International Sign Language Week – Wednesday 26th
Let learn about our Deaf Sign Language and don’t be afraid of us.
“Outreach and Awareness”
A joint effort, IDSL and IWDeaf takes place once a year for one week to seek highly concerted global advocacy to raise awareness about the Deaf Community, sign languages and the rights of deaf individuals. The objective is to focus on gathering together, becoming united, and showing that unity to the rest of the world. www.wfd.org
Imagining if you walk down the footpath and noticing two Deaf ladies signing each other while walking in front of you, or sitting in a cafe and watching any Deaf people signing next to you..
Wonder, what is like to be deaf/Deaf or sharing with another Deaf person in the silent room!
First of all, I would like to express myself that I was born deaf and grew up in two different worlds – one in the Deaf world and the second in the ordinary world like you. It has been so many challenges and trying to remove any barriers that discriminate or stopping me from my own choices like to become a social worker in the community over many years. I learnt to break down the barriers or to stop from being discriminate by teaching anyone or to change their attitudes. Nothing is over because it is a long way to go.
Today I am a deaf community support worker for the Deaf, Hard of Hearing and Deafblind as well for people/children with disabilities. I am a deaf advocator for the people/children with disabilities including Deaf even a historian/research on History of the Deaf Culture, Sign Language and the community. How did I manage to do this? It is very simple ways of getting the messages there or in the world. So what I called “Outreach and Awareness” to everyone. I am sending out the messages and to raise more awareness about us – Deaf people including children in the communities, to the people who live in the rural areas, in other cities, or even in Kenya.
Deaf people and children WANT to included with you anywhere such as in schools, workplaces, public meetings, cinemas where there is captioning to watch the movie and in the university. What we want you to change your attitudes that we are the same person to you and start thinking about how can you change the way to make a better access through communicate barrier, accepting to learn our sign language and in the same building with friendly accessible such as flashing fire alarm.
Over many years, Deaf people speak out for their rights to included through social media, raising awareness by doing an advertising our Sign Language week, a public speaker in the community and getting involved with the clubs anywhere in the world.
