NGO advocates sign language for reproductive healthcare
NAN-HG-5
Language
Bauchi, June 29, 2017 (NAN) The Heal Disability Initiative, a Bauchi base NGO, has called for the training of healthcare workers on sign language.
The Coordinator of the NGO, Mr Ayuba Mainas, made the appeal on Thursday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Bauchi.
Mainas also advised the Bauchi State Government to train its health personnel on sign language in the area of reproductive healthcare.
He noted that women with disabilities face challenges in seeking medical attention and healthcare due to such lack of communication skills in health facilities.
“Women that are physically challenged are facing challenges of accessing healthcare service in areas of immunisation, antenatal and family planning which are vital in improving maternal and child health.
“No provision for the blind and the deaf in terms of information dissemination; this is making them to withdraw from hospital attendance.
“Communication is essential in all aspects of human endeavour and in a situation where you cannot effectively communicate to each other and understand vital information, then there could be issues,” he said.
Mainas also called on authorities to introduce programmes for the physically challenged persons in areas of healthcare.
“Apart from that of the Tuberculosis, there is no any health programme for the physically challenged; they are not aware of how to prevent themselves from HIV and other diseases,” he said.
Besides, the coordinator called on television and radio stations to also introduce sign languages in jingles and news stories for the physically challenged persons.
“Radio and television stations should introduce sign language to also capture those that cannot hear among the physically challenged that will help in disseminating information to them.
“They are also members of the public and sometimes information that is relevant to the general public might end up not meeting some segment of the targeted audience.
“Lots of public facilities such as boreholes and public toilets are not constructed to meet the need of the physically challenged persons; is either the conveniences are too narrow or the boreholes are too high for those on wheel chairs,” he said. (NAN)
AE/MST
Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola