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Tanzikwa Guranungo Correspondent
THE World Deaf Federation estimates that 80 000 people in Zimbabwe suffer from hearing impairments and the justice system in Zimbabwe has been inaccessible to people with a range of disabilities, especially those with hearing impairments as investigative and judicial procedures fail to adapt to meet their needs.

As outlined by the World Deaf Federation Report of 2008 for Southern and Eastern Africa, an estimated 280 000 people in Zimbabwe suffer hearing impairments. Deaf people are denied the right to give evidence, or to receive a fair trial, while information about the law is not presented in accessible or appropriate formats. People with hearing impairments have been failed by both the police and the court system whose employees lack appropriate training on sign language and failed by lawmakers who have not done enough to put in place safeguards to support deaf people.

The Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment (No 20) recognises 16 official languages as opposed to the previous one where only English, Shona and Ndebele were the official languages depending on the province where one resided.

Chapter 1:6 (1) of the charter reads; “The following languages, namely Chewa, Chibarwe, English, Kalanga, Koisan, Nambya, Ndau, Ndebele, Shangani, Shona, Sign language, Sotho, Tonga, Tswana, Venda, and Xhosa, are the officially-recognised languages of Zimbabwe. Despite sign language being recognised by the national constitution as one of the 16 official languages the public service that involves the Zimbabwe Republic Police, courts and health institutions are failing to train their employees in sign language as a curriculum, so that they will be able to communicate with deaf people in times of need like what education institutions are doing. If the Zimbabwe Republic Police fail to train their officers, especially traffic police, how can they communicate at roadblocks, same with health institutions, how do they communicate with patients if they are not conversant with sign language?

Deaf Zimbabwe Trust, in conjunction with the Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (ZIMSEC), has been building the capacity of teachers to implement accommodations for deaf students introduced into the national regulations for examinations. To date, 60 teachers who teach deaf children from all the ten provinces in Zimbabwe have been capacitated to implement educational accommodations.

Likewise, the Zimbabwe Republic Police should include sign language as a curriculum for their members in all departments so that fair trial and information will be offered to deaf people. Hearing and speech impaired vendors often face harassment by council officers due to lack of communication.

Legal experts are also of the opinion that there is need for a serious material and cultural change across every part of the system, at every level, to make the country’s justice system accessible for all citizens.

They insist that there is need for the office of the Director for Public Prosecutions to commit itself to real and systemic change that will finally tear down the barriers deaf people face on a daily basis in the Zimbabwean justice system.

Deaf people face communication difficulties in both the civil and criminal justice system, which could cause them to either fail to access justice when offended against or re-offended due to lack of support. For example, there have been many instances whereby a case is postponed countless times, because the magistrate or the judge, or prosecutors or lawyers or accused persons are not conversant with sign language in the event that the victim has a hearing or speech impairment.

These communication difficulties pose challenges for deaf and hard of hearing individuals in their day-to-day interactions, making it challenging to access public services and participate in everyday experiences that hearing individuals are able to do without obstacle.

Zimbabwe should put in place policies with guidelines and regulations outlining the accommodations and rights afforded to the deaf and hard of hearing in order to provide equal access and opportunity to the deaf, hard of hearing, and other disabled individuals.

The Writer is Zimbabwe Youth Council public relations manager.

Deaf people have rights to be included in the general school system, to be employed, to live independently in the community, to move freely, to vote, to participate in sport and cultural activities, to enjoy social protection, to access justice, to choose medical treatment and to enter freely into legal commitments such as buying and selling property.

Hearing and Speech impaired people should have respect for inherent dignity, individual autonomy including the freedom to make one’s own choices, and independence of persons. Discrimination of deaf people in all public sectors should not be tolerated as they should be given full and effective participation and inclusion in society. Respect for difference and acceptance of persons with disabilities as part of human diversity and humanity, equality of opportunity should be granted.

The Writer is Zimbabwe Youth Council public relations manager.