"Proud of our diversity

At home, he is responsible for 5 children. At work, he's in charge of a whole computer park. Laurent Barrère isn't just a busy man: he also has a disability, impossible to guess at first glance. What's it like at work when you're deaf? Follow the guide...
The interpreter is there. My first interview in sign language: a three-way interview in which gestures take flight. A universal language is established between us, as beautiful as a dance... With his azure eyes, pirate look and luminous smile, Laurent arrived at the university in September 98. He now works at the Montpellier Faculty of Science.
"Things are going well with my colleagues. We have a laugh! But nobody knows sign language. So, sometimes I give little lessons... At lunchtime, we go to the administrative restaurant, and I try to follow the conversations, but I often end up giving up: it requires a lot of attention... In my professional practice, I'm also in contact with students and teachers. With students it's a bit more complicated. Especially with foreign students who don't speak French. It's not always easy to communicate with them...".

"We need to raise awareness".

How can everyday life be improved?
"The ideal thing for me would be for other people to speak sign language. We could give each other advice, talk about life at work, tell each other our professional strategies. To be able to talk about our difficulties: that would take a weight off my shoulders. It's hard sometimes to stay with hearing people without saying anything, having difficulty following conversations. Communication difficulties often stem from a form of fear, the fear of meeting others. There's still a lot of awareness-raising to be done, to get to know disabled people better."
Raising awareness, but how?
"Yes, it's not easy! We mustn't be afraid to reach out to others, to talk to each other. That's the only way to better understand disability. In the case of the deaf, there's a language barrier to overcome. But it's a general problem that goes beyond the university. We need to inform society as a whole: how can we get closer together? How can we improve dialogue?
Do we need more communication?
"Ofcourse! It's often due to ignorance that we don't dare approach people with disabilities. We shouldn't be afraid to make contact. Communication is possible. For example, we often talk about "deaf-mutes". It's not true: deaf people aren't mute! I speak, and people can understand me."

"Proud of our diversity

Has the creation of the handiversity service changed anything at university?
"That was 5 or 6 years ago. Yes, a lot has changed. When the service was created, I was able to make myself heard and express my needs. Some important changes were made, such as the use of flashing lights in the event of fire alarms. The most important thing for me was the possibility of having interpreters at meetings: that didn't exist before. However, you have to give them 3 weeks' notice..."
What remains to be done?
"A lot of things. I'd like to see universities take on deaf and hard-of-hearing people more often, because they find it hard to get jobs in private companies. And then, we shouldn't be afraid of difference. I think it's up to each and every one of us to roll up our sleeves and help the university to be accessible and welcoming. The university is a place of knowledge and learning. For me, it's a source of pride to work here, and to have a job with high added value. I'd like to get involved in raising awareness of disability. If deaf people weren't present at university, a whole section of society would be missing. We need to be proud of our diversity. I'd like to help with that."