FULL INCLUSION WITH SIGN LANGUAGE

September 21, 2017

2017 INTERNATIONAL WEEK OF THE DEAF

THEME: FULL INCLUSION WITH SIGN LANGUAGE

International Week of the Deaf

International Week of the Deaf is an initiative of World Federation of the Deaf; it’s the only week in a year that sees highly concerted global advocacy to raise awareness about the Deaf community on different levels.

International Week of the Deaf is to strive to promote the human rights of the Deaf and highlight topics that merit attention. It aims to call for unity from the rest of the world through consistent, coordinated and widespread mobilization to ensure that the campaigns are visible through sufficient media coverage.

Full Inclusion

Inclusion is when everyone is involved on ‘matters’ in any circumstances.

In this society of ours, the Deaf are being sidelined just because of an imposed communication barrier. I used the word imposed because; precedence towards breaking the communication barrier only suffers neglect and not ignorance.

We aren’t enjoying inclusion because our language (Sign Language) which is equal in status to spoken languages is not promoted, not given recognition it deserves.

Our enfranchisement as citizens suffers discrimination. Isolation which emanated from the communication barrier does makes livelihood contrarious for the Deaf.

We highlighted our capabilities but we aren’t given the honour to showcase our potentials, we are neglected, no one care to listen to our silent voices, because of this communication barrier.

FULL INCLUSION WITH SIGN LANGUAGE

International Human Rights Laws adopted at the Convention of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities stated in CRPD article 21.e and 24.3b obligates the governments to encourage the learning of Sign Language and promote the linguistic identity of the Deaf community. CRPD article 30.4 also requires the governments to recognize and support specific cultural and linguistic identity, including Sign Languages and Deaf Culture.

In Nigeria, our government is still insouciant towards the laws adopted at the Convention of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities hence, the continuous isolation of the Deaf.

For the Deaf to enjoy inclusion, our Sign Language must be given assiduous recognition and promotion, every individual should learn Sign Language towards bridging the communication gap, with this, will have an inclusive society, as interaction signifies inclusion.

We should be involved in decision making, should have equal access of participation in the personal, public and political areas as everybody else, it’s our human rights as reflected in our slogan, “Nothing About Us Without Us”.

There is this Disability Bill, the passage will go a long way to manumit the disability community and government should be contrite over our sedulous pushing towards the passage of the Bill. It was said that, the Bill is at the final stage, waiting on the President’s table. The president should make his government guileless by seeing to the passage of the Bill before his tenure expires.

Let’s make Full Inclusion with Sign Language ineluctable.

REFLECTIONS

Click: http://fffadvocacybase.blogspot.com.ng/2017/07/change-your-mindset-towards-deaf.html

Click: http://fffadvocacybase.blogspot.com.ng/2017/07/deaf-right-to-education.html

Click: http://fffadvocacybase.blogspot.com.ng/2017/07/the-deaf-are-headstrong-purposefully.html

OFFICIAL HASHTAGS

#FullInclusionWithSignLanguage!

#InternationalWeekoftheDeaf2017

#IWD2017