NSLI claps back at accusations
After being called a money-making scheme by the Namibian National Association of the Deaf (NNAD), the National Sign Language Institute (NSLI) on Monday demanded the statements be retracted.
Last week, the NNAD accused the country’s youngest sign language training institution of being 'fake' and of charging the public large sums of money for lessons.
In response, NSLI founder Linea Kapofi sent the association a letter on its "defamatory and unlawful statements".
"NSLI has followed business registration procedures and reserves the right to conduct its business under this right.
“Statements such as ‘there are non-recommended ones such as NSLI and the Namibian College of Interpreting. Stay away from these two’ infringes [on] our right to practice our business, especially in that it harms no one," the letter read.
The institution demanded that the statements be retracted immediately, saying it believes "there is an existing working relationship between members of the deaf community and NSLI, particularly as workshops and training conducted has been alongside a deaf Namibian”.
Inclusion
Kapofi further said one of their workshops in Ongwediva proved that the relationship between the deaf and hearing communities is being restored.
"It is evident and within our records that the participants within this workshop were from Ongwediva police station, Ongwediva Medipark hospital and the Oshakati State Hospital, and this training was crafted with two facilitators - one hearing and one deaf.
“This also displayed a good working relationship and inclusion between both communities," she said.
No evidence
The NNAD said efforts to create a working relationship with the NSLI failed on many occasions, to which Kapofi responded that the institution "has no record of NNAD reaching out to us to work together, nor any grievances from this association as to the types of services we provide".
"This statement in their press release is untrue; there is no working relationship between us and them and they do not want to heed our request to work together, meaning a reputable deaf person should lead the training.
“We, therefore, demand that this statement, too, be retracted."
Attempts to reach NNAD director Paul Nanyeni proved futile.
The NSLI demanded that the NNAD issue a public apology on or before Thursday, 7 July, and threatened to exercise its right to take further action.
Last week, the NNAD accused the country’s youngest sign language training institution of being 'fake' and of charging the public large sums of money for lessons.
In response, NSLI founder Linea Kapofi sent the association a letter on its "defamatory and unlawful statements".
"NSLI has followed business registration procedures and reserves the right to conduct its business under this right.
“Statements such as ‘there are non-recommended ones such as NSLI and the Namibian College of Interpreting. Stay away from these two’ infringes [on] our right to practice our business, especially in that it harms no one," the letter read.
The institution demanded that the statements be retracted immediately, saying it believes "there is an existing working relationship between members of the deaf community and NSLI, particularly as workshops and training conducted has been alongside a deaf Namibian”.
Inclusion
Kapofi further said one of their workshops in Ongwediva proved that the relationship between the deaf and hearing communities is being restored.
"It is evident and within our records that the participants within this workshop were from Ongwediva police station, Ongwediva Medipark hospital and the Oshakati State Hospital, and this training was crafted with two facilitators - one hearing and one deaf.
“This also displayed a good working relationship and inclusion between both communities," she said.
No evidence
The NNAD said efforts to create a working relationship with the NSLI failed on many occasions, to which Kapofi responded that the institution "has no record of NNAD reaching out to us to work together, nor any grievances from this association as to the types of services we provide".
"This statement in their press release is untrue; there is no working relationship between us and them and they do not want to heed our request to work together, meaning a reputable deaf person should lead the training.
“We, therefore, demand that this statement, too, be retracted."
Attempts to reach NNAD director Paul Nanyeni proved futile.
The NSLI demanded that the NNAD issue a public apology on or before Thursday, 7 July, and threatened to exercise its right to take further action.
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