Noah Agino is hearing impaired and hopes his books will help children better understand others living with disabilities.
At Buk bilong Pikinini (BbP), a children’s library non-profit in Papua New Guinea, inclusion is at the forefront of its programming. Leading the charge of these initiatives is Noah Agino, the library’s Inclusive Education Officer, who is hearing impaired. Alongside his work at the library, Agino also writes children’s books that focus on disability education, and he advocates for equal opportunities for disabled children.
A Library for Change
Each year, Buk bilong Pikinini celebrates the National Day of Disabled Persons. The 2024 celebration featured a sign language lesson by Agino and a reading from Agino’s book, “I Am Noah,” which shares his experience with hearing impairment. There was also participation from children in the community like Jonathan, who also has a hearing impairment, and Rena, who has mild Autism.
This is just one of the many educational programs happening at Buk bilong Pikinini and its more than 20 locations. The library’s primary mission is “to help increase literacy rates in Papua New Guinea through the establishment of children’s libraries and the provision of high-quality education programs and books.”
This includes other efforts like financial literacy classes, cooking demonstrations, and other diversity celebrations, like International Women’s Day. The library also participates in a publishing program that partners with community members with unique and accessible careers and publishes stories in their “When I Grow Up” series.
I Am Noah
In 1984, Agino was born without hearing impairment, but lost his hearing due to an accident at the age of four. He attended Mt. Sion Deaf and Blind Centre for primary school and went on to graduate with a Certificate IV Disability from Australia Pacific Technical College (APTC) in Suva, Fiji. At 23, Agino was selected to participate in the Pacific games for the disabled in Fiji. To Agino, his hearing loss was never a setback but an opportunity for growth.
In 2018, with the help of BbP, Agino was able to publish his first book, I Am Noah. Like Agino’s real life story, the children’s book tells of four-year-old Noah, who unexpectedly loses his hearing. In the face of something so life-changing, Noah pursues education and learns to live with his impairment.
In a feature with the Australian High Commission Papua New Guinea, Agino shares, ‘I Am Noah motivates children with hearing impairments to know that they can go to school as well.’ Copies of Agino’s book have been donated across Papua New Guinea schools and libraries.
Other Advocacy
In addition to his work with BbP, Agino is an active member of his community and is involved with several advocacy and volunteer groups in Papua New Guinea. Agino participates in sports programming for deaf athletes, presenting new opportunities and removing barriers for introduction to rugby.
He is committed to accessibility for all and regularly volunteers as a signer for community events. Agino is also a member of the Papua New Guinea Deaf Association, where he leads projects for translation alongside a team of other hearing-impaired Papuans.
Noah shares, “I love teaching deaf children and helping interpreters, teachers, and the community with development work to improve education outcomes for all.”
Future Projects
For Agino, advocacy is a lifelong project, one to which he has already dedicated his entire professional career. In addition to “I Am Noah,” Agino and BbP have several additional books in the works, some of which include stories of other disabilities and real-life experiences of people living with them.
Agino is also developing Papua New Guinea’s first sign language dictionary for children. It will include visual and written aids for beginners learning sign language, in the hopes that more Papuans will be able to communicate with and participate in hearing impaired communities.
“Remember while you are in class or you are entering into a new world – The Deaf World – to show respect for everyone despite different abilities,” says Angino.
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Carley Bishop
Carley is an editorial lifestyle writer and aspiring novelist. She is based in North Carolina where she resides with her husband and their puppy, Daisy, and is a proud graduate of University of South Carolina. Carley is a lifelong bookworm who enjoys reading everything from the classics to modern romances. When she's not reading or writing, she enjoys traveling, getting outside and trying new recipes at home.
