African countries have been urged to adopt sign language as a second national language.
Stakeholders made the call at the recent first African Regional Conference on Equal Opportunity of Access to Higher Education (ARCHEAD).
The manual communication channel, though not universal, is commonly used by people, who are deaf and is a potent tool of communication and interaction with People with Disabilities (PWDs). Whether deaf, hard of hearing, struggling with Language, or inability to communicate perfectly well, sign language can also enhance open communication among all groups of people.
The resolution, which was adopted by ARCHEAD, is part of measures to mitigate any perceived hindrance towards boosting access to quality education and equal opportunity for PWDS.
The conference also called for waivers to be granted for the importation of assistive technologies and learning resources for PWDs.
Other recommendations made at the end of the 2-day brainstorming conference, included a call for the re-orientation of the education sector and adoption of inclusive education as a civil responsibility for all, while relevant policies should be reviewed and geared towards the enforcement of extant laws that will lead to the advancement of PWDs towards the rapid educational and economic transformation of the country.
The conference implored governmental and non-governmental agencies to stop all forms of discrimination against PWDs and their exclusion from participating in socio-cultural and educational activities.
The stakeholders also canvassed for a databank to be established to incentivise the formulation of robust policies that could make life better for PWDs.
The conference mandated examination bodies to do everything they could to facilitate inclusive education in their test administration while calling for special consideration to be given by the government at all levels in the formulation and implementation of policies on scholarships, and grants to PWDs especially concerning the conversion of their loans to grants in the nation’s institutions of higher learning. By extension, institutions of higher learning are enjoined to provide requisite facilities and infrastructure for the teaching and learning of PWDs.
The conference also urged governments across Africa to establish special institutions of Higher Learning (Universities, Polytechnics and Colleges of Education) for capacity building for PWDs such as the Federal College of Education (Special) Oyo, Nigeria. Aside from this, governments across Africa are enjoined to invest not only in the procurement of assistive technologies for PWDs but are also urged to foster a culture of unity, collaboration, and equitable distribution of resources among all sectors of the population.
To realise the goals stated above, the conference resolved that a committee would be set up to develop a Model Action Plan for Africa that would advance the potential of persons with disabilities in the educational and economic spheres.