by Chris Agbo
Mrs. Hellen Beyioku-Alase
On Thursday 28th November, 2019, Deaf Women Aloud Initiative (DWAI) in Abuja organized a one-day consultative meeting for the development of health-related sign language glossary. A project sponsored by Voice for increasing access to health services and information for Deaf women and girls.
The Director, Deaf Women Aloud Initiative Mrs. Hellen Beyioku-Alase speaking at the event explained that the meeting was to minimize the communication gap between the deaf women and the health practitioners and equip the health providers to meet the needs of deaf women and girls who visit their health facilities seeking healthcare services. Speaking further, she emphasized that Sexual Reproductive Health (SRH) is the leading cause of death among women in reproductive age worldwide but it is more prevalent in the developing countries. She recognized that government is doing something to reduce the consequences of poor SRH among individuals and families but Deaf women are unlikely to benefit from these policies and programmes on SRH because of negative perception and the neglect of deaf women which resulted from difficulties in understanding them and again these policies and programmes are not also communicated to them.
It is a fact that deaf people are unlikely to access available information like others in the society. The health care providers can not understand deaf people, they are often underestimating the difficulties of speech reading, and overestimating the deaf ability to understand written notes.
ADVERTISEMENTS:
The cost of hiring sign language interpreters by deaf women to access SRH services in Health facilities has limited the chances and ability of deaf women to access information and services on SRH as such it has increased maternal mortality among deaf women and their families in the FCT. This communication gap has led to so many deaf women staying away from the hospital and those who visit health facilities usually feel neglect due to the attitude of healthcare providers towards them.
This situation has been aggravated because there are still no sign language interpreters at the health facilities, no disability friendly health/specific sign language information, low awareness creation of the Sexual Reproductive Health Rights(SRHR) information of deaf women and their children among health practitioners in Nigeria.
The Disability Act and UNCRPD which Nigeria is a signatory stipulated that to ensure access to information, sign interpreters should be in the health facilities to enable the deaf communicate effectively whenever they seek health services(Article 9 of CRPD), Reproductive Health Rights( Article 23 of CRPD), right to access sexual and reproductive Health Rights information and services(Article 25 of CRPD) and Specific need for the empowerment of women with disabilities(Article 6 of CRPD).
The essence of this project which was sponsored by Voice is that within 12months, we are to increase the access to SRH information and services among deaf women through the development of health specific sign language. It will provide opportunity for deaf women to make informed decision about their healthcare and also put them in the same level with other women when it comes to Sexual Reproductive Health Rights.
She concluded by urging the health practitioners to make use of the rare opportunity to contribute to the development of sign language glossary and she expects the participants to brainstorm, develop and draft the SRH related sign-language glossary format for health consultant to gather information, idea, data that will aid her work toward ensuring access to health services and information for Deaf women and girls in Nigeria.
The glossary when produced will serve as a guide to minimize communication barriers between the Health workers and Deaf community who visit their hospitals for treatments.
Health consultant, Dr. Ijeoma Nnodim, a facilitator at the meeting who is the first Deaf female Doctor in Nigeria who based in Delta state present her findings around deaf women and their access to healthcare services with emphasis on Sexual Reproductive Health, the challenges faced by deaf women in accessing SRH services due to lack of communication and a background of sign language glossary which she promised to provide an app that will assist health practitioners in development of sign language glossary and understanding of the signs.
Dr. Ijeoma Nnodim
The participants who were divided into 5 groups suggested 5 different titles for the Sign Language Glossary Document. Group 1: Sexual Reproductive Health Sign Language for Hospital use, Group2: Glossary for Sexual Reproductive Health for the Deaf and their families in the hospital setting, Group 3: Signs for health, Group 4: Signs for Reproductive Health, Group 5(Deaf Group): Sexual Reproductive Health in Signs.
After voting in which one out of the five suggested titles was chosen, Group1 got 5 votes, Group 2 got 5 votes, Group 3 got 3votes, Group 4 got 4votes, and Group 5(Deaf group) scored 10 votes. Group 5 suggested title (SEXUAL REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH IN SIGNS) was adopted.
The five groups also were assigned with alphabets to develop glossary format in which each group made a presentation putting in consideration the language prevalent at the hospital setting in line with the alphabets assigned to each group.
The groups unanimously agreed to set a WhatsApp group to continue the deliberation on the development of the sign language glossary until a well drafted work is achieved.
The meeting witnessed as participants more than 20 doctors, nurses and midwives from FCT Health and Human services selected from 6 area councils of the FCT for the first time make a strong case for sign- language inclusion and are participating in the development of sign language glossary.
ADVERTISEMENTS:
SEE SOME PICTURE OF THE MEETING:
