By Lawrencia Akoto Frempong
Adjei Kojo, July 12, GNA - The Tema Bench Bar and Police Prosecution have sensitised students of the Tetteh Ocloo State School for the Deaf at Adjei Kojo on legal education, their rights and responsibilities.
The association also donated some items to the school, which included bags of rice, a gallon of oil, two cartons of tomato paste, mathematical sets and bottles of water.
The school, which has a population of 345 pupils, teaches all Basic Education courses except Ghanaian languages and French; and also, some of the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) courses.
Mr. Emmanuel Kumadey, the coordinator for the association and a legal practitioner, noted that the aim of the association was to visit schools within the Tema catchment area to sensitise students on legal education while offering them words of encouragement and swaying them from engaging in social vices and focusing on their education.
Mr. Kumadey said that the Tetteh Ocloo State School for the Deaf was a special school, giving them an overwhelming experience.
He said as the first deaf lawyer had shared his experiences and challenges with the pupils, it would motivate them to push forward.
He mentioned that as legal professionals, they have noticed that special people, such as the deaf, face a lot of challenges, especially in the courtroom and police stations.
Due to these challenges, the association and judges have taken up to ensure that all public institutions would have interpreters so that it would be easier for effective communication and bridge the communication barrier.
He called on policy makers to factor in interpreters not only for the deaf but for the blind and others so that life would be easier for them as well.
Her Ladyship Justice Janet Anima Maafo, the Supervising High Court Judge at the Tema High Court, and Her Ladyship Justice Maleek Wanya-Dey, a High Court Judge at the Lands Division, both urged the students to desist from social vices, as sometimes, some actions might end them in the court.
They both reiterated that the court does not have any distinction in law for persons with challenges, as they would face the law as and when such offences occur.
They further mentioned that social vices such as robbery, child defilement and others were serious offences of the law which would be punished no matter the communication challenges or situations of the accused persons.
They cautioned the students to live their lives diligently, take their education seriously and dream of becoming judges and lawyers in the future.
Mr. Isaac Arthur, the Headmaster of the Tetteh Ocloo State School for the Deaf, appreciated the association for educating the students on legal issues and inspiring them to dream beyond their situations.
Mr. Arthur noted that it was important for sign languages to be taught in the various training schools and universities, adding that the doors at the Tetteh Ocloo State School for the Deaf are open to anyone who wants to learn sign language.
He said that the major challenge the deaf have with the public is miscommunication, as most people do not understand them when they sign and vice versa, making interactions difficult.
“Sometimes when they visit the religious centres, banks, police stations, hospitals and even the court, they are unable to express themselves because there are not many interpreters at these places to explain and interpret certain things for them, making them misunderstood or misinformed,” he added.
Mr. Arthur also stated that some media houses do not have sign interpreters, and when they do, they hide them at the corners of their channels, making it difficult for the deaf to see them, leading to misinforming them.
He therefore called on the public and policymakers to embrace sign languages and also appeal to public institutions to employ sign language interpreters to assist them communicate effectively with the hearing impaired.
GNA
Edited by Laudia Sawer/Benjamin Mensah