SEPTEMBER is recognised as Deaf Awareness Month and the KZN Blind and Deaf Society (KZNBDS) is looking to create a more inclusive society by raising awareness of deaf people. 

The deaf community has seen many strides recently to help promote inclusivity, like South African Sign Language being made an official language in 2023 and becoming a fully examinable home language in schools in 2014. 

Also read: Raising awareness for deaf children

Growing from strength to strength

Nayantra Kanaye from the KZNBDS said that the organisation has spent many years working to care for and empower deaf and blind people in the Durban South, Pietermaritzburg and other parts of KZN. She added that they celebrated the organisation’s 90th anniversary this year.

“What started off as mainly a welfare organisation, providing welfare services and support to its clients in the early years, has evolved into an organisation whose vision and mission is one of empowerment of its blind and deaf clients,” she said.

Challenges of deaf people

According to Kanaye, deaf people have unique needs and experiences which are vastly different from others that are living with disability because the hearing impediment is largely invisible. One of the major challenges that deaf people encounter is the inability to communicate effectively with people that do not understand sign language.

Also read: Learn sign language in deaf awareness month

“It is still not widely known or used by the wider community. Such communication barriers impact every area of their lives and limit their access to their basic human rights on every level. Access to the right health care, for example, how does the deaf person explain clearly to medical personnel what their health issues that require medical intervention may be if the doctor or nurse does not understand sign language and if there are no suitably qualified interpreters available. The same barrier would arise in a police station, a court, schools and universities,” she said.

More inclusivity

In order to combat this, the society hosts free South African Sign Language classes at its offices in Durban. Apart from raising awareness, the KZNBDS focuses on empowering and upskilling through various programmes.

“We offer computer literacy skills and certification as an avenue towards accessing better jobs, basket weaving, a sewing training centre, the recent establishment of the Culinary School for the Deaf, optometry services, audiology and additionally the provision of social work services,” said Kanaye.

The organisation is also in the process of building recreation rooms for deaf individuals and developing early childhood development programmes.

Get involved

Kanaye is calling on communities to make the effort to help create a more inclusive society. 

For more information on the society or to get involved with one of its programmes, contact 031 309 4991 or visit the society at 23 Ismail C Meer Street. 

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