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{
    "id": 1284497,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1284497/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 182,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. (Prof.) Kamar",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 33,
        "legal_name": "Margaret Jepkoech Kamar",
        "slug": "margaret-kamar"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I beg to Move that The Kenya Sign Language Bill (Senate Bills No.9 of 2023) be now read a Second Time. Before I proceed, I would like to inform the House that this is the International Week for the deaf and it is an appropriate time to Move this Bill. Also, I send a warm message of congratulations to Kenyans with hearing impairment. Moreover, I would like to remember the sign language technical teams; those in the media who interpret and the teachers for the special children. As a Committee on Education, we visited several special education schools, which included the School for the Deaf in Uasin Gishu County. This week is being celebrated all over the country. However, I send greetings to teachers who have chosen to be special education teachers. These are special people in the country as they have the patience, courage and intelligence to communicate what most of us cannot. Mr. Speaker, Sir, the Kenyan Sign Language Bill, 2023 aims to create a comprehensive legal framework for the use of sign language. This will ensure deaf learners are given the same opportunities as all other learners in the education system, to be fully effective and productive members of the society. It is extremely important because of the child’s right to education, which is a basic right in the Constitution. Before setting out the specific provisions of the Bill, it befits us to understand the motivation behind the legislative proposal. The linguistic landscape can be challenging for the deaf or hard of hearing population because traditional spoken languages may not be accessible to them. This creates barriers to education, employment and participation in public life. In other jurisdictions such as Australia, it is now increasingly recognised that signing deaf people constitutes a group like any other non-English speaking language group. This shows that meaningful legal recognition of national sign language leads to better enjoyment of human rights. It is also worth noting that our Constitution recognizes three languages: English, Kiswahili and Kenyan Sign Language. The Kenyan Sign Language Bill carries significant consequences for the inclusion and accessibility of deaf individuals in the Kenyan society. It seeks to dismantle barriers that have hindered the full participation of the deaf community in various spheres of life including judicial proceedings, education and employment. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard Services,Senate."
}