BY BRIDGET MABANDA
Lets Make a Difference Disability Zimbabwe (LMDDZ) celebrated International Deaf Awareness week online from 19th to 25th of September as well as International Sign Languages.
The celebrations were promulgated in 2017 through the United Nations General Assembly Resolution A/RES/72/16, which recognizes 23 September as the International Day of Sign Languages which is meant to raise awareness about the significance of sign language in upholding the human rights of individuals who are deaf.
LMDDZ executive director, Nigel Tahwa told The Midweek Watch that the aim of the awareness campaign was to provide basic communication skills to different stakeholders to avoid miscommunication with deaf people.
“As the LMDDZ, we are celebrating our deaf awareness week with staff, partners, volunteers and sponsors. I thank you all for being part of our online deaf awareness campaign this week,” said Tahwa.
He said the International Day of Sign Languages reminds us of the need and importance of preserving sign languages as part of linguistic and cultural diversity.
The theme of this year Sign Language Day-2023 is “A world where deaf people everywhere can sign anywhere” making all the possible efforts to bring more citizens, stakeholders, deaf leaders, educators, researchers deaf schools, NGOs, activists, service-providing agencies together.
Tahwa said LMDDZ’s mission is to provide services to empower people with disabilities, orphans, vulnerable adults to improve their lives and wellbeing.
“Our vision is to challenge and change attitudes so that society is fair and inclusive and everyone has equal opportunities to thrive and achieve their full potential.
“As LMDDZ, this year our theme is ‘breaking communication barriers’ and our aim is to have ‘inclusive communication,” he said.
He said there is need to create a more inclusive communication environment and to promote positive aspects of being deaf and end communication divide as this enforces the principle of leaving no one behind.
Sign language is among Zimbabwe’s 16 official languages as enshrined in the Constitution.
LMDDZ is a disability organization based in Gweru which provides services to empower disabled people, orphans and vulnerable adults to improve their lives and well-being.
