Benefits of using sign language for communication

The deaf and hard-hearing community only communicates with whom they relate; people who know sign language whether deaf or not. How can we help solve this situation? Especially the hearing individuals. Is it possible to make sign language learning for hearing students and make it compulsory in the curriculum?

Before I dig deep into it, let's get a clear  understanding of sign language: its meaning, statistics, history in Kenya, and the comparison to other countries. 

Sign language is a visual means of communication that uses hand movements gestures, facial expressions, and body language to convey meaning. It is not a universal language because each country has its sign language and it is named after the country’s name for example there is American Sign Language (ASL), British Sign Language (BSL), and Kenyan Sign Language (KSL). 

For deaf people, sign language is their primary mode of communication, offering them access to information, social interaction, and education. In Kenya, it is a thriving national sign language used by ten thousand signers which emerged out of two deaf schools in Western Kenya in the early 1960s.

Statistically, there are 5.5% of deaf people in the world population and 2.7 million out of 50 million deaf people in Kenya which is 2 to 3 out of every 1000 people in general. Surprisingly, only 41 countries in the world recognize sign language as an official sign language for the deaf community Kenya being one of them. Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Iceland, New Zealand, Australia, Canada, Ireland, the United Kingdom, and South Africa are the only ones among the 41 that have incorporated sign language into their curriculum. In Kenya as of January 2023, learners in primary schools were seen to be required to take sign language as a compulsory subject if a proposal before parliament was adopted. Till then Kenya has not fully incorporated sign language into the curriculum. However, efforts are made to promote inclusion. 

Many benefits arise for both deaf and hearing students if sign language learning is made compulsory, here are a few benefits to the hearing: It enhances communication skills abilities fostering better understanding and empathy towards individuals who are deaf and have difficulty hearing. It expands social opportunities; proficiency in sign language opens doors to connecting with a wider community, including deaf individuals, their friends, and family fostering inclusive social interaction.

Cultural appreciation: delving into sign language exposes learners to deaf cultures, history, and identity and promotes cultural awareness.

Career advantages; proficiency in sign language can enhance employment opportunities in fields such as education, healthcare, interpretation, and social services. 

Personal growth; learning sign language fosters empathy, patience, and understanding of different communication needs contributing to a more inclusive society.

Enhances cognitive skills; studies suggest that learning sign language can improve cognitive functions such as memory, spatial awareness, and problem-solving skills due to the unique cognitive demands of spatial language processing. It increases linguistic awareness; it exposes individuals to a different linguistic structure and modality fostering a deeper understanding of language diversity.

On the other hand, there are also benefits to deaf people and hard of hearing. The deaf individual gains increased access to communication with a broader range of people, enabling more meaningful interaction in various settings, it also reduces social isolation by fostering an inclusive social environment reducing the isolation often experienced by deaf individuals facilitating connection, moreover, deaf and hard hearing may encounter more job opportunities and career advancement prospects when hearing individuals are proficient in sign language as it can lead to improving workplace collaboration, additionally it improves educational experiences. Furthermore, by learning sign language hearing individuals demonstrate respect for deaf culture and identity contributing to its preservation and fostering a sense of belonging within the deaf community. It also empowers and advocates for the rights and needs for the deaf community amplifying their voices promoting inclusivity in various aspect of society. 

Lastly, it strengthens community bonds through the mutual exchange of sign language between the hearing and the deaf hence breaking down the communication barriers.

However there are challenges faced in the process of making sign language compulsory to all students which include the following; implementing sign language education requires significant resources, including funding for curriculum development, teacher training, and institutional materials which may strain educational budgets. There may be a shortage of qualified sign language instructors especially in regions where sign language education is not widespread leading to difficulties in skilled educators to teach the language effectively.

Integrating sign language into an existing educational curriculum can be challenging, requiring careful planning to ensure that it complements other subjects without adding undue burden to student's schedules. Moreover ensuring access to sign language education for individuals with disabilities or those living in remote areas can be challenging due to physical, technological, and socio-economic barriers. Conversely, there might be resistance from stakeholders including educators, parents, and policymakers who may be reluctant to adopt sign language as a compulsory subject due to concerns about its perceived utility, feasibility, or impact on existing educational priorities. In addition, sign language varies across regions and community posing a challenge in standardizing curricula and instructional materials to accommodate cultural diversity.

Lastly, there is a limited awareness of the benefits of sign language education and rights of deaf individuals which may hinder efforts to promote its compulsory inclusion in education systems.

Despite the benefits and challenges, there are arguments as to whether making hearing students learn sign language; is morally, socially, and culturally appropriate. Some say that teaching sign language in schools is not worth the effort, especially since people who are deaf can often lip read, however, this neglects the fact that reading lips is not a simple task and students can only efficiently learn from this method if it is a subject they are already familiar with. Another argument is that hearing students find it difficult to learn sign language saying it is time-consuming because it takes an average of eight years to become fluent in it. Others might not want to consider it as their second language because they see it as a heavy burden. Some say it is inappropriate to hear people teach it online or offline, sing a song or meddle with it, or lingual/culturally appropriate it.

In conclusion, research against using sign language learning in a hearing classroom was not located. The research findings support the belief that the use of sign language in early childhood classrooms is beneficial to students in many ways. As far as the Kenyan government introduced C.B.C into the curriculum they should consider fastening their efforts in making sign language compulsory in the curriculum and also make it possible for grown people.