The National Association of the Deaf in Uganda focuses on education by partnering with the government to establish specialized schools for deaf children and train teachers in sign language, Robert Nkwangu, executive director of the National Association of the Deaf of Uganda, told Sputnik Africa through interpreter Wycliff Bukenya.

They also offer vocational skills training to enhance employability and independence for deaf individuals.

Embracing technology, the association developed the U-Sign app to widen access to sign language education. This app enables users to learn the basics of sign language via smartphones, facilitating easier communication with the deaf community.

The U-Sign app has achieved over 15,000 downloads and is praised for its convenience and comprehensive sections, including healthcare terminology. This feature is especially beneficial for medical practitioners addressing the health concerns of deaf patients.

“Deaf education has been lagging behind because of sign language and this app has helped the teachers to understand these concepts of how they can teach the children in class and generally public to really appreciate that persons are part of the ecosystem, and many had whopping interest in learning sign language after looking at this app. And it has created a lot of sensitivity and visibility,” Nkwangu said.