Egypt launches initiative to disseminate sign language in state’s institutions, banks, hospitals

In participation with dozens of deaf and hearing-impaired people, an initiative to eradicate the “illiteracy” of sign language was launched in Egypt on September 23, which marked the International Day of Sign Languages.

Egypt’s initiative aims to teach sign language so that public servants and others can easily deal with the deaf and hearing-impaired people in governmental bodies, banks, hospitals and educational institutions.

The initiative was launched in cooperation with the Ministry of Social Solidarity, the Egyptian Medical Syndicate, the Misr Foundation for Health and Sustainable Development, and the Heya Association for Development.

Beshoy Emad, founder of the initiative and accredited sign language translator for the Egyptian Cabinet, said in his speech at the conference for the initiative’s launch that the initiative aims to increase the number of sign language translators, especially in the state’s bodies and the recorder of deeds. He added that the initiative also targets expanding the number of sign language translators in hospitals.   He called for making 2024 the year of sign language.

Egypt has 7.5 million hearing-impaired people, according to the latest data issued by WHO in 2017, but sign language translators estimate the actual number to be more than 4 million people, Emad said in comments to Jusoor Post. Meanwhile, the number of well-skilled sign language translators in the country does not exceed 100 persons, he added.

Not enough people know sign language

Hadeer, 26, who became hearing-impaired in her childhood due to a fever, told Jusoor Post that there are not enough people who know sign language in Egyptian institutions, noting that sign language is not even available all the time on TV shows, programs, and series.

“I wish I could watch TV series in sign language,” she said, adding that there is no unified sign language, as it differs from one place to another, which is a problem.

However, Hadeer, who learned sign language in deaf and hearing-impaired schools and is now teaching the language in the Faculty of Specific Education at Ain Shams University in Cairo, said that learning sign language should be accompanied by exercising articulation with the voice in order to prevent atrophy of the vocal cords and not affect the learner’s voice.

She added that her voice was affected and became lower because she was depending as well on sign language in her daily dealings. However, she tried to improve it through speech therapy.

Calls for unifying sign language

At the conference, the president of the National Council for Disability Affairs, Eman Karim, called for unifying sign language, introducing sign language in all educational institutions, and providing training programs for teachers to deal with those who are unable to hear.

The world has 300 sign languages that differ from one country to another. In Egypt, sign language also has minor differences from one governorate to another, like dialects.

Karim also called for providing enough sign language translators, providing a space for the deaf and hearing-impaired in the media, especially during talk shows, and empowering them in the judiciary, especially when it comes to giving their testimonies in the courts.

What did the government provide to the hearing impaired?

Minister of Social Solidarity Nevine El-Qabbag reviewed her ministry’s efforts towards the deaf and hearing-impaired. She stated that the ministry, in cooperation with the Arab League and the Ministry of Information Technology and Communication, issued the first unified dictionary for sign language.

She said that the ministry provides assistance to 1.3 million people with disabilities, 11 percent of whom are hearing and visually impaired, at a cost of EGP 8 billion annually. She also noted that the ministry will expand the number of nurseries for deaf and hearing-impaired children. 

The minister added that sign language translators became available in some courts and will also be available in civil registration offices. 

Qabbag attributed the reason for the hearing disability to early marriage, a genetic factor, and the use of some medical devices in dystocia. 

At the ceremony to launch the initiative, 50 hearing aids were distributed to hearing-impaired persons, and actress Malak Ahmed Zaher was appointed as a goodwill ambassador for the deaf and hearing-impaired.