Getting word out to everyone

LEARN the basics – that’s the plea behind the campaign to encourage everyone to be able to communicate with deaf people.

The KwaZulu-Natal Blind and Deaf Society launched their campaign this week and #teamtalksign2023 presentations have already begun at schools, government departments, hospitals and companies.

Driving the campaign are social workers Londeka Nxumalo, Winile Ndlovu and Lerato Makhetha.

“We want interaction with kids so they can understand sign language, to be able to interact more with the deaf,” said Nxumalo.

Ndlovu appealed to people to participate in the campaign.

“This will help communities understand the deaf and not exclude them,” she said.

“We plan to have more interaction with pupils and organisations and they will learn different signs this year,” said Makhetha.

“We aim to spread this awareness to as many people as we can in KwaZulu-Natal and beyond and encourage people to learn sign language. To get people started, the society offers a Basic Sign Language class at its premises,” said the society’s public relations officer, Yegeshne Naidu.

She said they had been “assisted greatly” in their fund-raising activities and hoped to add to these with the sale of TalkSign-branded rulers.

“Funds are used in programmes designed to uplift our deaf clients. Some of our services are social work, deaf, blind and multi-disabled services, education and training.”

The TalkSign campaign started in 2013 to expand their advocacy in all matters related to deafness.

“We realised there was a strong need to promote the use of sign language among all government institutions and the community at large,” said Naidu, adding that it was a human right to be able to communicate.

“It’s important for everyone to understand this and to try to learn it and to promote its use. Because most often a deaf person is introduced to sign language in school, this form of communication thrives in the school environment. Isolation sets in for deaf people outside of this environment.”

#teamtalksign2023 merchandise is on sale from the society. To learn sign language, call 031 309 4991.

News Agency (ANA) | SHELLEY KJONSTAD African AT THE official launch of the KZN Blind and Deaf Society TalkSign campaign this week, from left, Sibongile Shandu, Zaba Ngcobo and Mbongeni Mbhanjwa show branded rulers to help spread the word. The society offers a basic sign language class and has started encouraging the use of the language by all at schools, companies, hospitals and government departments.