International Literacy Day is celebrated every year on September 8. The day was established to raise awareness of the importance of literacy for all people, and being a deaf awareness month, it serves as an opportunity to advocate for equal access to education and literacy for all, including deaf individuals.
It is also a great opportunity to acknowledge the experiences and achievements of the Deaf community in the realm of literacy.
The word literacy simply means the ability to read and write which is essential for communication, learning, and participation in society.
Deaf people can be literate in both written and signed languages; however, they encounter a number of challenges that need to be addressed in a bid to achieve literacy.
Such challenges include; difficulties learning to read and write in a spoken language because they cannot hear the sounds of the language, which makes it difficult for them to associate the written symbols with the spoken sounds.
Another challenge is that there are not enough resources available in sign language. This means that deaf people may not have access to the same learning materials and opportunities as hearing people.
To help the Deaf in their quest for literacy, educational institutions and communities need to foster an inclusive environment that embraces diversity and accommodates the specific needs of deaf individuals.
However, a few technological advancements such as closed captioning, video relay services, and assistive devices have brought about positive changes in deaf literacy by helping them access spoken language.
As we commemorate World Literacy Day there is a need for more effort to promote inclusive education policies and practices that take into account the unique challenges faced by deaf individuals in literacy.
This includes incorporating sign language as a recognized language and providing appropriate accommodations, such as sign language interpreters, accessible materials, and trained teachers proficient in sign language.