News
International Day of Sign Languages: Stakeholders push for‘official sign language policy’
The organisation want sign language introduced in basic and secondary school curriculum
Following the commemoration of this year’s International Day of Sign Languages on September 23, 2022, non-profit organisation, HearMi Ghana, and partner institutions have appealed to the government to “recognise the Ghanaian Sign Language (GSL) as an official language of the deaf” in the country.
The organisation again calls for the implementation of a legislative framework to “enhance sign language education and protect the rights of the deaf.”
It said successful implementation of the Ghana Sign Language Policy (GSL) would ensure that public service providers employed the services of sign language interpreters to aid communication among the deaf and the general public.
Mr William Hodzi, Founder of HearMi Ghana, noted in a statement that Ghana had ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) which included the deaf in 2012, but “it is yet to comply with the provisions outlined in it to enhance sign language education and protect the linguistic right and identity of the deaf communities.”
Referring to figures from the Ghana Association of the Deaf, he said there were about 110,625 deaf and about 20 schools for the deaf in the country. However, “the quality of education compared with their counterparts at the mainstream hearing schools is below standard.”
Key among the reasons, according to him, was “the fact that we do not have a Ghanaian Sign Language Policy.”
“Governments upon governments lack the political will to push for the policy and its implementation because of the financial commitments that come with it,” he noted.
Mr Hodzi said over 300 sign languages were used as a source of communication by about 70 million deaf globally but the “unavailability of a formalised sign language policy was affecting the funding process and systematic administration of sign language services in Ghanaian schools for the deaf.”
“In 2006, Persons with Disability Act, (Act 715) was passed to protect the rights of PWDs including people who could not hear.
“This Act is a good attempt but woefully inadequate compared with global and other regional disability legislations because it has no policy to promote the Ghanaian Sign Language,” he added.
Implementation of the policy, according to the HearMi Ghana, would ensure the deaf community “communicates freely with the general public without any difficulty.”
The organization further urged the Ministry of Education and Ghana Education Service to introduce the study of Ghana Sign Language into the curriculum of basic and second cycle schools in the country.
It commended institutions such as the University of Cape Coast, University of Ghana, Ashesi University and other institutions that had policies that encouraged the study of GSL as part of requirements in obtaining first degree, and encouraged media houses to continue employing the services of sign language interpreters on television during important state programmes.
HearMi Ghana champions activities that reduce the incidence of hearing loss in Ghana by engaging in advocacy, health education, screening, research, treatment, rehabilitation services and other philanthropic activities to assist people who are hearing impaired.
By Ernest Nutsugah
Troubled and anxious citizens in Damongo of the Savannah Region have expressed concerns about the number of young people, believed to be under the age of 18, involved in ‘shisha’ smoking in pubs and drinking spots within the township.
Eyewitnesses say the minors were seen patronising nightlife venues, where Shisha smoking happen in the open.
The situation has sparked renewed public concern over the enforcement of child protection laws and regulations governing the operations of entertainment centres in the municipality and country as a whole.
An eyewitness, who spoke to The Spectator on conditions of anonymity for security reasons, noted that the situation was becoming increasingly common.
“This is not a one-off incident. It is becoming very common, but residents like us cannot openly report or speak about it because our lives will be at risk,” he said.
Under Ghanaian law, minors were prohibited from patronising Shisha.
Public health experts have consistently warned that shisha use exposes users to harmful substances that can negatively affect brain development, respiratory health, and overall well-being, particularly among young people.
The residents believe the alleged incidents point to broader challenges relating to youth supervision, substance abuse, and weak enforcement of existing regulations and have called on municipal authorities, security agencies, and regulatory bodies to intensify monitoring of pubs and entertainment centres to ensure compliance with the law.
In an effort to address the menace, Mr Salisu Be-Awurbi, the Savannah Regional Minister, has led public education campaigns, engaged security agencies, and supported enforcement actions to address the rising use of illicit substances in the region.
Wura Kelly Seidu Boresah I, the Chief of Damongo, has also called on all stakeholders including parents, community leaders, institutions, and young people to actively support efforts to curb drug abuse, warning that the rising consumption of hard drugs poses a serious health threat to the future of the youth in the Savannah Region.
He also cautioned individuals involved in the sale and distribution of illicit drugs to immediately desist from the practice, stressing that offenders will face arrest and prosecution in accordance with the law.
From Geoffrey Buta, Damongo, Savannah Region
Join our WhatsApp Channel now!
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbBElzjInlqHhl1aTU27
Dr Theresa Baffour, an advocate for ending violence and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of SAHM SAHW Foundation, has said that society plays a critical and pivotal role in breaking the cycle of domestic violence.
According to her, domestic violence is a major contributor of making women, who are mostly the victims, mentally derailed and unable to engage in economic activities.
She said this when the foundation called on the Ga Mantse, Nii Tackie Teiko Tsuru II, to solicit support for the initiative by the “Strong and Healthy Minds, Strong and Healthy Women” (SAHM SAHW) to combat domestic violence within the Ga State.
The visit was occasioned by the fact that domestic violence cases have become quite prevalent in the Ga communities and is retarding growth.
According to her, the canker was an impediment to national development because the victims were usually tortured and would have to go through series of therapies to return to the right state of mind.
Dr Baffour mentioned that Gender-Based Violence (GBV) places a mental toll on women, and was, therefore, important to break the cycle through comprehensive mental health support, crisis intervention and empowerment programmes in communities with high rates of GBV.
This intervention, she underscored, would help in empowering the denigrated victim of domestic violence to soundly heal, build and thrive.
Dr Baffour added that the initiative would provide holistic, trauma-informed mental health care and advocacy for young women affected by domestic violence.
According to her, the above statement would create safe spaces for healing and equipping them with entrepreneurial skills for renewed hope and empowered life.
The Ga Mantse pledged his support for the laudable initiative to combat domestic violence and also acknowledged the need to address it in the Ga State.
Further endorsement came from Justice Julia Naa-Yarley Adjei Amoah, Chief of Staff at the Office of the Ga Mantse, as she commended the team of SAHM SAHW Foundation for taking a bold step to end the canker in the Greater Accra.
She added that it was a step in the right direction to save vulnerable women from torture, stress and emotional abuse.
By Alfred Nii Arday Ankrah
Join our WhatsApp Channel now!
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbBElzjInlqHhl1aTU27
