Olivier Delanghe has been deaf since he was one year old. He attended primary and secondary school but, as there was insufficient provision made for deaf students, he was unable to graduate. The difficulties he experienced led him to embrace the teaching profession. He entered a specialized training course providing sign language interpreting and successfully graduated. His failures and successes show how important it is for deaf people to have a good command of sign language, and the vital role played by interpreters in improving the status of the deaf.