Miss-Delectable
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- Joined
- Apr 18, 2004
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http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/Co...le&cid=1137799507186&call_pageid=991479973472
When Godisa's deaf hearing-aid technicians became economically empowered through employment, they faced a new challenge — keeping track of their money. While most people dislike having to deal with financial institutions, banks can be a far greater challenge for the deaf.
Never shy of a challenge, Godisa's staff created Botswana's first banking sign-language dictionary — with signs for account, credit, finance and other terminology — and taught the language to customer service representatives at the First National Bank.
The collection of signs was such a hit that Botswana Telecom has requested help from the Godisa workshop to give sign-language lessons to its customer-service employees.
Following these successes, the Godisa crew took up another challenge, responding to the special needs deaf people have in understanding and avoiding HIV/AIDS.
"There was no one producing materials about AIDS in sign language," says Godisa general manager Modesta Nyirenda. "So, out of our efforts, we got a grant which was focused on AIDS counseling for deaf people."
With the grant administered by Godisa, the Southern Africa Deaf Empowerment program was created, and another sign-language dictionary was produced.
The new signs were generated by the deaf Godisa technicians and hearing-impaired colleagues from the nearby Ramotswe Centre for Deaf Education.
They invented signs for terms like "casual sex," "confidential," "condom," "sexually transmitted disease" and other terminology necessary for HIV/AIDS education.
"Their language has its own culture," says Modesta of those who use sign language to communicate. "Through sharing and interacting, the signs will come from them."
The next task for Godisa's education and outreach program is to collect technical signs into yet another new dictionary.
"To adapt to the job, we have to understand the functions of the equipment," says production supervisor Tendekayi Katsiga.
"The moment the deaf participate is when they understand how it works."
To illustrate his point, Tendekayi demonstrates the sign for resistors, which limit electric current in the hearing aid.
The sign is a clenched right hand striking an open left palm.
When Godisa's deaf hearing-aid technicians became economically empowered through employment, they faced a new challenge — keeping track of their money. While most people dislike having to deal with financial institutions, banks can be a far greater challenge for the deaf.
Never shy of a challenge, Godisa's staff created Botswana's first banking sign-language dictionary — with signs for account, credit, finance and other terminology — and taught the language to customer service representatives at the First National Bank.
The collection of signs was such a hit that Botswana Telecom has requested help from the Godisa workshop to give sign-language lessons to its customer-service employees.
Following these successes, the Godisa crew took up another challenge, responding to the special needs deaf people have in understanding and avoiding HIV/AIDS.
"There was no one producing materials about AIDS in sign language," says Godisa general manager Modesta Nyirenda. "So, out of our efforts, we got a grant which was focused on AIDS counseling for deaf people."
With the grant administered by Godisa, the Southern Africa Deaf Empowerment program was created, and another sign-language dictionary was produced.
The new signs were generated by the deaf Godisa technicians and hearing-impaired colleagues from the nearby Ramotswe Centre for Deaf Education.
They invented signs for terms like "casual sex," "confidential," "condom," "sexually transmitted disease" and other terminology necessary for HIV/AIDS education.
"Their language has its own culture," says Modesta of those who use sign language to communicate. "Through sharing and interacting, the signs will come from them."
The next task for Godisa's education and outreach program is to collect technical signs into yet another new dictionary.
"To adapt to the job, we have to understand the functions of the equipment," says production supervisor Tendekayi Katsiga.
"The moment the deaf participate is when they understand how it works."
To illustrate his point, Tendekayi demonstrates the sign for resistors, which limit electric current in the hearing aid.
The sign is a clenched right hand striking an open left palm.