Deafness : Inclusion and Deafness Report Contents

Inclusion and Deafness Seminar

University of Manchester, June 14th 1999

A Community-based Sign Language Programme in Uganda

Rebecca Yeo, Action on Disability and Development
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4.1 Action on Disability and Development (ADD) works with groups and organisations of disabled people in 13 countries in Africa and Asia to help build their capacity to campaign effectively for inclusion in society. The Deaf Development Programme in Lira, Northern Uganda, is the only programme supported by ADD which is exclusively for Deaf people. It was started three years ago by Gloria Pullen, a Deaf staff member from the Centre for Deaf Studies at the University of Bristol, together with Ugandan colleagues. Uganda is one of the few countries in the world where Sign Language has been written into the constitution. There is also political representation at all levels of government. Currently there are 46,000 places for disabled people, both male and female. There are five disabled people in parliament, one of whom is Deaf.

4.2 The aims of the programme in Lira are as follows:

(a) To bring Deaf people together;

(b) To help with their communication needs;

(c) To support Deaf people to work for equal rights.

4.3 Originally the plan was to follow a similar process as with other disabled people’s groups, but when they first started to meet with Deaf adults they had to devote an enormous amount of time to listening to accounts of their experiences and answering questions before they could develop the programme. Some of the main achievements of the programme are as follows:

(a) The programme involves teaching Sign Language to Deaf children and their parents. This has enabled the children to attend local schools.

(b) Deaf children are supported in the schools by Sign Language interpreters provided by the Education Assessment and Resource Services (EARS) programme. The interpreters are paid by the government and by DANIDA. (For a discussion of the issues about interpreters see Key Issues.)

(c) Sensitisation workshops on Deafness have been held for families of Deaf children;

(d) Deaf awareness events have helped to inform the wider public to promote a better understanding of the educational potential of Deaf children.

(e) The organisation of Deaf people has produced awareness raising videos about AIDS and other relevant issues for Deaf people.

4.4 One of the main pre-occupations of the Deaf adults is to ensure that the next generation of Deaf children does not experience the loneliness and frustration which they themselves have experienced.

Deafness : Inclusion and Deafness Report Contents

22/10/1999