My passion for sign language has seen me excel at Geothermal Development Company

Amos Mogusu, a Human Resource Assistant at Geothermal Development Company (GDC), has an outstanding ability to communicate excellently with hearing impaired employees of the State Corporation.

            While on duty in his roomy office, his grasp of sign language is obvious in his facial expressions, focused gestures made with his hands and fingers, all of which imply a level of professionalism associated with formal training.

             But interestingly what sets him apart is that when he joined GDC in the Human Resource department he had never imagined that he would take up training as a sign language interpreter but after interacting extensively with hearing impaired employees he resolved to hone the skill through formal training.

             The official confesses that his journey to becoming a proficient sign language interpreter began when he recognised the need for greater accessibility within the workplace.

             “I was inspired by GDC’s policy that accommodates all employees with disabilities, as we believe they belong to our community and should be treated equally regardless of challenges involved. Am grateful to the GDC’s top management culture of fostering a deep-seated commitment to taking care of the needs of employees and clients with disabilities,” he mentions.

             Last week during the launch of the GDC Culture Change programme, Mogusu impressed dignitaries who graced the occasion including the State Corporation’s Managing Director Paul Ngugi and Board Chairman Walter Osebe Nyambati.

             Through energetic and emotional gestures, the Human Resource Assistant accompanied his translations with facial gestures that left no doubt of his passion to relay the Board of Director’s message to employees with hearing impairments.

             A significant encounter with a hearing-impaired employee Senior Artisan, Eric Amalemba put Mr Mogusu on the path of seeking training in sign language interpretation. 

            The employee had one morning visited Mogusu’s office and armed with scanty sign language knowledge the Human Resource Assistant communicated with Amalemba by finger spelling each letter, leading to a successful interaction.

             “To me it was an onerous task but I eventually managed to communicate with our staff member with a hearing impairment. Although it took long, I was delighted that I had accomplished something at the end of my encounter with Amalemba,” the official recalls.

             According to Mogusu, the journey to becoming a proficient sign language interpreter began when his encounter with Amalemba made him acknowledge the need for greater inclusivity while interacting with employees

             The Human Resource Assistant explains “Inspired by Amalemba’s determination and resilience, I embarked on a course to learn the Kenyan Sign Language (KSL), determined to bridge the communication gap and foster a more inclusive environment at GDC. The training was part of an initiative by the National Council for Persons with Disability (NCPWD) and Kenya Institute of Special Education (KISE) to promote the use of sign language interpreters in government institutions,”

             He adds “I am very glad I have had the opportunity to learn a new language. I look forward to engaging with GDC’s stakeholders who are sign language users,”

             Mogusu affirms that his efforts have bore fruit as he has mastered the intricacies of sign language, empowering him to effectively communicate with GDC employees and other members of the community with hearing impairments where the State Corporation conducts its activities.

            According to the World Federation of the Deaf, there are more than 70 million deaf people worldwide. 

            More than 80 percent of them live in developing countries. Collectively, they use more than 300 different sign languages.

             While he plans to further his knowledge in sign language through formal training, Mogusu remains committed to his profession in Human Resource management.

             His passion lies in aiding the hearing-impaired employees and community members and in his own words he finds joy and fulfilment in their straightforwardness and honesty.

             “They are the finest individuals I have ever interacted with. Straight to the point and persons who seldom lie. Whenever am at my lowest, I prefer to look for any deaf person and just have a banter with him or her,” Mogusu disclosed. 

             In December 2017, the United Nations General Assembly declared September 23 as the International Day of Sign Languages (IDSL), with the aim of helping to create awareness of the importance of sign languages in realizing the human rights of hearing-impaired persons.

              Mogusu strongly feels that countries need to adopt early access to sign language.

             “We should offer services including quality education in sign language for the hearing impaired to ensure their proper growth and development to achieve international goals. The national sign languages are key to ensuring the inclusion of the deaf in the society,” says the official. 

             Mogusu notes that promoting sign languages for linguistic and cultural diversity helps to ensure that it unites communities and that the hearing impaired are not left behind in the development agenda.

            He supports the proposal, contained in the Kenya Sign Language Bill, 2023, seeks to mainstream sign language and integrate it into the school curriculum making Kenya Sign Language as a compulsory subject.

