Jodee Mundy is the only hearing person in a Deaf family. When she was five years old, she found herself lost in Kmart. When no one from her family came to the front desk to meet her, despite repeated loudspeaker announcements, she realised that being Deaf meant not being able to hear and that her family therefore couldn’t hear the announcements.
In Personal, Mundy conveys a very intimate story of her experiences as the only hearing person in a Deaf family, including her role as a CODA (Child of Deaf Adult) who is able to pave the way for a family as interpreter, authority and conduit.
“My story is not unique – there are millions of CODA worldwide. As CODAS, we intersect the Deaf and hearing worlds and hold knowledge of sign languages and the culture of Deaf people. We are a hidden minority in a minority community – the CODA perspective offers a unique take on disability,” said Mundy.
Mundy explains that Auslan is her native language and English is her second language, “I’ve never seen ‘disability’ – I only know the love and protection of those closest to me.”
Through a captivating blend of performance, storytelling, multimedia and animation, with a virtual interpreter and creative captioning, Personal delves into the contradictions of inhabiting two worlds: living in a Deaf family where using sign language is natural; and living in a society that sees only the family’s disability and looks on with voyeuristic curiosity.
Tune into The Breakfast Spread Wednesday April 18 to hear Mundy talk more in-depth about the show and head to the Arts House website for tickets and show times.
