Monrovia – Members of the Liberian-American Deaf Association has urged the government’s intervention in aiding the deaf community in Liberia with the needed support for advancing their careers.
Report by Lisa T. Diasay, FPA Contributor
Currently, members of the deaf community in Liberia feel neglected by the government and other people due to their disabilities in society.
The group made the call during a press conference recently in Monrovia.
According to the Group’s Treasurer, Madam Wubu Stevens-Hendricks, members of the deaf community in Liberia especially children face challenges including fetching meal, continue education among others.
Madam Stevens-Hendricks furthered that the government needs to pay keen attention to people with such condition, adding that they too have the rights to the share of the country’s wealth and resources.
Madam Hendricks, who is also deaf, earned her master’s degree in Deaf Education at the Chester University in the United States and is currently teaching at the Philadelphia School of the Deaf in USA.
“I have also thought to come back home and help my people but with the help of the government we can do better in improving the lives of people in the deaf community”, she averred.
She indicated that people with these disabilities have more potential and more needs to be done to attend to their needs.
“Women and the kids lack training and even the need for Sound Language interpreters in various areas especially at school remains a major problem for our people,” Madam Stevens-Hendricks said.
“From the schools and places I have visited, the problems of the people are very high with even the unborn babies and young kids badly suffering the pinch”.
She disclosed that the lack of sign language interpreters is endangering the education of the deaf community, adding that they are also eligible to be educated in the society regardless of their conditions.
“We have been to other countries including Ghana and have seen much attention is being paid to deaf people in terms of achieving quality education, good working environment, and a society that has accepted them but our country Liberia is totally different in the sense that there is no organized system set up to provide us the necessary services needed.
“We are capable and can be more empower when we have sound language interpreters at various universities, high schools, computer schools and even at the Monrovia Vocational Technical Center (MVTC) that will educate us the same way others are being educated,” she said.
She craved the need for the government to establish a special vocational educational center for the deaf to ensure career advancement and improved capacity building.
As part of efforts to aid the call for government’s intervention, she revealed plans to solicit international support to carry out training for deaf teenagers and initiate more empowerment and vocational programs for people in the community.
Madam Stevens-Hendricks’ mother, who accompanied her from the US to achieve her dreams of helping the deaf community in Liberia, said the time is now for Liberians to stop the huge stigma and discrimination against people of said impediment and work harder to improve their lives.
“There’s a big difference between deaf and dumb, one could be deaf and not dumb which is vice versa so Liberians should start to be educated now to avoid the constant discrimination,” said Madam Olivia Bailey-Stevens.
Madam Bailey-Stevens ponders over government’s reported neglect of the deaf community which according to her has contributed to the poor living condition of the people.
She narrated her daughter’s story as one of the deadly one whom no one would realize today that her impediment didn’t stop any progress for the future of her generation.
“My daughter lost her hearing to missiles in Liberia when she was 1year old but with God above we took her to the US for advanced treatment, even doctors gave up and told us that she would not reach six grade but see where she has reached today in life”, she stated
She expressed joy over the level of achievements her daughter has had over the period and encouraged Liberians to embrace people in the deaf community and try to educate them for the future.
Though according to Madam Stevens, in the first few years of her daughter’s health condition, she felt devastated but her courage grew due to the level of support from family and others.
“I felt very proud when my daughter was graduating with masters in Deaf Education at the Rock Chester Institute New York and she was the only deaf and black person among the thousands of people because she was encouraged and she braved through”, Madam Stevens Stated.
At the same time, the Secretary-General of the Death Association of Liberia and Deaf advocate Mr. Abdullah T. Konateh used the medium to call on the Government of Liberia and other Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) to hear the cry of the deaf community especially in providing them the environment that would enable them to acquire quality education.
Mr. Konateh stressed the need for collective efforts from concern organizations to work in the interest of people who are assets to society.
“I will continue to advocate for the deaf community and let others join the fight in the interest of pushing our agenda forward to help the suffering people,” he stated.
He lauded Madam Stevens-Hendricks for stepping up to support and encouraged the people in the deaf community, noting that her story is a motivation for a brighter future of many.
Liberia is amongst 161 countries that are signatories to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
According to the Convention, signatories should take to a new height the movement from viewing persons with disabilities as “objects” of charity, medical treatment and social protection towards viewing them as “subjects” with rights, who are capable of claiming those rights and making decisions for their lives based on their free and informed consent as well as being active members of society.
The convention further stated that discrimination against any person on the basis of disability is a violation of the inherent dignity and worth of the human person, as such recognizing further the diversity of persons with disabilities and the need to promote and protect the human rights of all persons with disabilities, including those who require more intensive support is important.
The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, an international human rights treaty of the United Nations intended to protect the rights and dignity of persons with disabilities was adopted on December 13, 2006 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York and was opened for signature on March 30, 2007.
There were 82 signatories to the convention, 44 signatories to the optional protocol and ratification of the convention. This is the largest number of signatories in history to UN Convention to its opening day. It is the first comprehensive human right treaty of the 21st century and is the first human rights convention to be open for signature by regional integration organizations, the Convention entered into force on May 3, 2008.
Liberia’s National Budget over 500 Million, 301,000 goes to the National Commission on Disabilities to undertake programs and other activities in the interest of the affected people.
Analysts say said amount may be inadequate to cater for people with disabilities throughout Liberia.