From Adia Jildo, in Juba, South Sudan
South Sudan has launched its first sign language learning center and sign language dictionary, a step towards an inclusive education and reducing barriers in communication for persons with hearing impairment.
It was a joyful afternoon in Juba, as hundred gathered during the launch of the first sign language center.
For Jane Charles, it was a dream come true, as she would be able to communicate correctly and understand her 7 year old.
“It’s been hard for him to learn even in school. My son had started Kindergarten late because of this challenge,” Jane said, with mixed feelings.
Edmund Yakani, the Executive Director for Community Empowerment for Progress Organisation said the launch of the center was part of making a commitment to the UN convention on the rights for person with disability.
“We believe in the principle of no one should be left behind. That’s why we stood up in a responsible manner to engage our political leaders to ensure that persons with disabilities, their rights are respected like any other rights of any human being in the society,” said Yakani.
South Sudan’s President, Salva Kiir Mayardit signed the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities setting out the fundamental human right for person with disability.
Yakani however called on the government to make a commitment toward the implementation of the bill.
Mandela Isaac Eric, Senior Disability Inclusion Facilitator Light for the World emphasized the need for the national government to integrate sign language into the schools syllabus to promote communication with person with hearing impairment.
“When we talk about inclusive education, inclusive education cannot be complete if our brothers with hearing impaired are not getting any information from the school,” Mandela told Citizenship Daily.
Kachinga Peter, the chairperson of the National Association of the Deaf said the emergence of the center called for translation of the UN convention into action, citing that most facilities do not have inclusive way of communication to person with hearing impairment.
“This center has really opened the eyes of people who are our partners to come up with this center, so that people or persons with hearing impairment can benefit from it,” he said.
The sign language center will serve as a hub for training teachers, students, and members of the public in sign language with over 300,000 people to benefit from the initiative.
