A hand to hear: Using sign language to bridge the gap

The Deaf Awareness Week is an opportunity to raise awareness about the importance of sign language, promote inclusivity and recognise the contributions of the deaf community. In a world where communication is key, sign language plays a vital role in bridging the gap between the deaf and hearing communities. 
The Constitution of Uganda affirms the right to respect and dignity for all citizens with disabilities. In 1995, as part of that right, the government recognised Ugandan Sign Language (USL) as an official language. 
However, the approximately 1.29 million deaf people in the country still face significant challenges, including abuse and discrimination. Most deaf children do not complete their primary education due to a lack of access to schools and funding, leading to denial of employment opportunities. These factors create a cycle of poverty in the deaf community. 
Wycliffe Bukenya, an interpreter at the Uganda National Association of the Deaf (UNAD), says the deaf community encompasses various ethnic groups, each with unique sign languages and cultural practices. 
“The stage at which one becomes deaf affects their speech, grammar and lip reading ability. Those who are born deaf usually speak short sentences while those who become deaf later in life have better grammar and the ability to read lips,” he says. 
However, the primary mode of communication for the deaf community is the USL, which is often used in educational and social settings. 
“Local dialects and variations exist, influenced by ethnic backgrounds and regions,” Bukenya adds. 
Education and the deaf community
Historically, educational opportunities for deaf individuals are limited. Leah Dianah Seera, the programme officer at the National Union of Disabled Persons of Uganda (NUDIPU), says the government has provided regional deaf schools at primary and secondary levels, but they are not sufficient. 
“These schools still face barriers such as inadequate funding, lack of trained teachers and the general stigma surrounding disability. Not all deaf people can access these schools. This is why we advocate for inclusive education where even the mainstream schools can have an instructor in sign language so that deaf learners are not left out,” she says. 
There are only 24 special needs schools in the country and only 126 normal schools are inclusive to accommodate special needs learners. Uganda has about 2.8 million learners with disabilities but of these, only 50,000 are in school. 
Seera also notes that even with the special schools, deaf learners continue to perform poorly. 
“Deaf children do not know sign language by the time they start school. Instead, they are introduced to English, a language in which subjects are taught and assessed. There is a need to create time to introduce deaf children to sign language before they are introduced to English.” 
Sarah Bugoosi Kibooli, the commissioner for Special Needs and Inclusive Education in the Ministry of Education, says all schools should be inclusive to cater for children with intellectual, visible and invisible disabilities such as orphans, street children, refugees, teenage mothers as well as the deaf and blind to remain in school. 
“During the Covid-19 pandemic, all students got home study materials. However, learners with disabilities needed guidance from the special needs teachers, who could not be everywhere,” she says. 
Currently, in the country, textbooks and many study materials available for learners are in print form, which is not convenient for special needs children. 
“We are introducing assistive digital technologies such as MP3 players, vector readers and flash discs to make the content in textbooks consumable for these learners. However, even with these technologies, they will still need guidance from special needs teachers,” Kibooli says. 
Shortage of specialist teachers and facilities, low digital literacy of the available teachers and low government investment in digital education continue to hinder learners with special needs from attaining their education goals. 
Kyambogo University has the longest-standing faculty of special needs and rehabilitation in Uganda. 
Previously, it was an independent institution of higher education known as Uganda National Institute of Special Education (UNISE). In 1998, the Parliament of Uganda passed the UNISE Act, which gave it the mandate to train personnel in special education and rehabilitation in all fields of disability. 
In 2003, UNISE merged with Uganda Polytechnic and Institute of Teacher Education Kyambogo to become the Faculty of Special Needs Education and Rehabilitation. 
Funding
Dr Patrick Ojok, the Dean of the Faculty of Special Needs and Rehabilitation, disputed rumours about the closure of his faculty, saying it will exist as long as the university is still running. 
“We train sign language from certificate, diploma, bachelors to masters level. We now have a Master of Science in Sign Language Interpretation and Translation. However, the university temporarily halted one of the programmes because of a low turnout. We have since rebranded it and the National Council for Higher Education is processing it for accreditation,” he says. 
Sign language interpreters are responsible for facilitating communication in a neutral manner, ensuring access to information for deaf people who communicate using sign langauge.
