Online Reporter
Peter Tanyanyiwa
Herald Correspondent
ZIMBABWE has joined the global commemoration of Deaf Awareness Month under the theme “No Human Rights Without Sign Language Rights,” with disability rights organisations calling for urgent Government action to guarantee sign language access and full inclusion for deaf citizens.
The Federation of Organisations of Disabled People in Zimbabwe (FODPZ), in partnership with the African Disability Forum (ADF), Inclusion Africa (IA), CBM Global, and a coalition of local organisations—including the Zimbabwe National Mental Health Association (ZIMNAMH), Deaf Women Included (DWI), Zimbabwe Down Syndrome Association (ZDSA), and the Zimbabwe National Association for the Deaf (ZIMNAD)—is spearheading a national campaign to highlight the critical link between sign language rights and the realization of fundamental human rights.
The campaign comes as the Rights in Action (RIA) project, a transformative advocacy initiative funded by the Finland Ministry of Foreign Affairs, works to protect and advance the rights of persons with disabilities, especially those from marginalised groups.
The RIA project’s overarching goal is to ensure that all Zimbabweans with disabilities, particularly deaf people, can participate equally in political and public life, free from discrimination.
Despite the constitutional recognition of Zimbabwe Sign Language (ZSL) in 2013, Deaf Zimbabweans continue to face significant barriers in accessing information, education, healthcare, and justice.
The lack of qualified sign language interpreters, inadequate inclusion in emergency communications, and unprepared school systems remain persistent challenges.
FODPZ and its partners are calling on the government to:
– Fast-track the enactment of the Persons with Disabilities Bill, ensuring it incorporates the recommendations of persons with disabilities and explicitly guarantees the right to sign language access in all sectors.
– Domesticate the African Disability Protocol (ADP) into national legislation.
– Harmonize all disability-related laws with the Constitution and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD).
– Allocate adequate funding to the National Disability Policy (2021) and establish a dedicated budget line for disability inclusion, including sign language interpretation services.
– Institutionalize sign language interpretation across all government services, including healthcare, education, and justice.
In a statement today on International Day of Sign Languages, celebrated on September 23 each year, Mr Leonard Marange, the National Director of FODPZ, emphasized the urgency of moving from policy to practice:
“Deaf inclusion is not optional, it is a constitutional, moral, and a human rights imperative. We call on the government and city authorities to fast-track the enactment of the Persons with Disabilities Bill, allocate funding for sign language services, and ensure that Deaf people can access education, healthcare, and justice without barriers.”
The organisations are also advocating for the operationalization of the National Disability Policy through the establishment of a Sign Language Authority, the introduction of a Sign Language Curriculum, and robust data collection on disability inclusion.
As Zimbabwe marks Deaf Awareness Month, the spotlight is on the need for concrete action to ensure that sign language rights are fully protected and that Deaf citizens can participate equally in all aspects of national life. The call to action is clear: “No Human Rights Without Sign Language Rights”.
