Deaf History: Middle Africa

Much of the available history of deaf Africa focuses on Sub-Saharan Africa, which geographically is the area of the African continent that lies south of the Sahara. Middle Africa is a portion of the Sub-Saharan region. According to the United Nations, Middle Africa is composed of Angola, with a population of 20.82 million; Cameroon (21.7 million); Central African Republic (4.52 million); Chad (12.45 million); Democratic Republic of the Congo (65.71 million); Republic of the Congo (4.67 million); Equatorial Guinea (736,296); and Gabon (1.63 million). The combined deaf population is estimated at more than one million for the entire region, but accurate data are difficult to obtain for myriad reasons. More often than not, deaf individuals end up disappearing from school systems, workplaces, and society in ...