KAMPALA, November 30 (IPS) – Since the outbreak of the Covid19 pandemic, at least two deaf people have been shot dead by state law enforcement officers in Uganda. Their ‘crime’ is being deaf and uneducated. Their inability to hear or understand the Covid19 containment measures communicated in English resulted in their deaths.
This is despite the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) and its reporting mechanisms that require governments to remove all barriers to access to information – including those faced by the Deaf. Deaf people are a linguistic minority – with sign language being their primary language of communication. In Uganda, 1 out of 30 everyone is deaf.
Kenya and Uganda have both taken the initial steps to legalize sign language in the Constitution and have begun to incorporate sign language into official communication. For example, Kenya has expanded health care services by providing interpreters in hospitals. But the fact that the deaf and their problems are still seen as a minority and neglected is all the evidence we need to show that we have a long way to go.
Countries in the East African community must redouble efforts to implement their inclusion laws and legally recognize their sign languages in all areas. In addition, they incur the cost of sign language interpretation in the public sector. This will be a huge step towards building the inclusive East African community we’ve all been looking for. Until then, we in the Deaf community, continue to be discriminated against.
As a first step, we must ensure that sign language interpreters play an essential role in economic, social and political events, so that the deaf can participate actively and meaningfully into public life. Many people assume that all deaf people understand advanced written grammar. This is not the case, as English (or any other language) and Sign Language grammar are distinct.
To assist the deaf in decoding spoken and written language, a sign language interpreter is required. However, their services are very expensive, it costs $40 per day on average for these services. Consider this together with the fact that 41% Ugandans live on less than $1.90 a day. These services are really out of reach for the majority of the deaf and hard of hearing community in the country.
We are seeing some progress. In Uganda, there have been sustained television campaigns about the need to expand access to information and services through sign language. It is envisaged that through this campaign more Ugandans will become aware of their rights and in turn will motivate political decision-makers to speed up the approval process. Draft TV Access Guidelines by the Ministry of Information Technology and National Guidelines. These will provide implementation-oriented structures.
Other EAC countries have yet to officially recognize their sign languages. This leads to the continued exclusion of human rights and abuses of the deaf. Therefore, these States must fulfill their obligations under the Convention United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), promoting the full inclusion of people with disabilities in society.
While it can be argued that there are indeed legal and policy frameworks in Uganda and EAC countries that guarantee access to information; this is still largely on paper and not in practice, especially for the deaf. Consider that healthcare facilities, educational institutions, and government offices have inaccessible information formats and lack of sign language interpreters. In addition, television – both for informational and entertainment purposes, is largely dedicated to the auditory world.
Also, consider the value and importance of Sign language interpretation in court proceedings for a person accused of Deafness. Certainly, an interpreter is the only means of ensuring proper understanding and participation in the trial, but this means is not always readily available. Access to justice has been denied to many deaf people in many unreported cases. As a result, the deaf have been largely cast aside and subjected to many injustices.
Therefore, countries in the EAC should urgently move to the implementation of national and international legislation on inclusion. They must legally recognize their sign languages and include them in all fields. In addition, they incur the cost of sign language interpretation in the public sector. This will be a huge step towards building the inclusive East African community we’ve all been looking for. Until then, we in the Deaf community, continue to be discriminated against.
Timothy is a Deaf lawyer and disability inclusion expert in Uganda. He is a member of Aspen New Voices 2022 and is the founder of Stein Law and Advocacy for the Deaf.
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