The International Week of Deaf People this year takes place from September 19 to 25. It’s a chance for individuals to get together once a year to commemorate and honour the lively Deaf community.
“Building Inclusive Communities for All” is the theme for this year. Deaf persons should experience a sense of community within their own Deaf group as well as a sense of community within the larger society and among those who are hearing-unimpaired.
Kirinyaga County observed Deaf Awareness Week by urging the government to take aggressive measures to address the needs of the Deaf population.
The leaders of the Deaf community, led by Nominated Member of County Assembly (MCA) Harrison Kariuki, who advocates for people with disabilities, urged the government and other stakeholders to be mindful of the welfare of the Deaf community, noting that many still live in poverty because they face discrimination when pursuing opportunities.
Hearing-impaired individuals were gathered at the event at the PCEA grounds in Kerugoya where they were taught various life skills, including HIV/AIDS prevention.
The nominee also asked locals to learn sign language in order to eliminate the ongoing linguistic barrier that the Deaf population faces.
“I am very proud of the first daughter, Charlene Ruto, because she has been at the forefront of championing the rights of the Deaf community; she has even gone further to learn Kenyan sign language,” Harrison said.
The first Deaf MCA in Kenya, Harrison, vowed to keep fighting for the rights of those with disabilities and promoting public awareness of the need to cease stigmatising the Deaf population.
The public boarding primary school Kerugoya School for the Deaf, which is administered by a religious body and has improved sign language, is a unique school in Kirinyaga.
Rep. Jane Maina of Kirinyaga, a Kirinyaga woman, promised to work for a measure requiring sign language instruction in all schools when she first took office this year.
According to Maina, the change will make it simpler for everyone to communicate, allowing people with varied abilities particularly the deaf and dumb to reach their full potential and guarantee their full participation in social and economic duties.
The politician continued by saying that the measure will put a stop to the group’s unfair treatment since it will educate society on how to treat victims.
She bemoaned the fact that lack of awareness of sign languages and other affirmative action measures had seriously hampered the group’s access to numerous chances for empowerment and employment, which had slowed their economic development.
