Alternative Communication: Sign Language

The importance of communication in human interaction cannot be overemphasized. It is such a crucial aspect, one that cannot be done away with. Taking away communication is like removing the heart from the human body so to say, it'll be very difficult to express ourselves without it. Communication and language work side by side. We need a language to be able to convey our thoughts and emotions to other people around us. In addition to needing a language to communicate effectively, understanding however, is also very important. Communication is incomplete if there is no understanding of the message that is being passed.

Communication may not always be verbal, it includes using gestures, signs and body movement to convey an idea as it is with sign language. Sign language is a special type of language designed to help people with hearing impairments to communicate better. It can be very frustrating to go to a new location where people speak a language different from one's original language. Imagine how deaf people feel when they are around other people and they can't express themselves the way they would love to. This barrier has been bridged with the help of sign language.

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People with hearing problems can now effectively express themselves using hand signs, facial expressions and gestures. This language although serves as a special aid for those living with hearing problems, can also be used by other people in a situation where verbal communication is limited. The major challenge of deaf people is having to face marginalization when it comes to interaction with other people. The inception of sign language however,has proven to be the much needed solution to foster inclusivity among deaf people or people with hearing problems. It allows them to actively participate in the society and have access to information just like every other person

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Sign language has its own challenges just like every other language. One of the major challenge of sign language is having limited or no sign language educators for both the deaf people and people with no hearing problems. People do not automatically know how to communicate with signs when the need arises, hence the need for educators. These are trained professionals in the field of sign language who are able to teach and instruct individuals on the use of the language.

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This was a personal challenge for me when I wanted to learn sign language in the area where I live. I've always wanted to have even the basic knowledge of the language to be able to communicate with deaf people who I meet everyday. Unfortunately, I could get access to an educator to be able to acquire that skill. I had this big book that contains a lot of signs for people for are learning to use the language but I cannot even understand how to do the signs perfectly without practical assistance from an instructor. The ones I managed to practice, it is very likely that I might have even forgotten them.

Other challenges of sign language is the unavailability of an interpreter, especially in significant areas like hospitals or even the legal field, to help people with hearing disabilities to access their services. This challenge may hinder effective communication and interaction between the people with hearing disabilities and the service providers.

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Addressing these challenges of sign language learning will involve organizing special training programs in order to recruit professional educators who will be able to meet the needs of people with hearing challenges. This serves as a good way of solving the problem of marginalization among the deaf and bridging the communication barrier in the society.

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This post is in response to the monthly prompt initiative organized by Inleo. Click Here to know more about the prompt for April.