South Sudan Opens Sign Language Center to Promote Inclusion Ahead of Elections

Juba, South Sudan - In a significant step towards promoting an inclusive society, a Public Sign Language Center was inaugurated in Juba on Tuesday. The center, funded by NGO Light for the World, aims to provide sign language training and support for the estimated 330,000 individuals in South Sudan who are deaf or have hearing difficulties.

Why this matters: The establishment of this center marks a crucial step towards ensuring equal access to education, information, and political participation for individuals with disabilities, a fundamental human right. As South Sudan prepares for elections, this initiative has the potential to increase voter turnout and promote a more inclusive democratic process.

Located in the Central Equatoria State Women Union building, the center was established through a partnership between Light for the World, Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO), and the South Sudan National Association for the Deaf. The launch aligns with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which was ratified by the transitional unity government in February 2024.

Edmund Yakani, Executive Director of CEPO, emphasized the importance of the center, stating, "Within our campaign of promoting the rights of persons with disability, we have come to realize that the first instrument we can start with after our campaign succeeded is to get sign language." He added, "We seek to promote an inclusive society where people can speak and we feel sign language is one of the languages like Arabic, English or French and it is very important."

The center will offer sign language lessons to facilitate communication with individuals who have hearing impairments. It will also play a crucial role in providing voter education for the deaf community ahead of the December elections. Sign language interpreters from the center will assist the National Elections Commission in ensuring that voters with hearing disabilities have access to essential information.

Mandela Isaac, Senior Disability Inclusion Facilitator for Light for the World, highlighted the significance of the center for inclusive education, stating, "When we talk about inclusive education, inclusive education cannot be complete if our brothers with hearing impairment are not getting any information from the schools." The center will support schools with children who have hearing impairments, closing the gap in learning.

Henry Jackson, a hearing-impaired individual, expressed his enthusiasm for the center through an interpreter, saying, "For anyone interested to come and learn this language, it is very important because we want to expand the flow of communication from one area to another." The center will provide training from elementary to advanced levels, eliminating the need for individuals to travel outside the country for sign language education.

The launch of the Public Sign Language Center in Juba marks a significant milestone in South Sudan's efforts to create a more inclusive society. With the support of the Central Equatoria State Governor, Agustino Jadalla Wani, and the commitment of organizations like Light for the World and CEPO, the center aims to break down communication barriers and ensure that individuals with hearing impairments have equal access to education, information, and political participation.

Key Takeaways

• South Sudan's 1st Public Sign Language Center opens in Juba, promoting inclusive society.
• Center aims to support 330,000 individuals with hearing difficulties in South Sudan.
• Partnership between Light for the World, CEPO, and South Sudan National Association for the Deaf.
• Center to provide sign language training, voter education, and support for inclusive education.
• Launch aligns with UN Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities, ratified by South Sudan in 2024.