Malawi National Association of the Deaf (MANAD) attended a human rights workshop in Lilongwe on 14 December 2022 at Simama Hotel. The workshop was organized by Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitations, funded by OXFAM. The objective of the meeting was to discuss how person with disabilities can access health care which is inaccessible to many persons with disabilities including the deaf.
MANAD program officer who attended the workshop told the meeting that Deaf people face communication challenges due to absence of sign language as means of communication. However, he said that the availability of Malawian Sign Language dictionary will ease communication challenges since many people are interested in learning sign language. But still there is room for improvement and there is need for funding from the state and well-wishers to facilitate sign language training to health personnel across the country.
The participants to the workshop were various organizations of persons with disabilities, members of parliament and other interested groups.
