The Deaf community has asked Kajiado county government to create awareness on the learning institutions that cater for children with the disability and include the community in county activities.
The Director of Galaxy Sign Language School Leakey Nyabaro through sign language elaborated that there is need for the county government to note the importance of Deaf awareness events and improve their lives by employing the right personnel to educate them.
“This is a time where deaf people with different language, culture and needs meet to create an impact hence it is important for the county to identify amongst them teachers who know how to merge the Deaf language for both children and adults as most schools have teachers who are not deaf trained to teach the deaf,” signed Leakey.
James Kande, a Deaf student agreed with Leakey’s sentiments signing, that if everyone could be able to learn sign language, it could be easier to support and communicate with the deaf community.
The duo made the remarks whwn Kajiado County Government partnered with Diversity Extravaganza Initiative to commemorate the Deaf Awareness week.
The deaf community said that they need to be included in the county’s activities and events for them to display their talents and highlight their issues.
Mr. James Were, a teacher at Ilbisil School for the Deaf said that the County Government together with the Diversity Extravaganza Initiative needed to collaborate with teachers working in deaf schools to make a follow up of the Deaf community.
“When the county government involves all stakeholders from the deaf community they will feel included. When we feature in these events, parents who are unaware of the deaf community will know and accept the people with disability. We have very many Deaf people who have completed high school but they are confused and have nowhere to go they need to be assisted in securing a job,” said Were.
The county has also been asked to make Deaf schools known and their number increased.
“It is the role and responsibility of the county government of Kajiado to create awareness of the deaf schools available in the county. For example, we have many Deaf schools and the only ones known is one public school, Ilbisil school for the deaf and one private school, Isinya school for the Deaf and these two schools are the only ones that accommodate all the learners from the deaf community,” revealed Were.
The county government through its Chief officer Naomi Parinkoi revealed that through the Social Services Department, the county supports all Deaf schools within the county financially and they hope to create more awareness and sensitisation.
The event was organised by Kajiado county deputy governor Martin Moshisho and graced by Isinya School for the Deaf, Ilbisil School for the deaf, National Deaf cultural centre and DOOR International where each of them displayed their talents through dance and signing poems.