Deaf community demand equal rights

The Safer South Africa Foundation in partnership with Noluthando School for the Deaf held a silent march around Site B to raise awareness about people living with disabilities and the plight faced by deaf people in South Africa.

The march took place on Friday September 23.

Safer South Africa Foundation provincial co-ordinator, Nomonde Scott, said one of their key roles was to educate children about the dangers of being involved in crime and the usage of drugs.

Ms Scott said the foundation had decided to incorporate children who are living with different disabilities so that they do not feel left behind, with awareness campaigns taking place during September every year.

She said they were also appealing to the community to ensure that there were people at hospitals, clinics and police stations that could sign, thereby making services more accessible to those with hearing impediments.

“Sign language is one of the languages that is recognised in the 11 official languages in the country. Our programmes focus on the safety of kids around schools which include learners who are deaf. We want people who are deaf to feel loved and treated with the same respect given to other people,” she said.

“We also want to assure these children that by the virtue of them being deaf they are not lesser human beings and should never feel inferior or small. They too, have the potential to achieve their dreams and reach the sky.”

School principal Ayanda Ncinane said the school appreciated such campaigns because they helped the school spread the message that deaf people and people living with disabilities had the same rights as everyone else.

He added that they had also learned that many people do not know that there’s a school for the deaf in Khayelitsha, so the marched had helped raise awareness about the school as well.

He said the school offers free sign language classes every Saturday.