Malawian digital sign language books set to improve education levels for the deaf

MANAD chairperson Robert Mbendera

* Deaf children must have access to quality education through digital books which will help in social inclusion

* Teachers, parents will also be able to learn on how to communicate with deaf people through the digital books

By Petro Mkandawire, MANA

Malawi National Association for the Deaf (MANAD) announces the launch of Malawian digital sign language books, which will help to alleviate challenges that deaf people face in their academic pursuit.

At the launch of ‘All Children Leading’ project at MANAD offices in Blantyre last week, chairperson Robert Mbendera said the initiative is aimed at improving education levels of deaf people by strengthening their means of accessing reading materials in Malawian sign language.

Mbendera said they want to ensure that deaf children have access to quality education through digital books which will help in social inclusion whereby teachers, parents will also be able to learn on how to communicate with deaf people through the digital books.

“Deaf children has to have access of education materials that have been made in their own format if we are to improve education levels,” Mbendera said. “So, this project will help to eradicate problems that these children face in different schools.”

He added that communication between teachers and children is the most challenging issue — so the project will train the teachers on how to access content which has been loaded in the digital books and the organization will be training parents at home as well.

The project will run for 7 months targeting 6 deaf schools in all districts, specialists teachers for the deaf, parents of deaf children and early childhood development (ECD) caregivers.

The books will be in form of videos and audio format as well as 50 printed books will be distributed and in his remarks Peter Msendema, chief education officer responsible for inclusive education said the supplementary books is part of the response on the challenges that deaf people face that affect levels of education.

He pledged that the government will work hand in hand with MANAD to eliminate these challenges, saying they will take part in training teachers to ensure the Ministry has adequate teachers; train parents in sign language and also encourage deaf information in clubs and schools in order to equip sign skills for better communication.

Msendema added that they have created inclusive education whereby they want to ensure that sign language is everywhere and they will introduce a sign language course which will help to equip people with sign language for easy communication.