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Sign language class offers a different learning style

Wednesday June 20 2018
deaf class

Community Health workers and deaf youth attending a joint sign language class at Umutara deaf school in Nyagatare District. PHOTO | Moses K. Gahigi

By MOSES K. GAHIGI

At Umutara deaf school a sign language class is in progress, a hearty smile appears on the teacher’s face as visitors enter, and all students in the class turn almost instinctively with expectant faces, but she continues without looking distracted in the least.

Her name is Brown Niyonsaba, she is deaf like most of the students in her class, she is a star sign language teacher and facilitator who has devoted her life to the cause of seeing other deaf people communicate amongst themselves and with non-deaf people in the community.

But as I sit in I begin to observe a peculiar dynamic in the class, there is a large composition of teenage students but also a good number of learners who look significantly older.

I later learn that this is not your ordinary sign language class; it is made up of community health care providers who are not deaf and deaf students from different sectors of Nyagatare District, all attending the same sign language class.

A story is told that many years ago the District was hit by a meningitis epidemic that led to parents give birth to deaf children, while even those who were not born deaf also became deaf, leaving the place with many cases of this disability.

Training

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The District has more than 400-recorded deaf people, while officials say many are not yet recorded.

The purpose of training the health workers is to equip them with at least basic sign language skills to be able to communicate with the deaf who come to the health centres seeking treatment and other sexual reproductive services.

Among the 288 people trained in sign language, 20 of them were health care providers, 188 community health workers and 80 deaf students from the surrounding communities.

“The deaf were in deplorable conditions, but when it came to deaf women the vulnerabilities became even worse, some have been raped by people they can’t recognize, some have babies whose fathers they don’t know”, said Elia Kamanzi, the Director of Health in Nyagatare District.

He said the initial target was to at least have one person at the front desk of every health centre that can communicate in sign language, who at least a deaf person can talk to when he or she comes to look for treatment and other services.

“I joined the deaf school at the age of 9 as a deaf student, I have learnt a lot, my understanding has expanded and I can even do advocacy for other deaf people, we have learnt a lot of sexual reproductive health, I now know the tricks men use when luring girls” said Lydia Tumukunde, one of the deaf students.

Worth it

Jovia Mukundwa, a health service provider says learning sign language was not easy for her but worth it.

“It has helped us to know how to communicate with the deaf youth who come to seek health services, we shall continue learning more.”

Across the country, women and girls with disabilities continue to suffer sexual assaults which has increased their exposure to sexually transmitted infections especially HIV/Aids, early and unwanted pregnancies.

They suffer these injustices at the hands of their caretakers, neighbours, colleagues and sometimes-unknown people who find them on the road and take advantage of their disabilities.

Thereza Mukarugwiza is a little person, with multiple disabilities, someone took advantage of her and made her pregnant, she now lives with her child whom she has to fend for.

People with disabilities (PWD’s), especially the visually impaired and deaf have recently come out to claim they have been locked out of the judicial system because they do not have lawyers trained in sign language and Braille, or any provision for interpretation in courts of law, which has greatly discouraged many from seeking legal redress in times they are violated.

Samuel Munana, a director at Rwanda National Union for the deaf in a recent interview said PWD’s in the country are excluded in different aspects of public life, in education, health and even physical access to some places, that many still face discrimination and prejudice while accessing services.

Some visually impaired people have been made to sign documents, which have given away ownership of their property, and it has been difficult for them to get redress from the courts of law.

Recognition

For years the PWDs have been pushing for recognition of sign language as the fourth language in the Constitution after Kinyarwanda, English and French, arguing that with this the language will get the needed attention at different levels of public service, such that the deaf and hard of hearing are included in government programming, but these efforts are yet to bear any fruits.

Although government efforts to have buildings come up with ramps for people with physical disabilities to access these buildings have paid off, many buildings still don’t have ramps.

Over 4 per cent of working-age adults in Rwanda are reported to be having a major disability, the most prevalent types of disability being physical, mental, and sensory disabilities.

What is happening at the Umutara deaf school is a beautiful and empowering effort of inclusion which if replicated elsewhere can at least help many of the deaf people around the country access basic health services in their communities.

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