Born in hearing families of parents without any experience or exposure to sign language, majority of deaf children begin early childhood without language, with limited opportunities for education. For many, deafness is diagnosed later in life, missing out on critical years of language acquisition. The minority who gain access to education, language is encountered for the first time when they enrol at a special school for the Deaf. Sign language is a human right for every deaf child – it’s the channel for cognitive, social and interactive skills development that builds a child’s self-esteem, self-discovery and identity that connects children to the Deaf Community. Acquiring sign language in early childhood creates possibilities for positive educational outcomes and valuable learning experiences. DLU highlights language in all its pillars of intervention in supporting young deaf people and their families.
In 2022 DLU organised the National DEAR Day event in partnership with the Ministry of Education & Sports, Peace Corps, Rotary, Oasis Book Project, Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) and other stakeholders, celebrations were held at Mulago School for the Deaf for the first time. This event gave rise to DLU’s Literacy Development Project (LDP), which has continued to date, in partnership with schools for the Deaf.
Conceived through DEAR Day, LDP was formed to respond to low literacy among deaf children. The project set off to introduce and promote a culture of reading (through story-telling) in the early years of children’s education. DLU collaborated with Oasis Book Project to procure readers that are within the context of Uganda’s diverse and multilingual cultures; Oasis also donates readers towards this activity, which DLU undertakes in partnership with Uganda School for the Deaf. Written stories are translated into sign language by Deaf instructors, giving children direct access to their primary language and giving them opportunities to share their own stories. The activity has increased children’s self-esteem and boosted their communication and language skills. Following last year’s DEAF Day theme: Create Hope through Reading is paving way to positive outcomes in all areas of learning. The African Readers are uniquely placed in children’s early learning development. The central character, Jomo is depicted as innovative, intelligent and humours. The ease of reading these stories, packed with colourful pictorials brings invaluable joy and fosters interest in learning among deaf children.
Children receive book donations from DLU & A reading session with Primary 2 pupils
