Africa, Eastern: Deaf Community

In 2012, the World Health Organization released its most recent data on hearing loss based on 42 population studies. It is estimated that South Asia, Asia Pacific, and sub-Saharan Africa (which includes Eastern African nations) are the regions with the highest levels of hearing loss in children. Hearing loss among adults over age 65 is also prevalent in the same regions. The deaf community of Eastern Africa faces arduous living conditions due to lack of primary, secondary, and university education; insufficient interpreter services; and limited employment opportunities. Organizations are working to improve the rights of the deaf, but the challenges associated with being deaf remain high across Eastern Africa, particularly in the least-developed and most impoverished nations.

For the most part, the Deaf community in Eastern Africa faces difficulties in their integration with society at large; they are ignored, isolated, or shunned. Moreover, in some regions, deaf people are rejected by society. In Uganda the deaf are heavily discriminated against; it is believed they are contagious, they are referred to as kasiru meaning “stupid” or “foolish,” and deaf children are viewed as evil or cursed. The majority of deaf people in Eastern Africa face similar issues, as well as shaming and difficulty marrying.

For the Eastern African Deaf community, social stigmatization translates into economic hardship as the majority live below the poverty line and do not have equal access to social services. Due to the lack of schools for deaf children or schools that integrate deaf children, much of the Deaf community in Eastern Africa does not have access to education. From a young age, deaf Eastern Africans often remain at home and rely on others, isolated from society, especially if they do not have assistance from interpreters or family members. Lack of education creates long-term obstacles for the Deaf community in Eastern Africa.