To commemorate this year’s International Sign-Language Day (ISLD) the Deaf Women Association of Nigeria (DWAN) has again expressed satisfaction on the signing into law, the Disability Right Bill by President Mohammadu Buhari, describing the act as “a huge step towards ensuring inclusion with sign-language for the deaf.”
Its Chairperson Abuja Chapter, Mrs. Hellen Beyioku-Alase, stated this in Abuja at the event organised by DWAN to mark ISLD and closing ceremony of project Health Empowerment and Rights (HER), held on the theme: “Making Healthcare More Assessible for Deaf Wome with Sign-Language”.
According to Beyioku-Alase, the disability bill “prohibits and penalizes any individual or organisation that fails to accomodate or include sign-language for the deaf.”
She therefore called on government at all levels, and all stakeholders to ensure the full inclusion with sign-language its women and girls in the scheme of things, while appealing to President Muhammadu Buhari to establish a commission to oversee the affairs of the disabled in Nigeria.
“The Disability Rights Bill is a huge step towards ensuring our inclusion with sign-language and the content herein prohibit and penalize any individual or organisation that fails to accomodate or include sign-language for the deaf.
“We appreciate the efforts of Mr. President Mohammadu Buhari for taking a giant step to sign the disability right bill into law. Despite the giant step a lot still need to be done to sensitize all citizens including Institutions and Government Agencies about the importance of sign language,” she said.
Beyioku-Alase also lamented the continued discrimination of deaf people, adding that the society is yet to accept and accommodate them and the sign-language even when they contribute their own qwota to national growth and development.
She maintained that the sign language is not different from other languages except for the use of symbols by hand, stressing the importance of incorporating the language as this cannot be separated from the deaf as it is their basic tool for communication.
“Unfortunately our society as a country is not doing enough to accommodate and promote sing language and deaf people.
Almost 80%of people in our society today still deny the fact that deaf people and sign language coexist.
“Sign language like any other language is the right and main key to inclusion for the deaf people in the society and the only difference is that it makes use of the hand to pass information.
“We join other disabled community to appeal to Mr. President as a matter of urgency to establish Disability Affairs Commission to over see the affairs of persons with disability In Nigeria,” she stressed.
“Deaf people with population of over 8.5million in Nigeria depends on Sign-language and they have contributed so much in the society which you can find them in most fields and experts they have chosen to become today,” she added.
In his remarks, the Executive Secretary, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Health and Human Services Dr. Mathew Ashikeni, acknowledged that in the past the people with disability where not put into consideration in most policies of the health sector, assuring however that today, the sector is committed to enhancing the collaboration of the people with disability by training health workers on basic sign languages.
“We have just concluded a six weeks sign language training on some health workers which includes, Doctors, Nurses, Lab Scientist to enable adequate provision in handling cases of deaf persons,” he siad.
One of the trainees, Awaridhe Alice, lauded the sign-language training idea, saying, it has made it possible and easier to communicate and understand better when relating to the deaf people and it has enhanced work approach in dealing with the disabled.
The ISLD commemorated annually on September 23rd is a day set aside by the United Nation (UN) for all countries to observe and raisr awareness on the importance of sign-language in the full realization of the human rights of deaf people.
