Sign Language training

Sign Language training is an activity that DERINE looks at with a concern to uplift the status of the deaf persons in Uganda. It is Communication that man must use to relate with others, and without that, then no new ideas and human better relations. The deaf requires sign language as their natural basic communication language and this is eased by empowering the public most especially the parents to know sign language.

 Sign language studies going on as conducted by Deaf Rights Network-Kampala Uganda-2009. photo by Billy Bbosa

Deaf Awareness Week

 Objectives

The purpose of Deaf Awareness Week is to educate communities about the many issues the deaf population face during everyday life, as well as to honor the history and culture of people who are deaf or hard-of-hearing...specifically:

• To differentiate between misconception and fact about deaf and hard of hearing people and deaf culture.
• To understand the differences in the attitudinal approaches to being deaf or hard of hearing by the hearing public and by deaf or hard of hearing people themselves.
• To learn about types, degrees, and causes of hearing loss and other audiological information.
• To become familiar with terminology related to being deaf or hard of hearing.
• To become familiar with sign language and other ways deaf and hard of hearing people communicate.
• To understand the functions of assistive devices used by people who are deaf or hard of hearing.
• To better understand an interpreter’s role.
• To learn about the types of educational programs and support services that are available to deaf and hard of hearing children.
• To gain an understanding of the psychosocial aspects of being deaf or hard of hearing.
• To become familiar with the services and resources that are available to the deaf and hard of hearing community.
• To learn about communicating with deaf and hard of hearing people.
• To have a better understanding of deaf culture.
• To recognize that “Deaf People Can Do Anything Except Hear!

 Since 1951, the last full week (Sunday through Saturday) of September has been designated Deaf Awareness Week. Source: National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders

Home

Welcome Remarks from the Principal Director.

Having managed to have this website brings an icon of hope that there is bigger step reached to the realization of the dreams in our objectives where we have an idea that sharing information on deaf issues is one way of devising the best practices and avenues in the transformation of the deaf peoples fundamental RIGHTS and FREEDOMS just as it is to persons who have no hearing impairments.
This website is going to be used to carry out Research, Lobby, Advocacy and Networking on the affairs of the deaf persons in Uganda and across the world.  One of the key issues that we hope to address  includes seeing the realization of the; Right to Education of the deaf persons to achieve the MDG 2, Access to Information, Sensitizing the deaf communities on the impact of corruption in society, etc. This will take us to the extent of condemning the vise of “child labor” of the deaf child. This is because the deaf children are denied their inherent right to education and altered to be in such worst forms of child labor while other deaf children who have run out of homes are in city streets doing luggage lifting works for wages.
I wish all those persons that shall find this home interesting, educative and important, to use it so as to transform lives of the most vulnerable for equality of Humanity in this world where we have behavioral diversity.

Yours in service,
Andrew Yiga
Principal Director
Deaf Rights Network
(DERINE).
andrewyiga@rocketmail.com
www.deafrightsnetwork.blogspot

Deaf Rights Network You can get us on Face Book.com; Deaf Rights Network

Deaf Rights Network

Uganda General Elections 2011,,,Decide Now !!!

Uganda is undergoing general Elections.2011  It is our will to decide wisely or out of ignorance.   As the deaf people, what do we need to look into our candidates? We have to think about how they shall;    

* Cater for our Education 
* Health  policy 
* Interpretation in public media institutions and the in public functions.  This caters for re installation of sign   language interpretation on UBC TV. Also interpretation to happen on  BUKEDDE TV and STAR T V 
* Allow our right to equally compete for jobs
We  are for those who know our problems and not for those who knows theirs only.

Happening stories

A new Deaf Church started at Nakanyonyi- Mukono District Uganda


A new Deaf church in Mukono District has been launched. This Church is called Mukono Fellowship Center for the Deaf. It is found at Nakanyonyi after Kalagi trading center Kayunga Rd.This church is led by Rev Paul Ssajjabi (256 752363332)Who is also deaf but so evangelistic.

On left, Rev Paul  (church leader)with Principal Director  DERINE Andrew Yiga on Right  

            

www.deafrightsnetwork.blogspot.com

Anti corruption day launched

Anti Corruption week has been launched at  Grand Imperial Hotel in Kampala 03/Dec/2010.This years Theme will be DO NOT LET CORRUPTION KILL DEVELOPMENT. 

 

However, Ugandan society has chosen to celebrate it under the theme DO NOT LET  ELECTORAL CORRUPTION  KILL DEMOCRACY AND DEVELOPMENT.

This is because, Uganda is soon in 2011 to under  go general elections and as a matter of concern, there is a need to remind the  population about the disease of corruption as it mars electoral processes especially in poor countries like Uganda.

