Travel to Bali's Deaf Village - Desa Kolok

Travel to Bali’s Deaf Village – Desa Kolok

Up in the beautiful rural jungles of northern Bali, is an elusive village called, Desa Kolok. What’s more unique is that they have their very own sign language which is communicated throughout the whole village from children to adults.

The sign language is known as Kata Kolok, “the talk of the deaf”. It is geographically unique, independent of international or Indonesian sign language. It is the main communication for generations in the Bali jungle village of Bengkala. A high percentage of the locals are deaf. The village is sometimes called “Desa Kolok” – the deaf village.

For over seven generations, Bengkala has had high deaf-birth populations. This high percentage of deafness if caused by a geographically-centric recessive gene, called DFNB3, which has been genetically prevalent for generations.

The villagers of Bengkala embraced and adapted to a deaf lifestyle. Sign language is spoken throughout the whole village. Hearing villagers teach their children kata kolok in the home as a second or third language, hence, accepting equality and promoting it to the next generation.

The deaf and hearing communicate with ease at school as the teachers use speaking and sign language at the same time. As a result, students happily befriend each other with no communication barrier.

“I feel equal like veryone else,” signs 72-year-old village elder, Wayan Sandi. “We are one in the community here.”

This empowerment has introduced jangar kolok – “the dance of the deaf. This specific style of dance has been around for three decades.

So if you ever go to Bali, take a trip to Bengkala and see what it’s like for a small humble village where everyone see’s “hand to hand”.

Photo Credits – Vice