The Deputy Minister of Disability Affairs, Alexia Manombe-Ncube, has tabled a motion in the National Assembly for the official recognition of Namibian Sign Language as one of the national languages of Namibia.

She also proposed the appointment of sign language interpreters for live parliamentary debates.

Manombe-Ncube's motion is aligned with Namibia's constitution and international commitments, including the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

The central objective of the proposal is to safeguard the linguistic rights of the deaf community and foster their complete engagement in all aspects of Namibian society.

The Executive Director of the Namibia National Association of the Deaf, Paul Nanyeni, strongly supports this motion as a significant step towards equality for the deaf community.

Nanyeni emphasised the exclusionary impact of the absence of sign language interpreters in live parliamentary debates in relation to the participation of deaf individuals in national discussions.

He cited specific instances where the lack of sign language interpretation hindered the rights and participation of the deaf community in the passing of bills.

If this motion receives approval, Manombe-Ncube believes it will represent a significant milestone in achieving inclusivity and equality for the deaf community in Namibia.