Sibylle Rau - graphic designer

RESC: How do you usually introduce yourself when you meet someone new?

Sibylle Rau (SR): I often introduce myself with my name and add that I’m deaf, since I don’t speak Swiss German. This allows me to clarify the form of communication right at the beginning. During the conversation, I then mention my work as a visual designer and my knowledge of the area of accessibility.

RESC: What is your “superpower”?

SR: People often tell me “you see everything”, referring to my powers of observation. I’m pretty determined when it comes to challenging tasks or solving a technical problem. I’m an autodidact by nature, and learn new skills through a “learning by doing” approach

RESC: What are people without sensory disabilities most amazed about when they meet you?

SR: I mingle with hearing people with a natural and open approach and engage effortlessly in face-to-face conversation with strangers. Having a hearing impairment is individual and has different facets, but the experience is the same for everyone: the hearing impaired and deaf live in the middle of society, but we are excluded in many ways

RESC: In what situations do you feel “dis-abled”?

SR: It starts with communication. Loss of hearing is a communication handicap in society. Being unable to hear often results automatically in exclusion: I’m frequently unable to speak in a group, whether in (online) meetings at work, during breaks or at parties. As a hearing impairment is invisible, it’s often forgotten or overlooked. In everyday life, counter screens make lip-reading difficult. Unless it’s been planned in advance with a sign language interpreter, I can't spontaneously attend things like the theatre, exhibitions, literary events or further education courses

RESC: What is your greatest wish for the future?

SR: Participation in society for all people with disabilities is not yet inclusive. My wish for the future is for mental barriers to be removed. Access to education, work, healthcare and the digital space must become accessible to all, unconditionally.

Bio

Sibylle Rau was born deaf. She learned to speak phonetically from the age of nine months, with years of intensive language training. After studying visual design at the Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK), she worked as a graphic designer for various agencies and non-profit organisations. Sibylle likes to switch off and relax by taking walks in nature and reading. “When reading, regardless of the genre, whether historical novel, thriller or non-fiction, I don’t feel any kind of impairment. Books help me to put myself in the most diverse situations and participate in them. This is the pleasure of full accessibility.”

Miriam Daepp of the Competence Centre for Rehabilitation Engineering and Science (RESC) spoke with Sibylle Rau in December 2021.