Persons with deaf-blindness ask government for transparent masks

People with deaf-blindness have asked the government to prioritise the provision and distribution of transparent masks, to facilitate their communication.

"Most of our people lip-read in order to communicate effectively. The current masks being provided by the government cannot aid our communication," explained Yonah Waswa, the Executive Director, National Association of the Deaf-blind in Uganda (NADBU).
Speaking during the international deaf-blind awareness week, Waswa stressed that people with deaf-blindness have suffered a lot during this period of COVID19, with no intervention targeting their plight.  

He claims that the majority of them have been arrested by police operatives because the information provided is not translated in a format they understand.

"Our people are badly beaten, arrested, and detained, especially during the time of curfew, because the briefings and addresses are not translated in a language or font that they understand, like braille," said Waswa.

He asked the Ministry of Health (MOH), and Ministry of Information Communication and Technology (ICT), to make the emergency line of 911 accessible through SMS for the people with deaf-blindness, saying that it would help those who can communicate through SMS understand, and also pass on the same message to their colleagues. 

According to Waswa, the deaf-blind people account for 2% of the national population, and if they are not considered in the different programs including the scientific elections, the majority of them will miss out on choosing their desired leaders.

"In our organisation, we registered over 500 deaf-blind people, but the majority of them are hidden by their caretakers in houses yet they are facing a big impact of the COVID19," he said. 

Waswa asked the government to partner with NADBU to ensure that enough transparent masks are produced and distributed to people who provide services like the health workers, to aid communication through lip reading.

The chairperson of the organization, Juliet Wabukawo, asked the government to compel media houses to increase the size of the slot given to translators on the television screens. 

She also asked the Ministry of ICT to embrace translating COVID19 information and communication into large prints and braille, for some deaf-blind persons who can read braille and large prints.

The parents' representative, Olive Tibekinga, said that majority of parents are leaving miserable lives because of the problems associated with taking care of deaf-blind people.

Regarding social distancing, Judith Avia, a deaf-blind person, complained of disturbances by security operatives while implementing the different government measures saying no deaf-blind person can move without a guide.