Deaf Namibians still locked out, rights stuck on 'paper'

Namibia is home to an estimated 27 000 deaf people, but a chronic shortage of qualified sign language interpreters is locking many of them out of healthcare, policing, courts and public life, the Namibian Organisation of Youth With Disabilities (NOYD) said this week, citing figures from the Namibian National Association of the Deaf (NNAD).

Marking the International Day of Sign Languages on Wednesday, observed under the theme "Declaring deaf people's human rights", NOYD said the theme was not only a ceremonial statement but "a demand for action".

NOYD called on government to move from "paper-based empathy to funded, measurable and legally accountable implementation", in particular, implementation of the revised National Policy on Disability 2025–2035 and its costed implementation plan, adopted by Cabinet in July 2025 and officially launched that October.

"Deaf persons must be able to communicate independently and confidentially with healthcare professionals, access public information, participate in democratic processes, obtain employment and progress within the workplace,” NOYD spokesperson Otto Gotlieb said.

Gotlieb underscored that the rights of deaf people to be incorporated into society remain limited.

“A deaf employee should not be denied advancement because colleagues cannot communicate with them. A deaf patient should not have to rely on a relative to explain private medical information. A deaf citizen should not have to choose between being present at a public meeting and actually understanding what is being discussed," he said.

Despite the date also marking the 75th anniversary of the World Federation of the Deaf and 20 years since the adoption of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, in Namibia "a persistent gap remains between rights recognised on paper and rights experienced in everyday life," Gotlieb warned.

He said a severe shortage of qualified interpreters "remains one of the clearest manifestations of this systemic exclusion”.

"A human right cannot depend on whether an interpreter happens to be available on the day a deaf person needs a doctor, reports a crime, enters a police station, attends court or seeks government assistance," he stressed.

He said although Namibian Sign Language (NSL) is a medium of instruction in education and an examinable subject up to Grade 12, “the continued demand for stronger legal recognition and institutionalisation of NSL demonstrates that recognition within selected sectors has not yet translated into comprehensive access across public life.”

"Early and sustained access to NSL is particularly important because language is the foundation upon which learning, communication and participation are built," Gotlieb said.

Action, not just words

In March, concerns over the lack of interpreters for essential public services, including healthcare, policing and welfare, were raised in the National Assembly.

NNAD has identified "inadequate remuneration and limited policies compelling institutions to provide interpretation" as persistent barriers, Gotlieb said.

The association has records of 563 deaf children enrolled in Namibian schools and continues to advocate for interpreter capacity, teacher professionalisation and equal access to education.

The organisation is demanding stronger legal recognition and institutionalisation of Namibian Sign Language.