At an event marking International Week of the Deaf in Accra, Telecel Ghana’s General Manager of Commercial Operations, Mercy Dawn Akude has advocated for a national policy to enshrine sign language into the national communication framework for the dissemination of all public information.
Speaking at commemorative event under the global theme “No Human Rights Without Sign Language,” Mercy Dawn Akude said that sign language is a matter of identity, dignity, and respect for the Deaf Community. “When public information is shared without sign language interpretation, we are making an implied statement that some citizens are less deserving of that information or knowledge. Communication must be a bridge, never a barrier,” she said.
Telecel Ghana’s longstanding relationship with the Deaf community stretches back nearly a decade. In 2017, the company launched Super Care, a customer service initiative employing and training Deaf people and sign-language trained staff to serve customers with hearing impairment through video call support. Today, thousands in the Deaf community nationwide rely on the platform for accessible connectivity, with tailored data bundles available through Telecel’s *494# service and on the Telecel Play app.
In partnership with a number of universities, Telecel Ghana has recruited graduates from the Deaf community into its workforce as part of its broader push for workplace diversity and serving its customers with special needs.
Additionally, the Telecel Ghana Foundation on a regular basis organises STEM training for students at various Schools for the Deaf, emphasizing that digital tools should be accessible to all.
Telecel Ghana also marked this year’s International Week of the Deaf with the donation of a large screen TV, a laptop, a projector and a projector screen to the Ghana National Association of the Deaf (GNAD) to support its advocacy work. The donation was made by the CEO of Telecel Ghana, Ing. Patricia Obo-Nai to the leadership of the association.
National President of the Ghana National Association of the Deaf (GNAD), Matthew Kubachua welcomed the telco’s gesture and longstanding support but echoed the call for systemic change. “Telecel has taken a bold step to expand access to communication and ensure inclusion in their customer service. We urge government and other organisations to support the call for sign language to be integrated in education, media, and governance.”
Ghana currently lacks comprehensive legislation mandating sign language interpretation across schools, government communications, and public media. This situation means millions of Deaf people in Ghana are at a disadvantage in education, employment, and civic participation.
According to the 2021 Population and Housing Census, there are over 211,000 Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals and over 470, 000 with various degree of hearing loss across Ghana. Without sign language, this growing population of Deaf people are denied access to information, services and overall quality of life.
Mrs. Mercy Dawn Akude maintained that it is only human that the country integrates sign language communication into education, public service and media. “There can be no true human rights without sign language, because there is no genuine inclusion without the recognition of sign language. We must build a country where sign language is not seen as optional or special, but as essential and necessary. When we include the Deaf community, we are building a stronger, fairer, and inclusive society for all of us.”
