21 Oct 2018

Botswana Society for Deaf (BSD) launched an HIV/AIDS testing centre for the hearing impaired community in Francistown on October 19.

Speaking at the launch, BSD acting executive director, Mr Kabelo Seadimo explained that the project which was piloted after the realisation that healthcare services were hard to access for the hearing impaired population mainly due to the communication barrier.

He went on to mention that the deaf community experienced difficulty in accessing health services as most health care services did not provide adequate information access through qualified sign language interpreters.

Mr Seadimo further noted that hearing impaired individuals varied with respect to their hearing levels and communication styles, adding that it was often a struggle for them to find a health care provider with whom they could communicate.

He further added that the project intended to address issues such as the shortage of relevant health-related materials suitable for the hearing impaired, lack of sign language interpreters and language barriers.

“BSD has established impediments to access issues which the project intends to address such as to enhance confidentiality in health care services and to reduce healthcare inequalities that the hard hearing face as well as to develop educational information and communication material on HIV/AIDS for the deaf,” he added.

In her welcome remarks, Kgosi Tshegofatso Setumo of Donga Customary Court applauded the BSD for realising the importance of having an HIV/AIDS testing centre specifically for the deaf community as they had been left out for a long time. He added that the development would benefit them as they would be free to express themselves and get the necessary help.

“Confidentiality between the health care provider and the client can be maintained because a third person in the form of an interpreter will not know their status,” she added.

Kgosi Setumo said it was disheartening that in local health facilities and other government departments there were no officers trained in sign language to help people living with different disabilities. She, however, welcomed the new development and  encouraged the deaf community to utilise the testing centre. ENDS