Zimpapers Logo

Yeukai Tazira Herald Reporter
Preparations for this year’s International Day of the Deaf are at an advanced stage, with people from all walks of life expected to converge in the Harare Gardens for the event set for September 23.

Deaf Zimbabwe Trust executive director Mrs Barbara Nyangairi told The Herald last week that this year’s edition will run under the theme: “Realisation of language rights for various categories of deaf people.”

“Representation of people with disabilities in different spheres of life has often been inadequate as different organisations and individuals continue to call for equal representations on all platforms,’’ Mrs Nyangairi said.

She called on the Government to include disability issues in the schools’ curricula.

“School textbooks are no exception as they not only mirror societies but also shape cultural perspectives and practices. The visibility of people with disabilities in textbooks is very low and when they are featured, it is often in a few pages outside a typical family setting. This greatly affects a child’s social learning process as they are one of the first contacts a child has in a societal setup. Authorities should look into this,” she said.

Hearing loss or hearing impairment is the most prevalent sensory disability globally and a condition that is of growing concern. In 2005, WHO estimated that 278 million people in the world were living with disabling hearing impairment.

In his speech to mark this year’s independence commemorations, President Mnangagwa said as Government continues to reform the economy, plans are afoot to put in place safety nets to protect the vulnerable groups in society and as well the need to empower people with disabilities is being given due attention.

International Week of the Deaf is an initiative of the World Federation of the Deaf launched in 1958 in Rome, Italy and is celebrated annually by the global Deaf community in the last week of September.