11 Nov 2021

Botswana Association of the Deaf held an advocacy meeting in Francistown on Wednesday to tackle issues they face in their everyday lives.

 A consultant, who is also Coordinator of Botswana Association of the Deaf, Mr Fredrick Kololo, said it was important to create an environment where all had equal access to opportunities. 

He said too many times unfavourable ad impractical laws and regulations sidelined the deaf. 

He called for a survey that would inform about their hardships to facilitate creation of proper strategies and solutions to be formulated. 

Mr Kololo said being of hearing afforded one the opportunity to negotiate and represent oneself with ease, but that was not the case when one could hear or talk. 

He said deaf people were disadvantaged at service centres and often left emptyhanded as no one would have come forward to assist. 

He cited wearing of masks in public places as one of challenges the deaf people faced as sign language worked in tandem with facial expressions. 

Mr Kololo said the deaf also did not get the full benefit of medical or police assistance. 

“People without hearing impediment make calls to these departments but we do not even have a Short Message System (SMS) option for those who cannot speak or hear,” he said. 

The deaf who attended stated that their biggest problems were mostly at health facilities. 

They pleaded that sign language interpreters be placed in different departments so that they could also get help without being misunderstood or seen as burdens. Mr Kololo promised that having sign language interpreters in organisations was possible and gave examples of Citizen Entrepreneurship Development Agency (CEDA), Local Enterprise Authority (LEA), Stanbic Bank and others which he said already had sign language trainees. 

Tatitown customary court president Kgosi Chemalebo Montshiwa said as the ears and eyes of the deaf, Botswana Association of the Deaf was responsible for coming up with policies and developments to make worth living for them. ENDS