Memorandum on The Plight of Deaf Kenyans and the opportunities to right the wrongs of Kenya's largest marginalized community

Population: Estimated 1 Million WHO estimates 15% of the world population have disabilities. This estimates encompases persons who are Deaf, Deaf- lind, Hard of Hearin!, a socio-lin!uistical cultural minorit" who use #en"an $i!n %an!ua!e in their communications. &ostl" these individuals are in urban areas but man" remain hidden in their homes due to sti!ma and shame associated with this disabilit". $tatisticall", however there is still a lar!e number of persons with hearin! loss who !o about life without identif"in! themselves with the lar!er Deaf communit" nor use #en"an $i!n %an!ua!ein their ever" da" life. There is a !reat need to have the correct number of persons who are Deaf for proper service deliver" and national plannin!. Historically, the Deaf people in #en"a have been left out of mainstream societal development due to their lan!ua!e and culture. This e'plains the mar!inali(ation of this minorit" !roup in the earlier histor" of #en"a. &issionaries, educationists and forein! volunteers saw this and wor)in! with the locals established the first schools for the Deaf in the late 1*5+s and earl" 1*,+s in Western, -entral and -oastal re!ions of the countr". Deaf #en"ans use #en"an $i!n %an!ua!e which had it.s .formal. e'istance traced to the schools of the Deaf. %i)e elsewhere in the world, the hearin! world /spea)in! communities0 have held ne!ative attitudes towards the deaf persons, deafness and hearin! loss. &an" people believed and still do that the Deaf cannot be tau!ht, are dumb, retarded or incapable of carr"in! out dail" activities such as readin!, coo)in!, ta)in! care of children or havin! a 1ob or a famil". Thus man" of the parents on discover" that the" have a Deaf child the" will often !o into denial, hide the child and see) medical intervention to correct the deafness or hearin! loss. This often leads to frustration both for the parents and the child who will miss out on lan!ua!e ac2usition that normall" happens at this a!e, !ets late admission into school etc $ociet" also contributes to further mar!inali(e the Deaf in #en"a throu!h their lac) of awareness on Deafness. Our schools are created to be audist in nature, when "ou loo) at the lan!ua!es tau!ht the" emphasi(e on writin!, listenin! /hearin!0, readin! /spea)in!0 which practicall" loc)s out the Deaf child from bein! part of the education s"stem where not all teachers in the schools for the Deaf comprehendin! or havin! trainin! in #en"an $i!n %an!ua!e. Looking forward how do we move on3 There are strides we have made as a nation that puts us ahead of man" nations in $ub $ahara 4frica and indeed amon! the !lobal communit". #en"a ratified the 56 -onvention on 7ersons with Disabilities in &a" 8++5, followed b" enactment of the 7ersonswith Disabilities 4ct 8++5 and most recentl" the -onstitution of #en"a 8+1+ have reaffirmed #en"ans commitment to form a !overnment based on the essential values of human ri!hts, e2ualit", freedom, democrac", social 1ustice and the rule of law.

With these adoptions and enactments are to nau!ht if these laws are not implemented, enforced or e'cersiced. This memorandum ta)es a loo) on how the 9ubilee administration can and should move forward in empowerin! the Deaf communit" in #en"a to en1o" their ri!hts, have a more productive 2ualit" life awa" from the shac)les of oppression, sti!ma, discrimination and violations that have dominated their lives for hundreds of "ears.Here is how..... Our -onstitution reco!ni(es #en"an $i!n %an!ua!e a national lan!ua!e at par with #iswahili and :n!lish due to its national and cohesive attributes. #en"an $i!n %an!ua!e is one of the lan!ua!es of parliament and b" e'tension the senate and count" assemblies. The constitution is also ver" clear on the ri!hts of Deaf #en"ans to use #en"an $i!n %an!ua!e in ever" da" life, to en1o" Deaf culture and to be free from discrimination as a lin!uistic minorit". 4rticles ; /<b0= 8;/>0= <5 /1b0= >>/10= 5> /1d0= 5, /d0= 18+ /10 1. Enactment of a Kenyan Sign Language Act a le!istlation that would define the issues of deafness coverin! the earl" intervention for children, care and treatment of hearin! loss= establishin! a #en"an $i!n %an!ua!e ?nstitute to research, document and provide !uidance on ?nterpreters trainin!, emplo"ment and re!ulation. 8. Recognize, promote, accept and facilitate the use of Kenyan Sign Language the more the citi(ens see this happen, families and communities will follow the lead that the !overnment has ta)en to use the lan!ua!e in public and thus liberate the Deaf #en"ans form the sti!ma the" so often e'perience. <. acilitate the research, de!elopment and learning of Kenyan Sign Language and the promote the linguistic identity of the "eaf community the lan!ua!e currentl" is under-reseached, documentation has been scant" with little happenin! in hi!her institutions of learnin!. :stablishement of a #en"an $i!n %an!ua!e institute would facilitate the research and learnin! of the lan!ua!e, histor" and culture of the Deaf #en"ans. The institute would ensure that teachers for the Deaf, interpreters and lin!uists are trained and deplo"ed to the various need" institutions that re2uire their services. >. #ro!ide information intended for the general pu$lic in Kenyan Sign Language this will ensure all Deaf #en"ans can see), receive and impart information on an e2ual basis with others. With the emplo"ment of professional interpreters this will be achived. 5. %rging and encouraging the pri!ate entities that pro!ide ser!ices to the general pu$lic to pro!ide information and ser!ices in Kenyan Sign Language hospitals, schools, universities, ban)s, parastatals, !overnemnt a!encies, the police, courts etc will have provision to provide services in the lan!ua!e b" emplo"in! Deaf #en"ans or interpreters for accessibilit" of their services. ,. Encourage the mass media to make their ser!ices accessi$le in Kenyan Sign Language a lot of communication and information from !overnment is passed b" the media to the !eneral mostl" in the national lan!ua!es of #en"a. This should be the same for #en"an $i!n %an!ua!e, have ?nterpreters wor) with the 7residential 7ress Office, #en"a

roadcastin! -orporation and Office responsible for 6ational :vents. The 6ational 4ssembl" throu!h the @esearch office has done the same in collaboration with # -. ;. Employment A affirmative action in the public service to emplo" 2ualified Deaf #en"ans to wor) within the public service sector. &mplementation of the a$o!e will result in the following'( 1. #en"an people will chan!e their attitudes towards #en"an $i!n %an!ua!e and the Deaf communit", Deaf culture and deafness. 8. Deaf people will have more or better access to information, education, political and socioeconomic activities or interactions. <. Deaf people will !ain more confidence in the learnin! process, selfe'pression, in communicatin! with hearin! people and in en1o"in! their ri!hts. >. ?mproved 2ualit" of life for Deaf #en"ans throu!h emplo"ment opportunities for Deaf individuals.