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allAfrica.com: Ghana: Association Helps Improve Communication for the Deaf
The government, after almost six years since the passage of the Disability Law, has not yet been able to meet the needs of People with Disability (PWD), even though the law was meant to give them a positive lifestyle. Indeed, the government is doing its best to make the country a better place for PWDs, unfortunately, no matter how hard it tries, it does not seem to be reaching its target.
According to the World Health Organisation's (WHO) estimates, the disability rate of Ghana is between 7 and 10 per cent, which equates approximately 1.55 to 2.2 million people in the country. This makes it visible that with the limited resources of the country, the government alone cannot conquer the quest of helping PWDs to be accepted and have a good standard of living, however, all hope is not yet lost, as with the passage of the Disability Law, there is still hope of a better future for them.
As part of the government's activity in helping PWDs, the Ghana National Association of the Deaf (GNAD) was created to give maximum attention to PWDs who are deaf and mute. The GNAD, through their development partner, DANIDA, a Denmark-based organisation, organised a programme for the training for local interpreters. This was meant to help make communication easier and more understandable between the local interpreters and the deaf and mute. It will enable them feel accepted by society, as people will easily understand whatever they want to say.
Communities involved (local interpreters and training)
The programme, which was part of the GNAD's efforts in strengthening the advocacy campaign for the rights of the deaf and local sign language interpreter, took place in the eight DANIDA project districts - that is Lawra, Bongo, Nanumba North, Saboba, Dormaa Ahenkro, Asutifi, Juabeso and Sefwi Wiawso, where they have been trained to assist the deaf in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region.
According a report gathered by the Communications Officer of the association, Johnson Mahama, another new project will take place in seven new districts in five regions of Ghana, which are the Volta - Ketu South, Eastern Region - Kwahu West, Ashanti Region - Ashanti Mampong and Ejisu, Central Region - Senya/Winneba, and Greater Accra - Amasaman. Apart from organising this programme for the local interpreters in the above-mentioned places, the association, as well, organised same for the Association of Ghanaian Sign Language Interpreters (AGSLI) which received training with Marco Stanley Nyarko and Frank Owusu Sekyere of the University of Education-Winneba, and a veteran in the trade, Francis Agbenya, as resource personnel in Kumasi.
Local interpreters receive training
During the programme, Mr. Marco Stanley Nyarko took the participants through the following topics: Conduct of interpreter; Confidentiality in Interpretation; Ghanaian Sing Language Idioms; and Levels of GLS and the Interpreter, whilst Frank Owusu Sekyere lectured on Interpreting in Educational Settings; Interpreting In Legal Settings; Interpreting in Medical Settings; and Paying of Interpreter Service.
Mr. Amuah lectured on Sign Language in Ghana and Deaf Culture. He said deaf people use sign language, adding that deaf people have a history, culture community language and value, method of communication, norms, customs and arts. He stressed that in the deaf culture, first impression is key. As a side attraction to the training, there was a presentation on proposal writing by Kwami Ansre, DANIDA Programme Manager.
In demonstrating the various hand formations in sign language, Mr. Frimpong Manso said in sign language interpretation, finger spelling is important, and the dominant hand is mostly used. "You must be careful, because a single flip of the finger(s) could mean a different sign," Mr. Frimpong cautioned. During the training, George Pinto, who was one of the facilitators for the training, in his presentation, said that there were various categories of deaf people, that is congenitally deaf, adventitiously deaf, post-lingual deaf, pre-lingual deaf, hard of hearing and profound deaf. He stressed that an interpreter must be able to vocalise words or syllables at the same time as they are being spelt.
Conclusion
In Ghana, deaf and mute people do not get the chance to work as normal people, they are considered as less-privileged, due to their difficulty in speaking and hearing. Deaf and mute people are limited in some functions, because of an impairment they have. Though they are also useful, some people prefer the disabled without arms or suffering from a form of paralysis. To them, these people can express themselves more freely and easily than the deaf and mute. According to them, working with the cripple is quiet easier than the deaf and mute, due to this, getting an official position for the deaf/mute is very difficult.
According to the report of the Communications Officer, the initiative will further boost the rate at which the pupils/students of Schools for the Deaf pass in their examinations, especially at the Junior High School level, which makes it a forward step to them achieving higher heights in education.
It is a good thing that the Director of GNAD assured the participants that his office had plans to liaise with the University of Ghana, Legon, to set up a training department to train interpreters who will come out as proficient diploma-holding graduates, to enable them gain full recognition as professionals.
