Impetus to action
The beautiful name of the former French colony Côte d'Ivoire (also known as Ivory Coast) and its serene landscapes starkly contrast with the country's harsh living conditions. How does one survive in a country with a life expectancy of 43 years, literacy rate of 51% and a continuous political turmoil?
Especially if one is deaf? It's more than just a challenge.
Today's passionate leader of the deaf and disability community in Côte d'Ivoire, Yede Adama Sanogo recalls his experience.
Yede: "I became deaf in 1990 as a result of meningitis. In this year, I successfully finished my primary study, but the administration of the secondary school refused to accept my application because of my deafness. So I stayed home and did not go to school. Then my parents and social workers lobbied the Ministry of National Education. Finally, after a year of lobbying, the Ministry allowed me to go to regular school."
Yede Adama Sanogo at the traning "Mainstreaming
and
Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities in Africa"
In Côte d'Ivoire there are no special secondary schools for the deaf. For 11 years in regular school without hearing aids and sign language interpreters, Yede faced quite a bit of discrimination. He then realized that he was to face lots of barriers for the rest of his life. Officially, Yede was the first deaf person to attend regular school. He graduated with all possible certificates, and after continuing education in a regular high school, got a senior training certificate in management and data processing. Now he works, responsible for the Computer Department at a primary Ivorian school for the deaf.
What's more, Yede being as enthusiastic as he is, became a youth deaf leader in the deaf movement at the age of 18. Then he became a Vice President of AISPD (a deaf organization), General Secretary of NGO Handicap Alliance International (a cross disability organization promoting Sign Language and deaf education), and finally, the Vice President of cross disability organization FAHCI that represents Disabled People's International in Cote d'Ivoire). Disabled Peoples International (DPI) certified Yede in Anti-discrimination and advocacy in relation to Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. After the DPI and Japan International Cooperation Agency training on empowerment of persons with disabilities in Africa, Yede created a program, "Society Without Barriers - Côte d'Ivoire," which you can learn about at www.swbproject.webs.com.
Empowerment of disability movement leaders for promoting UN
Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)
« Deaf = Dumb »
It was not only from personal experience that urged Yede to lead the disability movement. He all too often had witnessed biased attitudes towards deaf people.
Yede: "There are two main attitudes to deaf people here. First, society thinks that deafness is a curse and deaf people cannot be good persons. Before I got married, relatives of my wife objected to our union because I am deaf. Another example: a father of my friend organized a family party and invited his VIP acquaintances. During the party, father introduced all his children to his VIP friends, except for the deaf one (my friend). In other families, parents usually shut their deaf relatives in a room when they go out or when they have visitors. It's a shame for them to have deaf relatives?
Yede at the workshop with a deaf AISPD association
on managing disability organisations in a time of crisis.
"Second, society thinks that deaf people cannot do anything or succeed. It makes no sense to invest in them. I work in deaf school and often see parents who refuse paying for their deaf kid because "that is not important". They often say: "I have already spent enough money in the school of his brother/sister (hearing). For him, I have no money. What can a deaf person do after studies anyway? What's the use?"
"When I was in regular secondary school, teachers and pupils often told me: "You cannot succeed because you are deaf." Historically, many people in Côte d'Ivoire think deaf people are 'dumb'!"
A deeply rooted sense of justice urged Yede and his organizations to start raising public awareness about hearing loss, sign language and deaf people's needs in 2000. Since then, the attitudes have been slowly but steadily changing.
A glimpse into the reality
In Côte d'Ivoire, there is only one primary school for the deaf. No special secondary schools or special universities. After the primary school, all young deaf people who want to continue their studies, apply for regular school.
Some so-called "integrated" schools are not, in fact, integrated, because teachers do not know sign language, and sign language interpreters and needed accommodations are not provided.
Yede: "After secondary school, youngsters can apply to regular high school and university. Generally there are no major problems with admission. All problems start in the classroom! How can deaf students have equal opportunities to access teaching? There is no sign language interpretation available. How deaf students can have equal opportunities to receive a good education or training? It even happens that some teachers refuse to accept deaf students in their class or neglect them."
In the educational field, they distinguish between three groups of the hearing impaired: "deaf and mute," deaf people who can speak (not born deaf or became deaf later), and hard of hearing people. No "deaf and mute" person has managed to reach as far as high school or university. It is only the deaf who can speak, and the hard of hearing who often reach those levels.
As for jobs, there is only one opportunity: deaf and hard of hearing graduates of colleges/universities can be recruited at public administrations without exams and accordingly with a quota set by the government for people with disabilities. Other deaf people earn money from small and unstable jobs. Some deaf people depend on their family. And a few deaf people earn a living by begging.
There are no welfare benefits. The law of mainstreaming people with disabilities in Côte d'Ivoire provides for that, but was not implemented yet.
Disability movement and deaf struggle
The disability movement of Côte d'Ivoire launched in 1978, but it was a long time until deaf people made their voice heard in 1991. Deaf persons had no voice in decision-making. It was only the teachers or principals of the deaf school who could represent deaf people. Ivorian people with a hearing loss decided: "Let's create our first association!" This is how the National Association of the Deaf (Association Nationale des Sourds de Côte d'Ivoire) was founded in 1991.
The Ivorian Association of the Deaf for the Promotion and Defense was created in 1999 to reinforce the deaf movement. In 2005, deaf people and Sign Language Interpreters also created the NGO Handicap Alliance International. The activities were centered in the capital, Abidjan, and lobbying the government paid off successfully.
The biggest challenges for deaf people are: to change societal attitudes, to have access to education, and to break communication barriers by promoting sign language.
Yede: "I can be proud of our new achievements - sign language class for hearing people and interpretation of TV news in sign language (daily at 1:30 pm). I am also proud of these projects that our deaf organizations are trying to achieve in Côte d'Ivoire: building a second primary school for deaf kids and an integrative college for deaf students; pushing forward the Action Plan for the Promotion of Sign Language, and creating inclusive school for deaf students.
"I often said:
'I was not born disabled but God made me disabled.
My disability is not a curse but a blessing.
My life is to overcome the barriers. And to bring the change for a society where everyone will live without discrimination.'"
Yes,Yede, we can.
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