Deaf and hard-of-hearing victims of gender-based violence (GBV) and other social ills will now be able to receive SA Sign Language-based support.
This is thanks to a programme that is being rolled out by the Neema Foundation for the Deaf in various areas across the country.
The initiative is supported by the National Development Agency’s (NDA) GBV and femicide programme and aims to strengthen families by enhancing child development, reducing the likelihood of child abuse and neglect and capacitating them as part of efforts to deal with social crimes.
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“There are many families within the deaf community that have to contend with violence, rape, neglect and substance abuse,” said Cebisile Ndebele, chairperson of the Neema Foundation for the Deaf.
“Often, victims receive little or no help from the authorities simply because they do not know their rights and are unable to overcome the communication barriers. We aim to empower them and enhance their access to services,” she said.
Ndebele added the initiative, dubbed the family support programme, kicked off on May 22 in Ekurhuleni.
The start of the programme took the form of a workshop, which was attended by deaf learners, parents of deaf children and the broader deaf community affected by GBV and other social ills.
Ndebele said most deaf children and youth come from hearing families.
Deaf children and youth have unique needs hearing parents often find difficult to deal with as they reach different stages of their development.
“This type of specialised assistance is long overdue. Over the years, we have been receiving requests for assistance almost daily, from parents to young women, including LGBTQI+ persons. We have now decided to formalise the programme and expand it,” said Ndebele.
The initiative aims to achieve the following:
• Educate deaf communities about their rights and access to the criminal justice system
• Strengthen communication between parents and deaf children
• Assist with conflict resolution within the families
• Physically capacitate women through self-defence classes
• Raise awareness about the impact of drug and alcohol abuse
“Our intervention is conducted directly with families and individuals involved as a mechanism to address societal challenges within the deaf community such as GBV, as well as psychological and economic empowerment of women,” said Ndebele.
For more information, visit www.foundationneema.org
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