Yoriko Kawai, 72, has led Deaf theatre troupe Gifu Ro Gekidan Ibuki for more than 40 years

Yoriko Kawai, who was born Deaf in Gifu, founded the Deaf theatre company Gifu Ro Gekidan Ibuki in 1982 and has led it for over four decades while still performing on stage. At a time when Deaf people had nowhere to train as actors, she was inspired at 25 by a professional sign-language performance by Deaf American actors in Tokyo and hopes theatre can build a society where Deaf people live on equal terms with hearing people.