The Advocacy Officer of the Ghana National Association of the Deaf (GNAD), Mr Robert Sampana, has appealed to government to make sign language an integral part of the Ghana Education Service (GES) curriculum.
He said doing this would bridge the communication gap between deaf persons and their hearing counterparts and thereby guarantee the full participation and integration of the deaf in societal activities.
Mr Sampana, who made the appeal in a statement presented to President John Mahama on August 26 at Flagstaff House, said deaf persons face difficulties in accessing healthcare.
Due to communication barriers, he noted, most deaf persons are sometimes wrongly diagnosed, given inappropriate medical prescription which in most cases lead to complications and death.
The inability of people to understand and interpret sign language and failure of policy makers to include deaf persons in the socio-political decision making process, makes us feel restricted and excluded, he said.
Mr Sampana urged government to ensure that programmes and activities of all relevant ministries, departments and agencies reach the deaf community through Ghana Sign Language Interpreters to meet the demand of the Persons with Disability Act, (Act 715, 2006).
He also appealed to government to consider establishing a disability desk in public institutions; train more sign language interpreters and engage them permanently at regional and districts health facilities.
