Ghana National Association of the Deaf (GNAD)

GNAD SECURES SUPPORT FROM BUSAC FUND

We are pleased to announce to the entire members of GNAD and the Deaf community that Ghana National of the Deaf has successfully secured small grant from Business Sector Advocacy Challenge (BUSACFund towards comprehensive advocacy for the recognition of the Ghanaian Sign Language and for the enforcement of relevant provisions within the PWDS Act and UNCRPD.

Describing the intervention as ‘timely’, the Executive Director of GNAD, Mr. Juventus Duorinaah, mentioned that the past 50years have seen significant efforts by GNAD to address communication and non-physical access barriers for the increasing deaf population. ‘We have seen considerable improvement, from hidden minority to visible community where the language rights of deaf people are beginning to gain attention’.

‘The introduction of basic Ghanaian sign language teaching in Nurses schools, successful graduation of the first batch of Ghanaian sign language interpreters from the University of Cape Coast, the engagement of sign language interpreters in some district assemblies and development of teaching and learning materials in partnership with other stakeholders in education are bringing us step closer to an inclusive society’. ‘With significant number of GNAD members in the private sector, we need both legal recognition of the Ghanaian sign language and enforcement of relevant provisions under the PWDs Act and CRPD in order to both improve access to information and the business environment of our members’.

Under the agreement, BUSAC fund is contributing 80% while GNAD would contribute 20% of the overall project cost. It is expected that, the implementation of the project would bring GNAD and the deaf community step close to legal recognition of the Ghanaian sign language in order to improve access to information and sign language services.

GNAD is grateful to BUSAC Fund DANIDA, European Union and USAID.

 

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