Disability is not Inability

:: Introduce sign Language, TV stations urged.

Daily Nation, Thursday June 14th 2007.

The Government has no powers to compel media houses to introduce sign language.

However, it has written to all media houses and the Media Association, Asking them to introduce sign language in their television news casts.

In 2004 Media houses moved to court over sign language issue. Koigi wa Wamwere the Assistant Minister for Information and Communication.

Information assistant minister Koigi wa Wamwere faced a deluge of points of order from MPs Justin Muturi (Siakago, Kanu) and Davies Nakitare (Saboti, Narc) who asked how the government could ensure people with disabilities followed events on television.

"Is that not denying a person the right to follow up events going on in the world?" asked Nakitare as Muturi accused the government of failing to implement sections of the constitution.

Mr Wamwere said media houses moved to court in 2004 after the enforcement of the Persons with Disabilities Act, 2003, and obtained a ruling prohibiting the Government from compelling them to introduce sign language. So far, he said, only KTN used sign language in one of its programmes.

"This is why the Government is encouraging self-regulation of the media and it is up to them to implement it. There is a High Court ruling which forbids the ministry from compelling them," said Mr Wamwere.

The assistant minister urged MPs to pass the controversial Media Bill to give the Government teeth to compel media house to implement sign language.

Media houses are opposed to the bill. The issue came up as the assistant minister was answering Mumias MP Wycliffe Osundwa (Narc) who wanted to know the steps the Government was taking to introduce sign language on television broadcasts. Mr Osundwa said the number of deaf and dump people was on the increase.

Comments:

Josephine Kalunda a deaf women leader says "while we welcome the MPs support for inclusion of sign language interpretation on TV, we also urge the government to allocate funds for provision of the same services in all public services including police, hospitals etc".

:: Sign language on Television according to the Disability ACT 2004