SEDIBENG.- Sign language classes got underway for customer care officials and frontline staff at the Emfuleni Local Municipality (ELM) this week.

The municipality said that the classes were aimed at improving communication with deaf and hard-of-hearing residents and enhancing overall service delivery.

“The practical training equips frontline staff with basic to intermediate sign language skills. Participants learn essential vocabulary for common municipal interactions, including account queries, service requests, billing issues, and complaints.”

Sessions combined classroom instruction with role-playing exercises that simulate real municipal customer encounters.

The programme is expected to speed up service resolution and foster greater trust.

 “Many of our residents who are deaf have struggled to access services easily,” one participant noted. Learning to communicate directly removes barriers and shows we value every consumer. The initiative forms part of the municipality’s broader drive to make customer experience more inclusive and responsive. By reducing reliance on intermediaries or written notes, the programme is expected to speed up service resolution and foster greater trust between the municipality and its diverse residents.”

The session commenced and continued until Thursday, with plans to expand the training to additional departments in future.