Joanna Agius: ‘I didn’t want to accept the fact that I was deaf, ‘cause I wanted to be a hearing person so I could fit in with their world. I didn’t know where I should fit. Mum never told me about my nationality until I was 14, and I asked her “Why didn’t you tell me this before?” She said, “Because you’re deaf, you wouldn’t understand.” I only met my Dad when I was 21. He said “Jo, you should be proud, you are an Aboriginal woman and you are deaf. That’s who you are and you shouldn’t change it.” Even now I have a dream, I have a vision to help young deaf Aboriginal kids to achieve in life.’