The government’s funding for special needs programmes is very low so many teachers cannot afford to finance their education. Also, attendance is low because of the salary restrictions placed on study leave by local governments. 
Dr Ojok adds that the repurposing of primary and national teacher training colleges affected the special needs education training programme. 
“Many of them were training centres for our in-service special needs education students. This is the reason we had a fallback so that we can get back to the drawing board to see how to respond to the sudden closure of these institutions,” he says. 
The challenges
Robert Nkwangu, the executive director of UNAD, says recognising USL in the constitution was a great achievement because it opened opportunities for deaf persons to access social services. 
“When the language was recognised, it became mandatory for the government to translate all its information into sign language. The Uganda Communications Act 2013 states that all TV stations must have sign language interpreters so that the deaf people can have access to information,” he says. 
The challenge though is that several deaf people do not know sign language and the community still has a negative attitude towards them, relegating them to farm work. 
For instance, during the Covid-19 induced lockdowns, several TVs and radios hosted school lessons, but they were all spoken, without consideration to deaf students. 
In January last year, Thomas Tayebwa, the deputy Speaker of Parliament, tasked the Ministry of Education to explain the reason behind the poor performance of pupils with visual impairments and hearing loss. 
“As a faculty, we hear, with concern, the poor performance of students who are deaf and those with special needs, in general, in national examinations. By extension, there is a low transition from secondary to higher education,” Dr Ojok says. 
He adds that one of the concerns picked from the deaf community is that there is a disparity in the language of instruction and that of assessment. 
“Although deaf pupils are taught in sign language, the grading system does not take into account when the hearing loss occurred, yet this affects the way they write English grammar. There is a need for the Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) and the teaching arm to dialogue and see how best to assess and consider the language variations of the deaf learners,” Dr Ojok says. 
On the scarcity of sign language instructors in schools, he says, even the few who are available have not been absorbed into the system and are just doing freelance work. 
“Sign language interpretation services are only offered by UNEB during national examinations. No such services are offered during lower-level examinations. These services should be cascaded to a school-level assessment during weekly, monthly or termly examinations as part of the preparation,” Dr Ojok says. 
There is no specific affirmative action for deaf students but the general affirmative action is that every year, the government gives 64 slots to students with disabilities to join universities. The student loan scheme also includes the category of learners with disabilities and teachers going for special needs education. 
Constitution
The Ugandan Constitution and the Persons with Disabilities Act 2020 aim to protect the rights of disabled individuals but implementation remains inconsistent. Many deaf individuals face discrimination in the job market. 
Alex Mukasa, who is deaf, remarks that even with a certificate in metal works, he has not been employed for over five years. 
“I applied to several workshops but during the interviews, we could not communicate because no one used my language. I do not hear from them again and only get to find out later that they have filled the vacancies,” he says. 
However, some are finding opportunities in the fields of arts, crafts, and technology, often through entrepreneurship. A number of them have simple businesses in downtown Kampala, while others are scattered all over the country. 
It is also important to note that the deaf community is close-knit, with social gatherings and events fostering a sense of belonging. Some deaf Ugandans engage in modelling, performance arts, and cultural events that highlight their unique experiences and talents. 
Rinah Namwase, who has a hearing impairment, is a student at Makerere. Although the government pays for an interpreter to aid her during her lectures, she has to go to the hospital without one. 
“When I go to the hospital, I do not use sign language because the health workers do not know it. I talk and I ask them to respond in writing since I cannot hear them. I cannot afford to pay the medical bills and the interpreter’s fee,” she says. 
Many deaf people cannot comprehend broader mass health information if the government does not translate it. 
“We saw the news about the spread of monkeypox but many do not understand what it is. Understanding the unique needs of deaf patients is essential for providing quality healthcare. When a deaf person stands in a queue, some health workers call the next person who can speak and the deaf person waits for a long time; sometimes leaving without getting the services they hoped for,” Nkwangu says. 
A few months ago, the Ministry of Health approved to have sign language interpreters at regional referral hospitals. 
As Uganda moves towards a more inclusive society, collaboration between government entities, NGOs, and the deaf community is vital. There is collective hope that access to education and health care will continue to improve, empowering deaf individuals to lead fulfilling lives.