 

Uganda General  Elections results 2011

 Allex Ndeezi wins Central PWDs Mp Seat

Ndeezi retains central MP seat for Persons with disability (PWDs), Alex Ndeezi celebrated his victory  at Collin Hotel Mukono on Tuesday.He shall be remembered for his refusal to sign the CHOGM report as a member.This report  brought a lot of controversy to MPs and the general public on how the big sum of money worth 500 billion was mishandled by the politicians in the work of preparing for the Heads of state meeting in Kampala 2007.Could this money benefit the deaf community? Of course YES.

Candidate	Party	votes	Percentage
Abed Bwanika	[PDP]	51,708	0.65%
Besigye Kizza Kifefe	[FDC]	2,064,963	26.01%
Beti Olive Namisango Kamya	[UFA]	52,782	0.66%
Bidandi Ssali Jaberi	[PPP]	34,688	0.44%
Mao Norbert	[DP]	147,917	1.86%
Olara Otunnu	[UPC]	125,059	1.58%
Samuel Lubega Walter Mukaaku	Independent	32,726	0.41%
Yoweri K Museveni	[NRM]	5,428368	68.38%
Provisional Total Valid Votes Cast		7,938,212
Invalid Votes		334,548	4.04%
Provision Total Votes Cast		8,272,760
Spoilt Votes		24,835

Statistics for data Recieved at National Tally Centre
Registered Voters	Total Cast Votes Submitted	Percentage
13,954,129	8,272,760	59.29%
Total Number of Polling Stations	Total Polling stations Submitted	Percentage
23,968	23,851	99.51%

This follows the recent Presidential elections carried out on 18/02/ 2011 . Besigye Kiiza and other candidates are denying the results basing on the irregularities embed in.

Factsheet about Persons with Disabilities

Overview

• Around 10 per cent of the world's population, or 650 million people, live with a disability. They are the world's largest minority.
• This figure is increasing through population growth, medical advances and the ageing process, says the World Health Organization (WHO).
• In countries with life expectancies over 70 years, individuals spend on average about 8 years, or 11.5 per cent of their life span, living with disabilities.
• Eighty per cent of persons with disabilities live in developing countries, according to the UN Development Programme (UNDP).
• Disability rates are significantly higher among groups with lower educational attainment in the countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), says the OECD Secretariat. On average, 19 per cent of less educated people have disabilities, compared to 11 per cent among the better educated.
• In most OECD countries, women report higher incidents of disability than men.
• The World Bank estimates that 20 per cent of the world's poorest people have some kind of disability, and tend to be regarded in their own communities as the most disadvantaged.
• Women with disabilities are recognized to be multiply disadvantaged, experiencing exclusion on account of their gender and their disability.
• Women and girls with disabilities are particularly vulnerable to abuse. A small 2004 survey in Orissa, India, found that virtually all of the women and girls with disabilities were beaten at home, 25 per cent of women with intellectual disabilities had been raped and 6 per cent of women with disabilities had been forcibly sterilized.
• According to UNICEF, 30 per cent of street youths have some kind of disability.
• Mortality for children with disabilities may be as high as 80 per cent in countries where under-five mortality as a whole has decreased below 20 per cent, says the United Kingdom's Department for International Development, adding that in some cases it seems as if children are being "weeded out".
• Comparative studies on disability legislation shows that only 45 countries have anti-discrimination and other disability-specific laws.
• In the United Kingdom, 75 per cent of the companies of the FTSE 100 Index on the London Stock Exchange do not meet basic levels of web accessibility, thus missing out on more than $147 million in revenue.

Education

• Ninety per cent of children with disabilities in developing countries do not attend school, says UNESCO.

• The global literacy rate for adults with disabilities is as low as 3 per cent, and 1 per cent for women with disabilities, according to a 1998 UNDP study.
• In the OECD countries, students with disabilities in higher education remain under-represented, although their numbers are on the increase, says the OECD.

