7 June 2002 Theresa's success a model for others

Theresa Newson didn't hear a word of the lectures she attended in her four-year degree course … but she still absorbed what she was being told.

The 22-year-old Wellingtonian has been profoundly deaf since birth but her disability has not stood in the way of gaining a degree in Landscape Architecture from Lincoln University.

Theresa graduated Bachelor of Landscape Architecture with Honours at Lincoln University's graduation ceremony in April this year and she hopes her achievement might be seen as a role model for other disabled people pondering careers in a highly competitive society where being different can be intimidating.

"The reason that I went to university was not just for a better job," Theresa says. "I wanted to promote the idea that deaf people can do anything. My wish is to see all deaf people being treated equally with hearing people, breaking all the barriers, and I want to encourage deaf people to get more education to become what they want as professionals."

Theresa's deafness was picked up when she was two. Her parents, Kevin and Elaine, were shocked, but once that wore off her mother began to teach her sign language.

"I began to sign very quickly and it was the main communication tool in my family during my childhood," she says.

Theresa grew up in Seatoun in Wellington, the eldest of four daughters, and despite her deafness went to mainstream schools – St Anthony's across the road from her home and St Catherine's College in Kilbirnie. She says her upbringing and mainstreaming in hearing schools gave her the confidence to tackle a university degree.

"I still get barriers, but I almost always can break down the barriers, which are to do with communication."

During seventh form her career options included marine biology, fashion design and environmental studies. But a liking for art and geography swayed her towards Landscape Architecture and she took the bold step of moving to Lincoln.

"I was at the stage where I needed to be more independent and thought moving out of my home town would do me a lot of good and it did," she says.

The University provided full-time interpreters, communicators and a note-taker and Theresa says she was fortunate to strike a dedicated team who became the people she was most at ease with on campus.

"I was very lucky to have their support during my degree," she says. "If I didn't have them, I couldn't picture what would have happened."

In the latter part of her degree, a professional interpreter, Julie Bennett, signed for her and was especially valuable because it was the most testing time academically. Her note-taker, Margaret Stevenson, stayed in the role for the full four years.

"They were all wonderful and we all keep in touch even though I have now finished my studies. During the times in lectures I saw them as professionals but outside these times I see them as valuable friends."

She is also grateful to Grant Cleland, the Inclusive Education Co­ordinator at Lincoln during her time. Grant and his team ensured everything was running smoothly for her during the academic year.

Theresa says it can be disconcerting for hearing people trying to communicate with the deaf but years of experience have made her very patient.

"I often use my voice and signing to try and communicate. If all else fails, pen and paper do the job."

During her degree work, she also used to remind fellow students that her interpreter could be a go-between to help with discussions.

Since the end of her studies Theresa has completed a four-month work stint with the Porirua City Council and is now job hunting. She has special interests that she'd like to pursue – heritage conservation and bicultural themes covering Maori environmental issues, an area she was able to explore during her degree.

A vision for the development of Pauatahanui Inlet near Wellington was her major design project in her final year. It was prompted by childhood memories of staying with a friend at a ranger's cottage in the area.

The design, titled Pauatahanui: Kainga o nga tuangi, explored the design possibilities of the Transmission Gully Motorway proposal, Pauatahanui village, and the inlet. Theresa drew on the rich historical and ecological significance of the area, pointing out that it has a long Maori history dating back 600 years and is one of the last remaining refuges of the cockles.

"It's vital to conserve them due to their key role in the ecosystem in the Inlet. They have a major role in the food chain for other wildlife species, and without cockles there would be fewer birds."

Theresa used the shellfish as a source of inspiration for her work from buildings to forms in the landscapes, as she created a housing development for Pauatahanui.

Books on heritage landscapes are among her interests nowadays, while she also enjoys gardening, walking, sketching and arts and crafts.

Theresa is satisfied that her four years at Lincoln University was time well spent. She has the grounding for a fascinating career and the hope that other deaf people might now be inspired to follow in her footsteps.

Maree Mahony

Ian Collins, Journalist, Lincoln University, Canterbury, New Zealand.