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The Linguistics Department of the University of Ghana hosted a National Conference on Sign Language and Deaf Education last July to find avenues of improving the schooling of hearing impaired persons in the country. The forum was made possible through a partnership with the University Of Lancashire, UK.
The two-day event brought together, representatives from the Ghana National Association of the Deaf, the Special education Department of the University College of Winneba and the Ghana Education Service. The theme of the conference was: The role of the University, Past, present and the Future.
Among the major concerns raised was the need to develop and harmonize a standard sign language.
The participants agreed on the need for government to recognize sign language as an official language to enhance communication for the deaf. In a key note address, Dr Kwabena Poku, a lecturer at the University Of Ghana School Of Business and the Coordinator for the office of Students with Special Needs emphasized the need to improve the education of students with disability at the basic and secondary levels.
Dr Poku stressed that without a good basic and secondary education PWDs will find it very difficult to access higher education. Dr Poku also disclosed that even though the University of Ghana has a policy of granting admission to PWDs with the minimum entry requirement. Only few Deaf persons have been able to graduate from Legon.
On his part Dr Hayford, Head of the Special Education Department of the University College of Winneba maintain that his outfit is committed to the education of the deaf. He emphasized that any attempt to develop a policy on sign language must involved qualified professionals and experts in the field. Dr Hayford emphasized that even though there was a need to involve the deaf community, the process should be devoid of sentiments.
In a concluding remark, Dr Kofi Saah, Head of the linguistics Department at the University of Ghana assured the participants that the conference was a step towards the development of sign language and Comprehensive educational Policy for Deaf Persons in Ghana.
Other members of the deaf community were of the view that it’s not appropriate to force deaf persons to learn through oral language. Other issues of major concern among the participants was stigmatization and discrimination against deaf persons and PWDs in general.
Participants from Uganda and Tanzania also took turns to share their experiences with their Ghanaian partners.
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