The Ghana National Association of the Deaf (GNAD) is calling for enactment into law, the Ghanaian Sign Language (GSL) as the official language for the deaf in Ghana.
According to the President of GNAD, Mr. Mathew Kubachua, although there have been strides in the usage of sign language in everyday activities and in education, if not enacted into law, the efforts would be fruitless.
He said this during an open forum organised by GNAD and sponsored by DANIDA, on the theme, “National Consultative Forum on the Recognition and Enacting into law, Ghanaian sign as an official/ Natural Language of Deaf people in Ghana.”
Highlighting on progress made so far, he said, Ghanaian Sign Language (GSL) is accepted in Ghana as the language of the Deaf and is also accepted as the medium of instruction in all schools for the Deaf.
According to him, GSL is accepted in official functions. He said, sometimes during state functions, sign language interpreters are permitted. The language is also used in lecture halls at the universities. All these, Mr. Kubachua believes, are giant strides.
He however observed that despite the progresses made, it is clear GSL has not been given legal backing as other languages.
“Despite its importance, there is no law binding anyone to provide SL services. For example, how SL must be provided, when it must be provided, who must provide it and etc. are all left to the discretion of institutions,” he reiterated.
Explaining further, he said, for persons unable to use spoken language, sign language becomes the mother tongue, so when denied the opportunity to have it backed by law and used from the early stages of life, the deaf are denied their fundamental human rights.
Mr Kubachua lamented, goal 4 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) speaks about Quality Education, Social Inclusion and Human Rights for all, so if Ghana is to achieve it, there is the urgent need for legal recognition of the GSL.
When GSL is legally-recognised, duty bearers, service providers and others would be duty-bound by law to provide SL services.
A representative from the Ghana Education Service, (GES), Special Education Division Headquarters, Belinda Bukari, during the Question and Answer session said, her outfit had taken delivery of 2,500 Ghanaian Sign Language dictionaries to curb the situation where tutors use different SL to teach.
She intimated, GES has over the years encountered challenges pertaining to SL, saying, the issue is not about lack of teachers but rather, teachers using different signs to teach.
“It is not like we have no teachers. The challenge is that when you go to different schools, you will find out that they are using different languages. When you visit the schools, you will see them using British signs and others with American Sign Language.”
“We expect a harmonised sign; that is why GNAD has put the dictionary together and GES expects that it would be used by teachers in schools.
She spoke on the need to build capacity, especially among parents who are considered to be stakeholders. “The challenge is that, when the teacher uses the curricular to teach them, the parents also use a different sign language, making the children retrograde in education.”
There was also a panel discussion where questions were put to stakeholders and resource persons on how best to handle the matter addressed.
The programme had representatives from GES, Ghana Federation of Persons with Disabilities, Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice(CHRAJ), and Prof. George Akarilig-Pare of the Department of Linguistics, University of Ghana. (The Independent Ghana)