The government has been tasked to promote sign language in the country

By Kajumba Gorrette

During the celebrations of the international deaf awareness week that started on Monday this week, Robert Nkwengu, the executive director of Uganda National Association of the Deaf [UNAD] said that the deaf community is a very vulnerable group of people facing challenges especially those attributed to communication so there is a need of government to promote sign language in the country.

According to the Uganda Bureau of Statistics, the percentage of persons with hearing impairments is 3.1% of the total percentage of persons with disabilities which is 12.4%

He is calling for the use of sign language which is embedded in the 1995 constitution as a language recognized in the country to be used; adding that challenges have emanated from the education whereby there is teaching on television but there are no sign language interpreters and even on the radio, the deaf are not favored.

They humbly request the government to work with partners to see that they can change the language into which the deaf persons can understand best.

Alex Ndezi the Member of Parliament representing people with disabilities in Uganda urged the government to reopen schools since home learning does not favor deaf persons