Creating and adapting educational materials into sign language in Eastern/Southern Africa to have sign languages recognized at national level

• In Event: The impact of digital educational materials in sign language to the acceptance and recognition of sign languages as official languages

Proposal

In order to enhance inclusive education for deaf learners across the globe, the national sign language should be recognized as an official language. Sign language supports deaf children in their linguistic, cognitive, and social-emotional development. Not only do they need sign language as the language of instruction in the classroom but they need accessible digital teaching and learning materials available to them adapted using the national sign language.

Where sign languages have been officially recognized, it is easier to have sign languages used as a language of instruction in schools where deaf children are enrolled. It provides more leverage to produce accessible digital content in sign languages and work with governments to distribute the content. On the other hand, where sign languages are not yet recognized as official languages, the adaptation and creation of materials in accessible formats can help lead to the official recognition of the sign language. Materials, including dictionaries (digital or print) that document that various signs that make up a sign language work to prove the legitimacy of a sign language and its importance to the Deaf community.

Colleagues at eKitabu contributed to a UNICEF document, “Sign Language for Deaf Children’s Education and Guidance on its Use in Accessible Digital Teaching & Learning Materials” which includes country profiles from Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Malawi, and Zambia on the policies that are in place versus their implementation as it regards sign language as both an official language and a language of instruction. eKitabu will delve deeper into Kenya, Rwanda, Malawi, Tanzania and Ethiopia, where they have adapted content into the local sign languages and the various lessons that have been learned along the way as it concerns adapting this content in contexts where it is not yet officially recognized and in other settings where it is recognized. For example, Kenyan Sign Language (KSL) is recognized as an official language of Parliament in the Constitution and the Sector Policy for Learners and Trainees with Disabilities recognizes KSL as the primary language of deaf children and is used for instruction and communication. Additionally KSL is taught as a subject, just as hearing students are taught English and/or Kiswahili as a subject. The recognition of KSL as an official language has driven the demand for materials (educational and not) to be made accessible in KSL. This in turn, leads to a more included Deaf community.

However, in countries such as Malawi, Rwanda, and Tanzania, the national sign languages have not been recognized officially. There are examples where sign language dictionaries and glossaries provide evidence to policy makers that sign languages are actual languages. This documentation supports the advocacy efforts to have sign language officially recognized. Other teaching and learning materials produced in the local sign languages also leverage the importance of accessible TLMs in sign language acquisition of deaf children and also their contributions to their overall learning and literacy outcomes.

Author

• GEORGINE AUMA OBURA, eKitabu