Namibia deaf association warns against fake tutors

Africa-Press – Namibia. THE Namibian National Association of the Deaf (NNAD) has issued a warning to the public to not enrol for sign language classes with fake tutors who are driven by profits and that offer sub-standard sign language lessons.

Linekela Paul Nanyeni, the Executive National Director of the NNAD, said that the association has been inundated with misleading, false and defamatory information about Namibian Sign Language training, and Sign Language interpreters.

“While NNAD applauds those who are truly helping us in making services accessible through legitimate interpreting and training, there are those who are profit driven and as such they have encroached way too deep on our effort to train qualified interpreters who are guided by the purpose of service provisions and accessibility,” Nanyeni warned.

He thus encouraged all that want to enrol for this service to do so through NAMCOL and NNAD only as they are at the moment the only two legitimate institutes to offer these services.

“The public is encouraged to stay away from individuals offering Sign Language training and asking high fees. Kindly request recommendations from NNAD on all Sign Language Training. There are non-recommended ones such as NSL Institute, and Namibian College of Interpreting. Please stay away from these two. There is no working relationship between us and them and they do not want to heed our request to work together, meaning a reputable deaf person should lead the training,” Nanyeni explained.

He said that deaf Namibians find pride in their language and respect it as well as guard it jealously against anything that may bring harm, emotional pains, or psychological concerns to the members and users when it is used in such a way of mockery, fun, and misuse.

“Our culture evolves around Sign Language, and we are striving to have it legally recognised as an indigenous language” Nanyeni stated.

The director further singled out a social media account, Louis Newana King Gucci, which has been pretending to use Namibian Sign Language (NSL).

“King Gucci, we are thus requesting that you cease pretending to use NSL as it affects us the real users and it’s punishable. We request that Louis Newana King Gucci remove all his videos from all social media as has been instructed to do so by the member of NamPol Community Policing and desist from further doing so,” Nanyeni warned the perpetrator.

He further requested the Social Security Commission and BIPA to enquire from NNAD about issues regarding Sign Language registration as a business.

“There are so many people trying to use NSL as a business. In the process, uncontrolled Sign Language training happens and, in the end, substandard services are offered,” Nanyeni stated.

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