First Sign language quiz competition held in Tarkwa

The first-ever sign language quiz competition has been held for basic schools in the Tarkwa Nsuaem Municipality under the theme: Start Right; Nurturing our children For An Inclusive Society. Sign language is the only medium through which the deaf community can communicate to themselves and the public, but unfortunately, quite a number of people worldwide do not understand sign language. Organized by Silanem, a Sign Language and Music School in collaboration with Inclusive Tech Group, a non-profit making organization that is into the development of assistive technologies for the vulnerable in society, especially the disabled, to ensure inclusion in society, the quiz competition was to test the ability of pupils to interpret sign language. The quiz competition started with lots of schools at the preliminary stage, with four schools; Namess International School, Deyounge School Complex, Daylight Preparatory School, and Holy Standard Academy qualifying for the final stage, which was held at the UMaT Mini Auditorium on October 12, 2022. At the end of the competition, Holy Standard Academy came first, followed by Namess International School, Deyounge School Complex, and Daylight Preparatory school. The Executive Director of Silanem, Richmond Baidoo, who congratulated the finalist for being the first schools to have participated in a sign language quiz in Ghana, said sign language is an important language everyone must learn in order to be able to communicate with the deaf, anytime they meet. According to him, it was difficult introducing sign language to many schools within the municipality because those schools felt that they had deaf pupils in their schools, so there was no need for that. He added that “sign language entails a lot not only the hand gestures but the parameters within which the person moves can also bring different meanings”. Speaking in an interview, the Executive Director of Inclusive Tech Group, Dr. Mrs. Millicent Agangiba explained that sign language should be something everyone should desire to learn. She stressed that though Inclusive Tech Group exists to promote inclusion through Technology, it is the understanding of the persons that determines what device to develop in order to help the disabled be included in societal transformation. The Head of the Counseling Unit of UMaT, Mr. P.S Koffie, commended the organizers for putting up the quiz competition. He called on the government to introduce sign language into the curriculum so that the deaf will also feel part of the community in which they live. This, he said, will also help those who can hear to interact with the deaf.