The Obuasi branch of the Ghana Association of the Deaf has celebrated its Annual International Week of the Deaf in Obuasi. The International week of the deaf is celebrated globally on September of every year and members of the Association in Obuasi were not left out.
The programme which was under the theme `“ Enhancing Quality Education , the Role of Sign Language had the President and members of the Association, Deputy Coordinating Director, Mr. Anthony Bucknor, Municipal Director of N.C.C.E, Mr. Emmanuel Duah Attobrah, and the Municipal Director of Social Welfare Department, Mr. Emmanuel Akoto Sarpong all in attendance.
The President inn a brief presentation urged all stakeholders to join in the fight against societal discrimination of the deaf. He emphasized, the National, Regional and Local Authorities must ensures the inculcation of sign languages in the Curriculum of schools to enable others who are not deaf to be able to communicate easily with the deaf he emphasized “just as French is studied as part of subjects in schools, it is equally useful to us, where he find ourselves as Ghanaians to study sign languages to aid communication”.
Mr. Emmanuel Akoto Sarpong touching on self-esteem, not to use their disability as an excuse for not achieving their goals in life. God knows they can handle their current situation that is why he created them with such disability, he opined. He encouraged members of the Association to aim higher in life and never be discouraged by what people say about them.
On his part, Mr. Anthony Buckner who represented the Municipal Chief Executive commended members for coming together to form an Association. He appealed to parents no to see deaf children as a curse or burden but rather as blessing since they are special in their own way. He, again, promised the Association of the Municipal Assembly’s support.