DWAN trains Health Workers on Sign Language in Abuja

by Chris Agbo

Deaf Women Association of Nigeria (DWAN) Abuja Chapter on Monday marked International Day of Sign with graduation ceremony of health workers who received sign language interpreting training in FCT. The event with the theme: Making Healthcare Accessible For With Deaf Women with Sign-Language and Closing project -Health Empowerment and Rights For Deaf Women witnessed the certificate presentation and sign language interpretation book guide for the first set of nurses working in different hospitals in the Federal Capital Territory who were trained for six weeks on sign language interpretation in a project sponsored by US Embassy.

The project was put together to enhance the communication of deaf people in the hospitals to help them access healthcare services without stress. It is a fact that deaf people have been facing a lot of problem communicating with health workers whenever they are need of healthcare services. Training of the health workers is a step towards bridging this communication gap.

The Chairperson of the Deaf Women Association of Nigeria (DWAN) Abuja chapter, Mrs. Helen Beyioku-Alase in her welcome address described the importance of sign language to the deaf. She said that Sign Language carries the identify, culture, rights and the language of the deaf people. Imagine a world of a Deaf person without sign language, in hospitals, schools, banks, markets, programs, on television etc, it is like a car without a driver that cannot move.

She lamented that even though the population of the deaf people is over 8.5 million in Nigeria today, Nigeria is not doing enough to accommodate and promote sign language and Deaf people today are experts in many fields. Some are doctors, Nurses, Teachers, Mechanics, Tailors, Civil Servants, Lawyers, Special Advicers, Policians, Drivers etc, deaf people are everywhere and they are achieving great things, therefore sign language should be taken seriously to get the best out of these deaf people.

She appreciated President Buhari for taking a giant step to sign Disability Rights Bill into Law on 23^rd January, 2019. The act she believes is a step towards ensuring full inclusion of sign language and penalized any individual or organization that fail to accommodate or include sign language. She further urges Mr. President to urgently establish Disability Affair Commission for immediate implementation of Disability Rights Act. She also urges organization and partners to play their own part by ensuring full inclusion of sign language and also ensure that Deaf women and girls are not left out in all their programs and plans.

She orates some achievements of DWAN FCT such as the Project Health, Empowerment and Rights Financed by US Embassy that just came to an end, 20 health workers from Doctors, Nurses, Midwives, Lab Scientists, etc were trained on the basic sign language for six weeks to enable them communicate with deaf women and other deaf people when they visit hospitals; Over 200 deaf women have been empowered on sexual and reproductive health rights information. DWAN has secured the support and endorsement of FCT Health and Human Services Secretariat to include sign language in hospitals across the six area councils.

Dr. Matthew Ashikeni, Director, Special Duties, Health and Human Services, FCTA representing the Honourable Secretary, Health and Human Services speaking at the event congratulated graduating health workers and he praised DWAN FCT for the initiative saying that it is to accommodate the deaf people in the FCT policy for health care services for all FCT residents because it Is their fundamental right. Being hopeful and believes that the partnership continues to accommodate more health workers and extend the sign language to health workers in the tertiary institutions in the FCT. He assured DWAN FCT that FCTA is committed to continue the partnership until all health workers are trained.

 Barrister Hauwa Shekarau, Country Director in her speech said that in the time past, IPAS have been promoting health services and rights for able bodied women and unconsciously leave out women with disabilities. Encountering DWAN changed the narrative, IPAS have empowered them and build their capacity to speak for themselves and access healthcare services. IPAS have also exposed DWAN FCT abroad by sending the President Mrs. Helen to international conference where she gave a good account of herself.  IPAS intends to expand the services to other women with disabilities and work with all women within their resources to ensure that no one is left behind.

Mrs. Bukola Azeez representing the Director, FCT-HEALTH, in her speech assured DWAN that their desire to have a sign language interpreter in all health advertisement is receiving attention. The training conducted, there will be process in place to step it down and more health workers to be trained to ensure that no one is left behind in healthcare services.

Theophilus Odaudu Program Officer, Disability Rights Fund (DRF) in his goodwill message appreciates the US embassy and all the organizations who supported the training of these health workers. He emphasized on patients’ rights which the inability to communicate with the health providers is a denial of the rights of the patients. So, sign language interpreting in the hospitals is one way of ensuring the rights of the patients especially for deaf persons. He reassured the DPOs in Nigeria that DRF is open to fund DPOs but their interest is on advancement of disability rights in Nigeria and DWAN also have opportunity to apply especially on the advancement of sign language in Nigeria as a right because DRF do not fund direct service to persons with disabilities.

Mrs. Morenike Akinmutimi speaking at the event on behalf of the Executive Secretary of National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), assures the DWAN of the commitment of the commission to defend the rights of any person with disability and urge persons with disabilities to report to the commission whenever their rights are violated.

Mohammed Adelani, National Vice President, NNAD felicitated with the DWAN FCT for the good work they are doing and urge the trainees to ensure that they put every effort to ensure that other health workers communicate effectively with deaf people in the hospitals and NNAD will ensure that this noble project is taken to other states.

Ekaete Umoh presented a paper on the topic: Making Healthcare more accessible for the Deaf with Sign language.

The highlight of the event was the presentation of certificates to the trainees.

Adi Gani Esther, a nurse in Wuse General Hospital, Nwaigwe Miracle, a nurse in Kubwa General Hospital in sharing their experiences from the training expressed happiness that they have added an addition language that will assist their work and they are excited to have gotten the opportunity, they pleaded for more training and for the training to be extended to their colleagues. They displayed a signing of their names to show the audience that they have learnt some basic sign languages in the last six weeks.  

The event witnessed the presence of Director, Special Duties, Health and Human Services, Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) Dr. Matthew Ashikeni, National Vice President, Nigeria National Association of the Deaf, Mohammed Adelani, Chief Investigation/ Disability Desk Officer, National Human Rights Commission(NHRC), Mrs. Morenike Akinmutimi, The Assistant Director(PPP) FCT- HEALTH Director, Mrs Bukola Azeez, The Program Officer, Nigeria, Disability Rights Funds, the Country Director, IPAS Barrister Hauwa Shekarau, former JONAPWD President, Ekaete Umoh, The Publisher, The Qualitative Magazine(A disability Advocacy Magazine) Agbo Chris, Health Workers, Members of NNAB and other persons with disabilities.

 On September, 23^rd, 2017, the United Nations set aside every September, 23^rd as the International Day of Sign Language (IDSL) for all member countries to observe and raise awareness of the importance of sign language in the full realization of the human rights of people who are Deaf. IDSL is also a day celebrated yearly across the world along with international week for the deaf. The 2019 theme is Sign Language Rights for all.

HERE ARE SOME PICTURES OF THE EVENT