<HTML>
<HEAD>
<TITLE>RE: Uniform sign language planned for Africa</TITLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY>
<FONT SIZE="4"><FONT FACE="Times New Roman"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:16.0px'> <BR>
</SPAN></FONT></FONT><FONT FACE="Verdana, Helvetica, Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:14.0px'><BR>
<HR ALIGN=CENTER SIZE="3" WIDTH="95%"><B>From: </B>Harold Schiffman <hfsclpp@gmail.com><BR>
<B>Reply-To: </B><lgpolicy-list@ccat.sas.upenn.edu><BR>
<B>Date: </B>Tue, 15 Jan 2008 09:32:37 -0500<BR>
<B>To: </B>lp <lgpolicy-list@ccat.sas.upenn.edu><BR>
<B>Conversation: </B>Uniform sign language planned for Africa<BR>
<B>Subject: </B>Uniform sign language planned for Africa<BR>
<BR>
</SPAN></FONT><SPAN STYLE='font-size:14.0px'><FONT FACE="Arial"><BR>
--------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
Date: 14 Jan 2008-<BR>
Uniform sign language planned for Africa<BR>
---------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
-------------------- <BR>
<BR>
Harare - The African Rehabilitation Institute (ARI) plans to develop a uniform sign language for sub-Saharan Africa to facilitate communication among people with hearing and speech impairments. Regional rehabilitation officer Engelbert Makanjera said the institute wanted to ensure that people with hearing and speech impairments would be able to communicate when they travelled to countries in the region. "We want to have a co-ordinated approach to sign language," said Mr Makanjera. "Sign language should not get into conflict with that of other countries." He said that with the increasing economic activities and relaxation of visa requirements between countries in the region, more people with hearing and speech impairments were joining the ranks of cross border traders. <BR>
<BR>
It was important that a uniform sign language be developed to make it easy for these people to conduct their business in foreign countries. Studies have shown that each country in the region has its own sign language and people from other countries often experience difficulties to communicate without an interpreter. Mr Makanjera said the institute would work with the National Associations of People With Disabilities from the different countries to develop the uniform sign language. The ARI would this year push for development of national disability policies in the regional countries to address challenges facing people with disabilities. <BR>
<BR>
"We need national policies in the countries to address issues affecting people with disabilities," he said. Some of the issues the policy would address included mainstreaming disability issues in all government ministries, introduction of a quota system for people with disabilities in learning institutions and for employment as well as making it mandatory for all buildings to provide wheelchair ramps for easy accessibility by such people. Zimbabwe has made strides in improving the conditions of people with disabilities. The Disability Act prohibits discrimination based on physical appearances. - <BR>
<BR>
BuaNews-NNN<BR>
</FONT><FONT FACE="Verdana, Helvetica, Arial"><BR>
<a href="http://www.buanews.gov.za/view.php?ID=08011410451001&coll=buanew08">http://www.buanews.gov.za/view.php?ID=08011410451001&coll=buanew08</a> <a href="http://www.buanews.gov.za/view.php?ID=08011410451001&coll=buanew08"><http://www.buanews.gov.za/view.php?ID=08011410451001&coll=buanew08></a> <BR>
-- <BR>
**************************************<BR>
N.b.: Listing on the lgpolicy-list is merely intended as a service to its members<BR>
and implies neither approval, confirmation nor agreement by the owner or sponsor of <BR>
the list as to the veracity of a message's contents. Members who disagree with a <BR>
message are encouraged to post a rebuttal. (H. Schiffman, Moderator)<BR>
******************************************* <BR>
</FONT></SPAN>
</BODY>
</HTML>