Employment

• An estimated 386 million of the world's working-age people have some kind of disability, says the International Labour Organization (ILO). Unemployment among the persons with disabilities is as high as 80 per cent in some countries. Often employers assume that persons with disabilities are unable to work.
• Even though persons with disabilities constitute a significant 5 to 6 per cent of India's population, their employment needs remain unmet, says a study by India's National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People, in spite of the "People with Disabilities" Act, which reserves for them 3 per cent of government jobs. Of the some 70 million persons with disabilities in India, only about 100,000 have succeeded in obtaining employment in industry.
• A 2004 United States survey found that only 35 per cent of working-age persons with disabilities are in fact working, compared to 78 per cent of those without disabilities. Two-thirds of the unemployed respondents with disabilities said they would like to work but could not find jobs.
• A 2003 study by Rutgers University found that people with physical and mental disabilities continue to be vastly underrepresented in the U.S. workplace. One-third of the employers surveyed said that persons with disabilities cannot effectively perform the required job tasks. The second most common reason given for not hiring persons with disabilities was the fear of costly special facilities.
• A U.S. survey of employers conducted in 2003 found that the cost of accommodations was only $500 or less; 73 per cent of employers reported that their employees did not require special facilities at all.
• Companies report that employees with disabilities have better retention rates, reducing the high cost of turnover, says a 2002 U.S. study. Other American surveys reveal that after one year of employment, the retention rate of persons with disabilities is 85 per cent.
• Thousands of persons with disabilities have been successful as small business owners, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. The 1990 national census revealed that persons with disabilities have a higher rate of self-employment and small business experience (12.2 per cent) than persons without disabilities (7.8 per cent).

Violence

• For every child killed in warfare, three are injured and acquire a permanent form of disability.
• In some countries, up to a quarter of disabilities result from injuries and violence, says WHO.
• Persons with disabilities are more likely to be victims of violence or rape, according to a 2004 British study, and less likely to obtain police intervention, legal protection or preventive care.
• Research indicates that violence against children with disabilities occurs at annual rates at least 1.7 times greater than for their peers without disabilities.

Source: UN Enable

International Anti corruption Day/ CHOGM 2007

History of Anti corruption day

In October 31, 2003, The United Nations Assembly, declared the 9th of December to be celebrated as World Anti Corruption Day each year. The first annual International Anti-Corruption Day was conducted in Merida, Mexico on December 9th, 2004. Since then each year it is convened to fight the corruption with full potential around the world.

Least and worst corrupt countries across the Globe

The least corrupt countries in the world are in Europe and the worst corrupt countries are in Africa. It is told that corruption influence a lot our standard of living. A government servant having a monthly salary between US$ 100-200 in these nations can barely live to support a family of four members. Anti corruption drive in these sectors should be catapulted resulting in lifting their living standard.

 Anti Corruption Day 2010

Internationally, anti corruption day 2010/11 has been cerebrated under the theme " Do not let Corruption kill development"

In Uganda, the theme has been changed to suit our existing circumstances. In fact Uganda is undergoing general elections 2011 and the theme is streamlined to this cause." Do not let corruption kill democracy and development". Corruption is a diverse concept which rotates around abuse of office. Anything that involves mismanagement of the electoral process for this matter, is alleged to be killing Democracy and Development.

A number of issues are required to be put right during this Anti Corruption week and through out the year 2010-11.These include

1. Equal use of the public mass medias by all candidates in the campaigning course
2. Avoidance of violence during and after the electoral process
3. Holding free and fair elections.
4. Negating Giving of bribes in the guise of giving gifts, charities and social fund raising.

 we are proud of you if you leave a comment on the theme on how best you observe the situation and how best you can advise the Uganda peoples on the best electoral process

We encourage the voting of people of integrity and avoid corrupt men.

Can the voting 2011 be aligned to the CHOGM report 2007 where we see over 247 Billion shillings being misused? YES, we ca not forget this big loss for the entire Ugandans. 

Back ground to the 2007 CHOGM and the funds

Every 2 years, the common wealth leaders meet to discuss global and commonwealth issues and agree on collective initiatives and policies.
These summits provide an opportunity for a unique forum for consultation at the highest level of government. These are organised by the host nation which in this case is Uganda in collaboration with the Common Wealth secretariat.
Associated committees meetings usually take place in a week preceeding CHOGM.

Parallel special events involving non-government organzations , business and youth concide with each CHOGM.
The most recent CHOGM was held in Valleta, Malta from 25 to 27th November 2005.

In 2007, Uganda hosted a common Wealth Head of states.The Audit reports however revealed that over 247 billion shillings was lost due to influence in the procurement procedures by the high profile politician. It should be noted that, the original approved budget for the meeting was 270 billions but  the total expenditure  totaled  up to 500 billion shillings

If that money was wisely used on social activities benefiting all Ugandans, ACCU says, it would lead to achievement of the following:

In the education sector, 

It could facilitate the construction of 17,000 standard classrooms under the Universal Primary Education(UPE)., or construct 1300 classrooms under  Universal Secondary Education if a standard class room costs UGX 18 million. 

This would save the big number of children but specifically the deaf children who are studying under trees. Today, Uganda has only two secondary schools for the deaf under government and these are Wakiso and Mbaale Secondary school for the Deaf.In a fair way, these are not at all enough to cater for the bigger number of deaf children completing primary seven from across the country.