She disclosed The Gambia has only five standardised sign interpreters.
“Providing training for people to learn sign language is one thing and employing those trainees is another. We have young vibrant people that are learning sign language but to no avail, so they should try employing these people to motivate more people to learn the language,” she said.
She urges the government to also provide schools for deaf people in rural Gambia, arguing they also have the right to education as everyone else.
“Without them going to school they will not be able to communicate even with us; because to be able to sign, you need to learn it first. And the deaf in the province do not have access to education, resulting in the females being subject to early marriages and abuse,” she points out.
She advised parents with deaf children to venture into learning sign language to be able to communicate and understand how it feels.
She further suggested that media houses, especially TV stations, should employ sign interpreters to promote all inclusiveness in their broadcast.
She finally suggested that parents and society should treat people living with disabilities and involve them in everything so they can feel connected to the rest.
