Court asked to help: How people with hearing disabilities are left uninformed
Most people with hearing disabilities cannot understand sign language and depend on subtitles to follow the news – NCPD
The Pretoria High Court will hear how people with hearing challenges are often left in the dark when it comes to news events and important announcements.
The National Council of and for Persons with Disabilities (NCPD) says the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa’s (Icasa) Code for Persons with Disabilities 2021 is not inclusive because it excludes most people living with hearing disabilities.
While a sign language interpreter is used during some news broadcasts and government announcements, the NCPD says the majority of people with hearing disabilities do not understand sign language. This includes one out of three people older than 65 and two out of three older than 70.
According to a World Health Organisation report, hearing loss impacts 20% of the world’s population, which is an estimated 12 million people in South Africa.
Since 2015, the NCPD has been working to give people with hearing disabilities access to in-time, open subtitles during important broadcasts. Open subtitles are always on and cannot be switched off.
Despite ongoing negotiations with the NCPD, Icasa issued a code in April 2021 that requires the broadcasting industry to have closed subtitles. Closed subtitles can be switched on and off and are only accessible through a device such as a decoder or internet access, something that is out of reach for most South Africans.
The NCPD says open subtitles – which are essential for people with hearing loss who cannot understand sign language – do not need extra technology.
The council says that the mandatory use of closed subtitles is an ‘inadmissible discrimination against persons with hearing disabilities that use spoken language as their primary form of communication’. Consequently, the NCPD has brought an application before the high court in Pretoria to try and force the communication authority to amend the policy. The parties’ legal teams will meet on August 31, whereafter a court date could be determined.
Championing people with disabilities
The NCPD advocates for equal opportunities and rights for people with disabilities. One of its main awareness and fundraising campaigns is Casual Day, celebrated annually on September 1.
The theme for this year’s Casual Day is #ShareASmile, which aims to promote positivity and goodwill towards people with disabilities.
Companies and individuals are encouraged to show their support by buying a physical or digital sticker, taking a photo showing wide smiles – and with the sticker visible – and posting it to social media using the hashtags #ShareASmile and #CasualDay.
You can buy stickers at R20 from the following outlets:
- Organisations of and for persons with disabilities
- Government departments
- Schools
- Alpa Pharm pharmacies
- BKB
- Eskort
- Clicks
- Jam Clothing
- Jet
- Loot Online
- The Hub
- Finbond
- Toys R Us
You can buy a digital sticker by visiting the Casual Day website.
To find out more about Casual Day visit any of their social media pages:
Read original story on www.citizen.co.za