             The bill is sponsored by nominated MP, Umulkheir Umi, who notes that despite being a national language alongside English and Swahili, sign language has been relegated as a third wheel.

              “The constitution recognizes three languages; English, Swahili and the Kenya Sign Language. However, only English and Swahili are taught in our schools. 

              Therefore, the first segment of the bill addresses incorporating sign language into our education system and making it compulsory,” explains Mogusu. 

             A similar proposal was made in 2020 when Senators Gertrude Museruve and Margaret Kamar sought to have the Kenya Sign Language as a compulsory subject in secondary schools.

             At that time, government data had shown about 800,000 Kenyans have one form of hearing impairment or another. 

            The suggestion that had been made by the Kenya Institute of Special Education, therefore, wanted the deaf integrated with other members of society so they get equal opportunities as the rest.

             The proposal also sought to have sign language interpreters deployed in courts, government offices and schools, as well as other key places where those with hearing impairment would be disadvantaged without them.

             One of the consequences of the proposal may include the retraining of primary school teachers to facilitate effective communication with deaf students.

             Umi, 28, said including sign language in the curriculum would benefit about 2.7 million deaf Kenyans, a significant portion of the population.

            “We are dealing with 5 percent of the population, that’s about 2.7million people, who are deaf. That is not a small number, which is why we want sign language made compulsory,” said the first-time MP, Umi.

            At the same time, Umi is seeking the creation of the Kenya Sign Language Council that will regulate its use. 

            This, she says, has been necessitated by a rise of inexperienced interpreters and substandard training.

             “This regulatory body will address concerns on interpretation and training facilities, ensuring that only qualified individuals provide sign language interpretation services,” she said.

            She added: “The creation of the sign language council will weed out quacks. A person who wishes to provide Kenyan sign language interpretation services shall apply for registration by the government,” the bill reads.

            The bill’s provisions extend to telecommunications companies, urging them to ensure their services are suitable for individuals with hearing impairment.

             Umi points out that affordable communication services are essential for the deaf community’s inclusion in various aspects of society, from education to employment.

             In regulating special education, the bill seeks to empower the Education Ministry and the CS to regulate the provision of Kenyan sign language interpretation.

             The bill states that the Education CS will also be required to determine the education, training and qualifications required for a person to be registered as a Kenyan sign language interpreter, besides establishing and maintaining a register of Kenyan sign language interpreters.

            Umi adds that the council will ensure that all sign language interpreters are licensed and pay a registration fee that will be used for the day-to-day running of the council and its operations.

             The bill also targets telecommunication companies and seeks to compel them to provide a subsidy to those with hearing impairment to communicate.

             “The deaf also speak on the phone just like you and me but not on a video call, which is quite expensive. So mobile service providers need to reduce the cost of mobile data or create products that target this particular group of customers,” she said.

             Umi laments that people with hearing impairment have generally been left behind in almost all aspects of life, from education to employment.

             For example, she notes that there are at least 80,000 people with hearing impairment in the workforce but only 20,000 have formal jobs. Out of these, just 5,000 are in government.

             “Most of them have employed themselves,” she said.

             This bill, she notes, seeks to create a culture shift, moving away from pitying those with hearing impairment and instead acknowledging them and providing an enabling environment for them.

             “I’m not just thinking about today. The law might take effect years after I’m out of parliament but the vision is to at least create a vision that speaks sign language,” said Umi. 

             It also mirrors the agenda of the current syllabus – Competency Based Curriculum (CBC) – that seeks to produce competent learners.

             The lawmaker also recommends that every county should have at least one special needs school, even though this is not in her bill.

             Meanwhile, Umi says she is championing a partnership with Gallaudet University – the sole university for deaf students based in Washington DC – to help more students with hearing impairment a chance to attain university education.

             “This is an agenda that I personally want to take to the President, that we can have such a university here in Kenya,” said Umi.

            She also wants special consideration for deaf students in the issuance of government scholarships.

             “Outside my bill now, in my own capacity, I am trying to sit down with cabinet secretaries, sending messages that when they are designing scholarships, they should consider two or three students with hearing impairment and attach them to Gallaudet University each year,” said the MP.