MANPOWER DEVELOPMENT AND TRAINING NEEDS OF DEAF PEOPLE

MANPOWER DEVELOPMENT AND TRAINING NEEDS OF DEAF PEOPLE ROSEMARY MUNDHLULI DEAF ZIMBABWE TRUST

Outline of the presentation • Short skit • Who is DZT, the work we do • Defining Deafness • Language and training • Why we work

Short skit • A new worker who is deaf has just been recently offered a job at a motor industry • As the supervisor takes the new workers on induction he/she does not take note of the Deaf employee and explains the Dos and Don’ts in Shona/Ndebele or English

The workplace needs extreme caution in terms of safety as they work with heavy, dangerous and explosive materials • At this point critical information which can save the life of the employee has not been effectively communicated to the deaf employee

In the end the employee is exposed to fatal accidents within the workplace because he failed to get information on safety measures. • -WHAT HAVE YOU HEARD IN THIS CONVER…. • Imagine the difficulties and consequences faced by children and adults who are deaf in learning or working environments where sign language is not used

WHAT IS DEAF ZIMBABWE TRUST • DZT is a voluntary organisation advancing the rights and interest of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) people within Zimbabwe.

FIVE PROGRAMMATIC AREAS • Psychosocial support • Sign language Programme • Access to Education • HIV/AIDS and Access to Health • Job Placement • The Deaf Bulletin

Defining Deafness • To be Deaf means not to hear or comprehend speech and language through the ear. • Communication for a person who cannot hear is visual, not auditory. • To deny sign language to Deaf people is tantamount to denying them their basic human rights to communication and education.

Sign language was only recognized as one of the official languages recently in the new constitution • The Deaf have been excluded from higher education as a result of poor academic outcomes at lower levels • As DZT we are happy that NAMACO is thinking about the Deaf but a lot of work should be done at the lower levels of education

LANGUAGE AND TRAINING • This has been a hindrance to academic qualifications • People who are teaching Deaf people do not know how to sign • At teacher training colleges, there are no deaf people being trained so that they can teach the Deaf

The importance of sign language has not been realised by the hearing community • As a result the Deaf have poor educational outcomes and only a handful have gone through to tertiary education

Needs of Deaf people in educational settings • Need for sign language certification for the Teachers of the Deaf so that people who teach the Deaf are proficient in sign language • Train deaf people as teachers, nurses and other professionals so that they are able to help others • Introduce specific courses for the Deaf for teacher training not just all forms of disability as is currently provided for

The current training on disability for teachers leaves them with basic communication skills to teach the Deaf • Other disabled people who can hear and speak can interact and learn directly while Deaf people cannot.

WHY DO WE WORK • Take a moment to ask yourself why you work. For many of us the answer is obvious: - we work to put food on the table. - We work to pay our mortgage - we work to put our children through university or to save for our retirement.

Why we work continued • Some of us are fortunate enough to work in support of goals that offer personal, in addition to financial, fulfilment • In short, we work because we need to, we want to, and our ability to work is something most of us take for granted. But thousands of Deaf people in Zimbabwe cannot take a job for granted because they have never known the security of sustainable employment. The confidence and peace of mind that come with a steady job are beyond the reach of far too many Deaf people in Zimbabwe.

What work does to human beings • Work provides hope and dignity • It provides a livelihood, confidence and opportunities for further training • The profile of the Deaf community is one of high levels of poverty, unemployment and poor education

Most deaf people lack even the most basic skills to seek employment • Language barriers stand in the way of employment • Discrimination also affects, once the employer sees that the person is Deaf then they will not give them a job

Keys DZT Recommendations • Training needs analysis to identify skills gap should be done within the Deaf community • Employer organisations should buy into on the job training especially those jobs which do not need specialised training. e.g cleaning, mail deliveries, data capturing etc

Keys DZT Recommendations cont’d • We need to develop new vocations for the Deaf in addition to the usual, carpentry, sewing or welding. • Venturing into new vocations such as agriculture, business entrepreneurship and in each case appropriate accommodations must be provided such as visual aids, sign language interpreters. This will enhance workplace productivity especially through better communications

Keys DZT recommendations • The development of sign language as a language of instruction at all levels from primary school to higher education institutions • Affirmative action for Deaf people to be admitted in colleges • Adoption of sign language in colleges to enhance communication for the Deaf in colleges • A targeted approach to include the Deaf in higher education Disability is not inability. As a nation lets give Deaf people a chance

Thank you

MANPOWER DEVELOPMENT AND TRAINING NEEDS OF DEAF PEOPLE