The Deaf Deserve Support, Recognition From All —James Sambian

Mr. James Sambian, Of The Ghana National Association Of The Deaf

With considerable experience in fieldwork and rich knowledge of working with the physically challenged persons, Mr. James Sambian, middle aged Ghanaian, is currently the Executive Director of the Ghana National Association of the Deaf (GNAD).

He joined the over 200,000 strong member association in April 2012, after serving as Executive Director of the Ghana Society for the Blind which has now merged with the Ghana Association of the Blind (GAB) to form the Ghana Blind Union (GBU).

He is still associated with the blind as member of its governing board of directors. Speaking to me in his modest office in Accra, he had this to say. “Moving from working with the blind persons to the deaf was easy for him because of his experience with the blind community, but the new position comes with some challenges. “I am now learning to interact well with the deaf and the hearing impaired”.

Though he had no problem with his administrative duties Mr. Sambian was forced to learn how to communicate using sign language with the deaf community, especially those who are closer to him adding that “I have been coping well with the sign language. I am catching up fast and very soon hope to be near perfect. This is a big lesson to all of us who must interact with the deaf, he added saying we must all endeavor to learn sign language to be able to interact with the deaf”.

All of us in high and low positions must know that we are on a learning curve and therefore must endeavor to learn more about issues around us as we grow. This is needed to keep us up to date on how people feel in the society. Mr. sambian has revealed that there is the need for governments and everyone of us to accord the deaf and the hearing impaired greater attention, respect and honor needed for them to feel they are part of the Ghanaian and world society.

They have difficulty in being on the same page with us during communication on radio and television yet they need to know what is going on in the world around them. They wish to know more about how the dreaded diseases like cholera and Ebola are contracted.

Mr. Sambian said his association is engaged in educating the deaf community of cholera and Ebola and said there is the need for more assistance for his association to do more. They also wish to follow and understand current affairs and the trend of politicking going on between and within the major political parties such as New Patriotic Party and the National Democratic Congress.

The deaf wish to know the presidency and Ghana are faring. Because of the limitations of their sense of hearing, we must employ the right methods in sign language to interact with them especially when explaining issues to them at home, work places and markets as we do to everyone else. In spite of their limitation the deaf and the hearing impaired are equally intelligent. When given the right attention they will perform their duties as workers, students and entrepreneurs like all of us.

Mr. Sambian commended the Star Ghana for coming to the aid of the association towards improving the lives of the deaf. The programs involved sensitization programs in governance and democracy in four district assemblies, traditional authorities and other stakeholders. As part of the program the capacity of the deaf in communication will be enhanced in the targeted areas.

Apart from this the association has began a program to provide economic empowerment for deaf women in dressmaking, bakery, and events decoration.

The association has also begun training twenty four (24) health personnel in two medical centers in two regions in sign language to be able to communicate with the deaf. While twelve (12 medical personnel are being trained in Komfo Anokye hospital, in Kumasi , twelve health personnel (12) are being trained in Ridge Hospital in Accra

Mr. Sambam said the association has ten (10) regional and one hundred and two (102) district branches of the association in the country. Whenever the association is about to carry out events, information on it is passed on to the members through the district and regional branches. He lamented that the association does not receive financial support from government but receives assistance from DANIDA, Star Ghana, Abilis Foundation from Finland and other donors

Mr. Sambian narrated his experience in working with the deaf people so far in two years as follows:

• Deaf people are very straightforward and honest
• Because of their communication barrier, we need to make sure that the deaf understand the information we give them to avoid them doing the wrong things. The deaf are intelligent and must not be seen as dull people.

• Deaf people (from Mr. Sambian's experience) want to participate and engage in activities and programs concerning the nation and its people.

• We must make effort to involve them in activities in order for them to benefit from information regularly on radio television and other sources

• We need to do all we can to involve the deaf in training on governance citizenship issues to be able to be part of the decision making process.

• We must be open and truthful to the deaf and not ignore them in matters of importance on daily activities

• We must seek the advice of the deaf before doing things involving them. In an attempt to do things without their concern we would deny them their rights.

• Because of the enormity of the problems of disability in Ghana, there is the need for government to pay attention to the special needs of the deaf and the hearing impaired by providing funding and personnel to intensify sign language for communication in Ghana.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
EANFOWORLD FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
ALHAJI A ABDULAI [email protected]/[email protected]

233 20 8844791