day?
An actress with the Théâtre aphasique, she also shares the important role art has played in her life, helping her express herself and find her words. An inspiring testimonial to share widely!
To learn more about the Semaine québécoise des personnes handicapées: www.ophq.gouv.qc.ca/sqph
Transcript
Translated from the original French video.
My disability is aphasia. It is a language disorder characterized by a loss of speech. People take you for an English speaker who doesn’t have the French words to explain. I am, I am me, I am a living being. I am without words.
The hardest part is with many people, like the ones you have at home, because when they talk together — if two of them are talking together, I understand, but if there are three or four, then I can’t, and that’s when I tune out.
At the beginning, I didn’t speak, I couldn’t answer, I didn’t have the words. Then they sent me to a rehabilitation hospital so I could get speech therapy. It has now been 23 years that I have been living with aphasia and performing theatre. Gradually finding words again, expressing my feelings — that is everything you express when you perform theatre. I am a speaking human, without speech. I speak a unique language.
Being the model for the Semaine québécoise des personnes handicapées was wonderful — it was like being on stage. The Semaine québécoise des personnes handicapées is important for all of us. But before accepting this interview, I asked to have the questions in advance because, for me, I needed to have the words to say exactly what I wanted. My speech has limited function. I am, I am a person with a disability.