A silent walk in order to voice opinions was held, to raise awareness for the deaf community. On Friday, November 4 the Deaf Federation of Mpumalanga (DeafSA) had a silent walk, in partnership with Pan South African Language Board (PanSALB). This took place from the provincial office of DeafSA in Botha Avenue, down town and ended at the Emalahleni Local Municipality hall where the program started.
The purpose of the silent walk was to celebrate the Disability Month (November) and to create awareness regarding issues affecting the deaf community. Integrating the deaf community into mainstream society and to ensure that there is access to vital information whenever meetings are held, for example, community meetings, municipality meetings and to also ensure that SASL interpreters are always secured for the various meetings coordinated by either private or public sectors.
Mr Christopher Nair (provincial director of DeafSA Mpumalanga), Cllr Lindiwe Nsthalintshali (executive mayor) and Mr Charles Sethema (chairperson DeafSA Mpumalanga) getting the MOU signed.
The MOU was handed over to the mayor, Cllr Lindiwe Ntshalintshali and it entailed the following conditions and arrangements to promote social and economic development, to promote a safe and healthy environment and to encourage the involvement of the deaf communities and community organisations in the matters of the local government. Also, to create awareness and employment meeting, the 2% target set by the government for municipalities to employ persons with disabilities. And to ensure that the local department’s buildings are easily accessible for persons with disabilities and their needs.
Some of the deaf communities had grievances which included an employment of a 2% target, access to housing (RDP), education and skills training, social health and transversal services, good governance and communication, LED and job creation, youth development and public information needs to be accessible to a deaf person as they form part of the society, ward councillors must disseminate information in various ways like pamphlets, forwarding memos to DeafSA Mpumalanga offices and not only by verbal announcements as well but also accessibility to government buildings.
Upon reading the contents of the MOU, the mayor agreed that the municipality has not been fully participating in issues affecting persons with disabilities.
However, she said that a team will be assembled to focus on the above matters and to ensure that service delivery is improved by the municipality. She added that a specific help desk will be established to deal directly with all persons with disabilities whenever they visit the municipality. The MOU was accepted and signed by the mayor.
Mr Nair mentioned that DeafSA is willing to work together with the municipality to provide better services to the deaf and other disabled people in eMalahleni.
“We want to be treated equally in the society and to receive the same benefits received by any other person. It is our human rights to be accepted and treated fairly. We need accessibility to all facilities such as government departments, service centres, schools, municipalities and the public. We need equal access to education, employment and we do not want to rely on the government grants. We can do anything, being deaf. This silent walk was to show the public and the government that we are still here. In the society and we when we say ‘nothing about us, without us’ we clearly mean, you do not decide for us without our participation.”
DeafSA is providing free basic sign language training to anyone looking forward in learning to communicate with the deaf.
For further information, please contact the office on 013 656 1996/8 or email the provincial director on provincialdirector.mp@deafsa.co.za.
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