HOPEDAM trains government employees in sign language

People with speech and hearing impairments in Mzuzu are expected to access improved services in various government departments and ministries following the training of about 40 employees in sign language by Hope for Persons with Disabilities in Mzuzu (HOPEDAM).

The employees who attended a 3-day training were drawn from the ministry of health, the Malawi Police Service, the Department of Immigration and Citizenship Services, the Legal Aid Bureau as well as the National Registration Bureau.

Through the training, officers have been equipped with sign language skills for them to use when rendering various services to individuals with speech and hearing impairments.

Speaking during the training, HOPEDAM public relations officer Malizgani Gondwe said they organized the training after noting the communication challenges individuals with speech and hearing impairments face when accessing various services.

“We noted that while Government Departments and Ministries have to give services to people, there is a gap in providing such services to people with disabilities especially those with speech and hearing impairments. Realizing that gap, we saw it imperative that with our little resources, we could give sign language basic knowledge to the frontline workers,” Gondwe said.

Gondwe expressed optimism that the skills imparted will help in bridging the communication gap between persons with speech and hearing impairments and frontline service providers in government departments and ministries.

“The specific areas that we looked at were how workers in these departments and ministries can help people with disabilities when they seek various services. We wanted to bridge the existing communication gap, and I believe that with the skills gained, they will be able to communicate effectively with people with disabilities,” he said.

With the training targeting 40 frontline workers only, Gondwe said funds permitting they plan to hold more training to equip more service providers both in the public and private sectors with sign language skills.

“From the training, these officers were requesting for some more days and some more training. So, funds permitting, we would like to have more training. We would like to have more training so that sign language should be available to all people,” Gondwe said.

Commenting on the training, Immigration Department spokesperson in the northern region Francis Chitambuli said the training has come at the right time and will help officers from the department to improve service delivery to people with speech and hearing impairments.

“This will help us to effectively and efficiently communicate with individuals of such impairments whenever they want to access immigration-related services like exiting or entering the country. It will also be easy to interact with them when they want to apply for travel documents,” Chitambuli said.

While only three individuals from the department attended the training, Chitambuli promised that the knowledge gained would be imparted to more officers within the immigration department.