Completed Projects
DeafBlind in Burundi
The Global Sign Languages Team formed an ad-hoc group of experts to travel to Burundi and provide training. Some of the topics covered were orientation and mobility, ways to communicate (including haptics), braille, didactic materials, and adaptive games.
The training was in two sessions. The morning session was at a Deaf NGO and the afternoon session was at a Deaf school that had 11 DeafBlind students. According to the Director of the school, some parents who have DeadBlind children hide their children in their homes and others are reluctant to send them to school because there is no educational program for DeafBlind students in Burundi. Schools hesitate to accept DeafBlind children because they do not have the proper facilities nor the training to teach them.
During this 2-weeks training, 54 people were trained, 28 students and 26 adults. This included Deaf and DeaBlind students, teachers and school administrators, parents, Deaf leaders, and interpreters.
Anti- Human Trafficking
Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras
Deaf in Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras created anti-human trafficking material. This material was presented to Deaf students, their family, and friends at Deaf schools, Deaf classrooms, Deaf associations, and Deaf clubs in each country.
A book that talks about the dangers of illegal immigration as well as how to migrate legally.
A book explaining what human trafficking is and the different types of human trafficking.
A true story of a Deaf student who trusted a stranger only to be drugged, kidnapped, and violated. She was later able to escape and be reunited with her family.
Tanzania
First Grade Textbook
BILAT, a Deaf NGO, translated first grade school textbooks from Swahili to Tanzanian Sign Language.
At the end of the first phase of this project, 11 Deaf schools and Deaf units will benefit from these textbooks.
COVID-19 Material
During the pandemic, Deaf in Africa and Latin America produced COVID-19 material to provide valuable information to their local Deaf communities. Deaf have limited access to information. Many countries do not provide a sign language interpreter or the interpretation is not clear to the local Deaf.
Africa
BILAT, a Deaf run NGO in Tanzania, after a visit from a GSLT staff member in March of 2020, decided that the Deaf in Tanzania needed to know about the dangers of COVID-19 and the recommended practices for avoiding infection. The information available on TV, radio and in print were not easily accessible to most Deaf. So, BILAT produced an informational video and a song. Deaf in other countries expressed an interest in producing videos in their own signed languages. ADMA (Africa Deaf Mission Alliance) with funding provided through SIL helped organize teams from five countries to produce videos in their own signed languages.
Burundi
Ghana
Deaf have produced 2 videos about COVID-19 in Ghanaian Sign Language, an informational video and a song.
COVID-19 Informational Video in Ghanaian Sign Language
COVID-19 Song in Ghanaian Sign Language
Kenya
Kenyan Deaf produced an informational video.
Tanzania
BILAT, a Deaf NGO, created two videos regarding COVID-19 at the beginning of the pandemic, an informational video and a song (ballad). For the ADMA project they revised the informational video.
COVID-19 Information in Tanzanian Sign Language
COVID-19 Ballad in Tanzanian Sign Language
Uganda
Deaf in Uganda produced an informational video.
Latin America
Three schools for the Deaf and a Deaf foundation worked together to create and published 43 COVID-19 Sign Language Bloom books. These books provided information during the pandemic when the information was either not accessible or limited to the Deaf community. Their books were uploaded to the Bloom Library where the Deaf community has free access to them.
SIL GSLT provided access to funding, provided training and logistical support. SIL created the Bloom software.
Colombia
Deaf from Colegio Filadelfia para Sordos published 13 bilingual Bloom books about COVID-19. The books are in Colombian Sign Language and Spanish.
El Salvador
Deaf from FUDIPES (A Deaf-led foundation) published 13 bilingual Bloom books about COVID-19. The books are in Spanish and Salvadoran Sign Language.
Guatemala
A Deaf teacher from the Benemérito Comité Pro-Ciegos y Sordos published 4 COVID books in Guatemala Sign Language (LENSEGUA).
Honduras
Deaf from Manos Felices School for the Deaf published 13 bilingual Bloom books about COVID-19. The books are in Spanish and Honduran Sign Language.
