The World Federation of the Deaf (WFD), in collaboration with the CBM Global Divisibility Inclusion have advocated for investment in deaf education to reduce the barriers and burden deaf persons faced while accessing healthcare.
The Healthcare Access Project Manager, WFD, Dr Jolene Ogunjirin, said this at the unveiling of the Research Report on Barriers to Healthcare Access for Deaf Nigerian Women and Girls in Emergencies in Abuja on Monday.
Ogunjirin said that deaf women and girls experienced disparity in the quality of healthcare, reproductive health and resources due to inadequate education and sign language personnels.
“Based on the surveys we collected and interviews conducted, we make following recommendations to decision makers and government authorities.
“They the Nigerian government officials is required to recognise the Nigerian Sign Language (NSL) into law and include staff professional and accredited sign language interpreters in medical facilities,” she said.
She charged the government to focus on intersectionality issues that could reduce the long-term financial burden of the government.
Also, the Country Director, CBM Global Disability Inclusion Nigeria, Ekaete Umoh, called on stakeholders to address the gaps deaf women and girls with disabilities face in accessing health care provision.
Umoh also called on all critical stakeholders to join in the implementation of the research recommendation.
“The World Federation of the Deaf (WFD) seeks to address the intersection of being deaf and being a woman when facing emergency and disaster situations and requesting healthcare services.
“This report presents preliminary research on the experiences faced in healthcare by deaf women and girls in Nigeria, highlighting the most recent emergency and disaster situation, the Covid-19 pandemic.
“In spite of the Nigeria ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), the Sendai Framework and their extant legal protocols which recognises full and equal access and participation in societies for persons with disabilities are still largely discriminated.
“This in terms of access to information before and during emergencies, ” she said.
The Acting Director of Social Integration, National Commission for Persons with Disability (NCPWD), Mr Lawrence Idemudia, promised to continue to partner with the organisations on issues of disability especially deaf women and girls.
Also, Uche Andrew from Joint Association of Persons with Disability, said that many deaf women faced the problems of accessing healthcare systems as a result of communication gaps.
Andrew appealed to relevant government authorities to make provision for sign language interpreters as well as adequate education for the deaf to enhance their inclusiveness in the areas if communication. (NAN)
