PWD Council call for introduction of sign language courses in schools

The National Council for Persons with Disability (PWD) wants the government to introduce sign language courses in schools in order to promote and appreciate the role people with disability play in the country.

Council's Chief Executive Officer Mohamed Gabbow accused the government of showing less interest in  matters touching on students with special needs.

"The government has over the years taken lightly issues affecting the disabled in the country. It is now high time that collective measures are taken to save our people from suffering in the dark," he noted at a press conference in Nairobi yesterday.

He cited insufficient funding from the government as a reason his office has failed to deliver on some of its mandate.

Gabbow, who is only six months in the office, noted that with enough funding his office will facilitate adequate training of sign language teachers in primary and secondary schools.

"These institutions suffer shortage of tutors who are competent enough to teach sign language," Gabbow observed.

The National Council for Persons with Disability has in its record 300,000 registered Persons with Disability. But Gabbow speculates the number could be higher.

"The number could be more than 1.4 million people but due to insufficient funding only few have been lucky to be in our database," he noted

The rest of the disabled persons he said have been left to suffer in the hands of helpless families who he added, have little to offer.

In the recent past the government came out strongly in support of the youth and people with disability.

Recently the Government set aside 30 per cent of all public entities procurement tenders to the youth and Persons with Disability.

However the implementation of the plan has remained a dream with cases of corruption and abuse of office dominating the initiative.

However the government has since maintained its stand and vows to remove from office those officers found to be abusing office.

Gabbow observes that the government should do more to ensure successful implementation of the programme to benefit PWD.

He disclosed plans to have a bill in parliament next year that shall lobby for improved rights for the disabled in the country.

"By the close of this year we expect to have a bill that makes it mandatory for primary and secondary schools to have a fully integrated sign language course," he noted