Deaf Community Seeks Inclusion, Sign Language Implementation in Kwara Schools

By Aminah Salako – Adekunle 

Persons with hearing impairment in Kwara State have called on Government to recruit and deploy teachers with basic knowledge of special education to schools for special needs, as well as implement sign language in the state’s education system.

The Chairman of the Kwara State Association of the Deaf, Mr. Ridwan Hassan, made the appeal through an interpreter, Hamza Maryam, at an awareness and advocacy walk held in Ilorin to mark the 10th International Week of the Deaf.

Mr. Hassan commended the present administration for its efforts in identifying with and supporting persons with physical challenges but noted that more needed to be done to promote inclusivity and empowerment for the deaf community.

He urged the government to prioritize employment opportunities and partnerships with organizations of persons with hearing impairments, stressing that such collaborations would enhance their contribution to the state’s development.

The chairman also appealed to parents not to hide their children with hearing-impairment at home but to enroll them in school and expose them to social interactions as well as available opportunities.

During the advocacy walk, members of the association carried placards with inscriptions such as “Deaf Persons Can Do Anything Except Hear” and “Deaf Rights Are Human Rights, Respect Them.”

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), as of February 2025, over 430 million people worldwide, representing more than 5% of the global population, require rehabilitation for disabling hearing loss, including 34 million children.

WHO projects that by 2050, about 700 million people, or one in every ten individuals, will experience disabling hearing loss.

Similarly, the Speech Pathologists and Audiologists Association in Nigeria, SPAAN, estimates that at least 8.5 million Nigerians are currently living with hearing impairments.

The 10th International Week of the Deaf aims to raise awareness about the rights, challenges, and potential of persons with hearing impairments while advocating for inclusion and equal opportunities across sectors.