Deaf Women has reiterated the need for all stakeholders including the international Communites, NGO’s and organisation to ensure the full participation with sign language nothing that “there is nothing about them without sign language”.
The Executive Director, Deaf Women Aloud Initiative (DWAI) Mrs. Hellen Beyioku-Alase, stated this in Abuja at the launch of the project called “Improving Access to Health Services for Deaf Women and Girls in the Federal can Territory (FCT)”
Beyioku-Alase stressed the importance of accessing health information and healthcare services, lamenting that across the country they still face inequalities especially the unavailability of accessible format.
She explained that the communication barrier between deaf women and health workers has lead to misdiagnosis, mistreatment and poor health care, adding that is even more challenging when treating deaf patients from unfamiliar cultural background.
“Communication barrier in the world of accessible healthcare for the deaf is a great concern. It brings about misdiagnosis, mistreatment and poor health care.
“To understand patients complaints, make accurate diagnosis, obtain informed consent and explain treatment regiments, healthcare providers must seek to understand and communicate effectively with their patients.
“Good communication between healthcare providers and patients is vital to effective and accessible healthcare,” she said.
The ED further stressed the need for them to be carried along in all development programmes, adding that deaf individuals often have low health literacy and are at great risk of being misdiagnosed or not diagnosed at all.
“As we walk towards achieving the vision 2030, we beckon on the international Communites, NGO’s and organisations to ensure full participation with sign language. We need to be carried along in their outreach and development programmes to fulfil the UN SDG’s vision 2030 of “leave no one behind”.
In his goodwill message, the Country Representative of the Disabilities Rights Funds (DRF) Theophilus Odaudu stress the need for sign language to be officially recognised in the country and also be taught in schools, saying this will enable the proper integration of deaf people into the society.
Also the FCT Health and Human Services Officer Mrs. Bukola Afeez expressed worry on the challenges most deaf people face, calling for sign language to be taught in nursing schools so as to give healthworkers knowledge right from school on how to communicate with the deaf.
