By Comr Yusuf Yahaya Kumo.
When we speak about inclusions, some people thinks we are talking about the inclusion of youth, women and persons with disabilities in government appointment, policies and programs, well, they might be right but inclusion is far beyond inclusions in government alone. It could be in all walk of life including Mosques and Churches. How? If your Mosques or Church failed to hire a sign language interpreter to facilitate communication for Deaf worshippers during sermons or any program then it's not inclusive because the Deaf worshippers are left behind and can't hear what's going on. This one of the reasons many of us deaf prefer attending Sheikh Daurawa mosque during Ramadan Tafseer so that we too can hear.
On his part, the Chief Medical Director of Federal Teaching Hospital Gombe, Dr Yusuf. M. Abdullahi not only employed two sign language interpreters to facilitate communication for Deaf patient or any Deaf who attended the hospital but also employed some persons with physical disability and spinal cord injury while also assuring to employ more i.e Deaf and Blinds in a right department that suits their qualifications and experiences. According to him during our recent courtesy visit, this is one of the way he's promoting the inclusions of PWDs in healthcare facilities in the hospital. I'm deeply impressed and feel like if all our MDAs and political leaders will be inclusive in their policies, programs and appointment the future of persons with disabilities in Gombe state will be more brighter.
In many states persons with disabilities suffers discrimination, marginalization and segregation which can sometimes cause them emotional stress and depression, and inspite of the fact that Disability Right Act Prophibit discrimination on the basis of any disability and made it mandatory for all MDAs to reverse 5% of their recruitment to persons with disabilities, it's unfortunate that many of our leaders and MDAs not complying.
In Gombe we can now say Alhamdulillah the FTH Gombe already started complying by not only employing sign language interpreter to facilitate communication but also employing persons with disabilities to work and earn mean of livelihood.
This is something we had for long been advocating for and Almighty God will surely bless the MD for the inclusion, empathy, compassion love and care toward us, PWDs.
Since there's sign language interpreters to facilitate communication, I'm using this opportunity to urge Deaf who are sick to patronize the FTH Gombe and enjoy sign language interpreter because without inteprters communication with doctors will be difficult and delaying as in my case where I was once given wrong prescription and drugs in one hospital in my hometown all due to communication barrier and lack of sign language interpreter which even worsen my condition that time but Alhamdulillah I later recovered and let it go. Assuming there's sign language interpreter to facilitate communication?
This is one of the reasons when the News Agency of Nigerian once asked me of my biggest challenge as a Deaf I told them, "Versaty Education without sign language interpreter my most challenging experience"
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