Church of Christ celebrates Deaf Awareness Day in Ghana

Mr. Ebenezer A. Asamoah, National Administrator of Ghana National Association of the Deaf (GNAD), has called on the government and benevolent institutions to establish more specialized educational institutions for the deaf.

“In addition to the establishment of more specialized institutions, it is paramount for the Ghana Education Service to expand the curriculum of specialized institutions, particularly the School for the Deaf, to include the learning of sign language.

“We also need schools to be devoted exclusively to the teaching of sign language....People learning the sign language can help bridge the language barrier between the hearing and deaf community,” he said.

Mr. Asamoah said this at the second edition of Deaf Awareness Day celebration organised by the Deaf Ministry of the Nsawam Road Church of Christ at the weekend in Accra.

The Awareness Day was on the theme; “Challenges Confronting the Death,” and sought to draw attention to the challenges, limitations and capabilities of persons with hearing impairment.

Mr. Asamoah said there were only 13 deaf community basic schools and two Senior High Schools serving the large population of children with hearing challenges.

He said majority of teachers in these schools did not possess adequate sign language skills to effectively communicate and impart knowledge to the pupils and students.

Mr Asamoah said there was no tertiary institution for the deaf and “Most of the deaf cannot enroll in public and private tertiary institutions because they cannot afford the cost of hiring an interpreter and a note taker.”

“It would be virtually impossible for the deaf to enroll in these institutions and realize their dreams without an interpreter”.

He said the lack of interpreter services at public places like the hospitals, banks, schools, churches and police stations was a great challenge for the deaf because, most of the people who worked in these places did not understand the sign language.

Mr. Asamoah commended the Church of Christ especially the Nsawan Road branch for the initiative to embrace the deaf community by establishing the Deaf Ministry.

He also lauded them for taking up the teaching of sign language in the church to enable both the deaf and hearing to interact during and after church service.

Mr. William Sam, coordinator for the over 200 Deaf Ministries of the Church of Christ nationwide, said the church had sponsored some deaf children to schools and other skills learning institutions.

He appealed to the government and philanthropists to support the deaf ministry of Nsawam Road Church of Christ.**