Africa-Press – Zambia. The Parliamentary Committee on National guidance and gender matters has called on the government to incorporate sign language (SL) in the educational curriculum to ease communication between the hearing impaired and members of society.
The committee chairperson Harry Kamboni said the committee has observed that the deaf in the country has continued to face challenges in participating and having access to socio-economic activities owing to communication barriers.
Mr Kamboni who is a Kalomo Member of Parliament (MP) said the introduction of SL at all levels of education will address the issues such as exclusion and marginalization of the deaf in communities.
“After undertaking a study with members of the committee we have observed that the deaf has continued to face challenges in workplaces, business and social environments.
The absence of sign language interpreters or other hearing-assisted services undermines the ability of the deaf to access services such as medical attention and fully participate in the social economy of the country.
Take interest in mounted road signposts, in any parts of the country, they are all in sign language such that even if one is in a foreign country, they are able to understand.
We have come to the conclusion that sign language is a universal language,” he emphasized. Mr Kamboni also stressed the need for public buildings to be accessible to persons with disability, mainly to wheelchair users.
He stressed that with government implementing free education policy and running inclusive education where able bodied and disabled are learning in the same environment, school administrators need to ensure that school infrastructure is accessible.
Mr Kamboni said this when he led a delegation of committee members to pay a courtesy visit to the office of the Copperbelt province Permanent Secretary Augustine Kasongo.
Meanwhile, Mr. Kasongo affirmed the observation of the committee, stressing that lack of access to buildings was also present at worshipping Centres. Mr.Kasongo said his office will ensure that buildings are inspected and are made accessible to persons with disability.
However, he has appealed to the committee members to put in a voice to have the policy which looks into infrastructure housing skills training for persons with disability.
He stressed that Ndola Kang’onga centre for the blind has run down due to dilapidated infrastructure and the development has derailed activities to have persons with disability attain a skill for their survival.
He said the situation is defeating the new dawn’s government’s vision to have a skilled population to drive the economic growth of the country. The committee is on a two days tour of the Copperbelt visiting institutions that look into the welfare of persons with disability.
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