FEATURE: Sisters’ project to make Covid-19 information available to deaf community
The Stellenbosch University project aims to make Covid-19 information available to the deaf community, for whom spoken language is inaccessible and written texts are a challenge.
CAPE TOWN, March 18 (ANA) – Two sisters have launched a project which aims to make information about Covid-19 available to the South African deaf community.
The project has been launched by the Stellenbosch University’s Department of General Linguistics in the arts and social sciences faculty.
The project has been initiated by third-generation deaf sisters Vanessa Reyneke and Stephanie Lotz, who received numerous pleas for accessible information on Covid-19 from members of the deaf community.
Reyneke is the project co-ordinator for the South African Sign Language (SASL) learning and teaching support material at the Department of General Linguistics.
According to the university, Covid-19 resources and information is mostly available in written or spoken text.
Spoken language is inaccessible to the majority of deaf people and many struggle to understand written texts.
Professor Frenette Southwood of the general linguistics department said their research has shown that a limited number of resources or information about Covid-19 has been made available to SASL compared with spoken languages.
Southwood said lack of translation of important information into the only language accessible to members of the deaf community was leaving them increasingly vulnerable.
The Western Cape government has given the department permission to use its infographics as background for SASL video recordings and their written information as a point of departure in their sign language scripts.
Information will also be used from the Knowledge Transfer Unit at the University of Cape Town (UCT).
The first phase of the project focuses on the 10 most important subtopics of health, which include tips on keeping safe during Covid-19, advice for diabetics and what to do when you have contracted Covid-19.
The second phase will include another 10 subtopics or any updates to phase one material.
These two phases are being funded by Stellenbosch University, and the department is seeking funding for phases three to six.
The project also aims to produce a child-friendly information package.
“The first information videos have already been released over the last few weeks. The aim is to release one information video per week.
“We have a list of topics that we are going to cover, but we will also be led by the needs of the deaf community,” Southwood said.
Information will be presented in two dialects in SASL, as older generations who were schooled were either taught in sign-supported English or Afrikaans and will not necessarily understand SASL and will need the information in an adapted version.
Reyneke said she and her sister would like this project to reach every person within the deaf community.
“The ultimate goal is to see that the deaf community has access to all information needed for their daily well-being during this pandemic, and in all varieties of SASL if possible,” she said.
Reyneke said they had heard of cases where deaf people were doing things that placed their lives and those of others in danger because they were not aware of what the right thing would be.
She said there were instances where deaf people who tested positive for Covid-19 returned to work because they did not know about self-isolation.
Reyneke said this was of great concern and had to be addressed urgently.
She thanked the university for its support and said she hoped that other public and private sector players would be inspired by this initiative and encouraged to ensure that everyone has fair access to their surroundings.
Videos can be found on a purpose-created YouTube channel free of charge to members of the deaf community and can be accessed on Stellenbosch University’s website and social media platforms.
– African News Agency (ANA); Editing by Yaron Blecher
