Bridging the gap: New sign language course developed

A sign language course for persons without a disability has been developed by the Guyana Council of Organisations for Persons with Disabilities (GCOPD) in a bid to bridge the communication gap between the deaf community and hearing members of society.

The GCOPD is the main civil society advocacy body for Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) at the national level, working to promote their rights.

Targetting service providers, health care workers, teachers, even parents and relatives of deaf persons – essentially anyone who would like to learn the language – the overall goal is to have a larger pool of persons competent in the use of sign language.

Programme Director of GCOPD and Disability Rights Activist Ganesh Singh spoke to the News Room on Tuesday about the programme, which is being funded internally (by the GCOPD).

The body is offering the six-month course in two facets – basic and intermediate, and then it will work towards getting the trained persons immersed in the deaf community so that they can put their new skills to use.

“Our overall goal is to have a larger pool of persons who is competent in the use of sign language,” Singh explained.

“For too long the deaf community has been marginalised because of communication barrier and the more persons we can have using sign language, especially from the wider society – persons who are working in the health sector, who are teachers, even parents; once we can get them equipped with the skills, then we will be bridging that gap between the deaf community and the hearing members of society,” he continued.

Based on the positive response so far, Singh said the programme will likely continue after the first six months.

He is encouraging anyone who has an interest in learning sign language to check out the Facebook page of the GCOPD for details, and then to get registered for the programme.

“It is because of the lack of sign language interpreters in Guyana. We will have more persons who are versed in the use of sign language and we are hopeful that some of those persons will take up sign language as a hobby or as a profession,” Singh expressed.