How a hearing-impaired Hong Kong youth made it to college and now aspires to be a legislator
Facing discrimination and ignorance from others, Meng Wen overcame the odds with the help of charity Silence
Being hearing-impaired is not an obstacle for college student Meng Wen, who aspires to become a legislator.
Despite never having a proper education till Form 6 because of the lack of sign language interpretation, he did not give up.
With the help of Silence, a local charity dedicated to serving the hearing-impaired community, Meng overcame many adversities and became a student at the VTC Youth College in Kwai Fong.
Services offered by Silence include sign language interpretation and family counselling. Not only did the charity help Meng prepare for the DSE examination, it also arranged interpreters for his interviews with colleges, and helped Meng enrol in a bartending course.
Meng said his best quality is that he perseveres despite the obstacles. Throughout his childhood, he “felt very discriminated against” as peers treated him with disrespect.