The government, after almost six years since the passage of the Disability Law, has not yet been able to meet the needs of People with Disability (PWD), even though the law was meant to give them a positive lifestyle. Indeed, the government is doing its best to make the country a better place for PWDs, unfortunately, no matter how hard it tries, it does not seem to be reaching its target.
According to the World Health Organisation's (WHO) estimates, the disability rate of Ghana is between 7 and 10 per cent, which equates approximately 1.55 to 2.2 million people in the country. This makes it visible that with the limited resources of the country, the government alone cannot conquer the quest of helping PWDs to be accepted and have a good standard of living, however, all hope is not yet lost, as with the passage of the Disability Law, there is still hope of a better future for them.
As part of the government's activity in helping PWDs, the Ghana National Association of the Deaf (GNAD) was created to give maximum attention to PWDs who are deaf and mute. The GNAD, through their development partner, DANIDA, a Denmark-based organisation, organised a programme for the training for local interpreters. This was meant to help make communication easier and more understandable between the local interpreters and the deaf and mute. It will enable them feel accepted by society, as people will easily understand whatever they want to say.
Communities involved (local interpreters and training)
The programme, which was part of the GNAD's efforts in strengthening the advocacy campaign for the rights of the deaf and local sign language interpreter, took place in the eight DANIDA project districts - that is Lawra, Bongo, Nanumba North, Saboba, Dormaa Ahenkro, Asutifi, Juabeso and Sefwi Wiawso, where they have been trained to assist the deaf in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region.
According a report gathered by the Communications Officer of the association, Johnson Mahama, another new project will take place in seven new districts in five regions of Ghana, which are the Volta - Ketu South, Eastern Region - Kwahu West, Ashanti Region - Ashanti Mampong and Ejisu, Central Region - Senya/Winneba, and Greater Accra - Amasaman. Apart from organising this programme for the local interpreters in the above-mentioned places, the association, as well, organised same for the Association of Ghanaian Sign Language Interpreters (AGSLI) which received training with Marco Stanley Nyarko and Frank Owusu Sekyere of the University of Education-Winneba, and a veteran in the trade, Francis Agbenya, as resource personnel in Kumasi.
Local interpreters receive training
During the programme, Mr. Marco Stanley Nyarko took the participants through the following topics: Conduct of interpreter; Confidentiality in Interpretation; Ghanaian Sing Language Idioms; and Levels of GLS and the Interpreter, whilst Frank Owusu Sekyere lectured on Interpreting in Educational Settings; Interpreting In Legal Settings; Interpreting in Medical Settings; and Paying of Interpreter Service.
Mr. Amuah lectured on Sign Language in Ghana and Deaf Culture. He said deaf people use sign language, adding that deaf people have a history, culture community language and value, method of communication, norms, customs and arts. He stressed that in the deaf culture, first impression is key. As a side attraction to the training, there was a presentation on proposal writing by Kwami Ansre, DANIDA Programme Manager.
In demonstrating the various hand formations in sign language, Mr. Frimpong Manso said in sign language interpretation, finger spelling is important, and the dominant hand is mostly used. "You must be careful, because a single flip of the finger(s) could mean a different sign," Mr. Frimpong cautioned. During the training, George Pinto, who was one of the facilitators for the training, in his presentation, said that there were various categories of deaf people, that is congenitally deaf, adventitiously deaf, post-lingual deaf, pre-lingual deaf, hard of hearing and profound deaf. He stressed that an interpreter must be able to vocalise words or syllables at the same time as they are being spelt.
Conclusion
In Ghana, deaf and mute people do not get the chance to work as normal people, they are considered as less-privileged, due to their difficulty in speaking and hearing. Deaf and mute people are limited in some functions, because of an impairment they have. Though they are also useful, some people prefer the disabled without arms or suffering from a form of paralysis. To them, these people can express themselves more freely and easily than the deaf and mute. According to them, working with the cripple is quiet easier than the deaf and mute, due to this, getting an official position for the deaf/mute is very difficult.
According to the report of the Communications Officer, the initiative will further boost the rate at which the pupils/students of Schools for the Deaf pass in their examinations, especially at the Junior High School level, which makes it a forward step to them achieving higher heights in education.
It is a good thing that the Director of GNAD assured the participants that his office had plans to liaise with the University of Ghana, Legon, to set up a training department to train interpreters who will come out as proficient diploma-holding graduates, to enable them gain full recognition as professionals.