D/deaf refugees constitute one of the most vulnerable groups among the Deaf Community. In addition to fleeing from life-threating situations, D/deaf refugees struggle to access information on the current situation they are facing. when they settle in refugee camps, they often do not receive information in their sign language. D/deaf refugees should benefit from the same fundamental rights to receive information in sign language as other people in the same situation. In addition, they also have the rights to interact with their direct environment in sign language, receiving services such as healthcare, social services on an equal basis with their hearing counterparts. D/deaf refugees should also have access to D/deaf communities in the area where they migrate to, in order to access resources and aid in their resettlement in their new areas of residence.

D/deaf refugees may become D/deaf immigrants with local D/deaf communities receiving new members. 

Many refugees came to a new country they choose or to a Refugee Camp by the International Committee of the Red Cross, the United Nations, UNICEF Organisation, UNHCR or Non-Governmental Organisations.

Imagine how many disabled people, including D/deaf and Hard of Hearing people out there.
WFD (World Federation of the Deaf) pointed out there are 70 million Deaf people in the world.
The World Health Organisation pointed out there are approximately 15% of people with disabilities and some forms like suffered by the mine explosions or malnutrition (note this report of data dated 2011).
The UNHCR (United Nations Refugee Agency) reported there are 65.5 million refugees out there. (2016).
However, the main problem is that there is no systematic data and statistics on disabled refugees, including D/deaf people. We need that kind of systematic data which will help us to know how many D/deaf refugees out there.

Many of the D/deaf refugees do not understand the sign language of the host country like here in New Zealand. The D/deaf refugees use their primary sign language as their primary method of communication. They do not have full access to the Deaf community and the sign language of their country, the lack of a tradition of Deaf education and isolation at home. As they do not have the opportunity to meet other Deaf people from other locations, villages or the city and develop a shared signing system within the community. Deaf refugees use a different kind of visual and multimodal communication with their families, friends and hearing people like consists of pointing, gesturing, drawing or home signs in the same village.

In New Zealand, there are a small number of D/deaf refugees living around the country. In Christchurch, there is one class under English Language Partners New Zealand, and they have a few numbers of D/deaf refugee students. This class has got one Deaf teacher and one hearing teacher who is proficient in NZSL. There is no class available for any D/deaf refugee students in Hamilton currently. A couple of years ago, there was one class available for one Deaf Somalian lady who moved up from Christchurch. In Hamilton, there was one hearing teacher, was not sufficiently skilled in NZSL and a deaf teacher assistant has a qualified certificate in ESOL (English of the Second Language) to help the Deaf Somalian lady in the class. The hearing teacher use speaking the English language more than written language and it was impossible for this Somalian lady to learn to speak than to sign language. It is critical for this Somalian lady to use NZSL and more in written language. This deaf teacher assistant has another number of certificates in Teacher Aides, ESOL (English Second of Language) certificate, including a Certificate in Human Service: Specialist Worker with the People with Disabilities and a Bachelor in Arts – History along with Linguistics and Anthropology.

This year there is a new Deaf couple with two hearing children, and they are not a refugee family. The same deaf teacher assistant/Specialist worker is teaching the Korean mother through NZSL (New Zealand Sign Language) and learn to write the English language over three months through a different workplace, not under the English Language Partners New Zealand. This Korean Deaf mother is happy to have someone who able to teach and understand the problem solution between Korean language, Korean Sign Language to NZSL/English Language. It is the need of skill to understand sign language, Deaf culture and the ability to write the English language to match their primary language.

We need to increase more D/deaf staff, volunteers, Interpreters and language, teachers to support, teach and assist many D/deaf refugees in the host country. The critical thing to remember is to try not to remove their primary sign language and if anyone tries to remove their primary sign language. The primary sign language will vanish like ‘the dying of sign language’ and the spoken language such as Isle of Man, around the world. It is essential to preserve their primary sign language for the next generation.

Have a look at Deaf Planet Soul website. Deaf Planet Soul

Well, today it is the last day of our International Week of the Deaf People. Thanks for the time to read the blogs and learn something from here and to share within the community.