The Executive Director of the Namibian National Association of the Deaf, Paul Nanyeni, has described the initiative by the police to continuously learn basic sign language as commendable. 

This comes after about 30 officers attended a five-day basic sign language course at Rundu recently.

Nanyeni urged other sectors to follow suit, adding that deaf people meet barriers when reporting cases, and in some instances, their statements in the process get distorted.

He emphasised that a police officer who understands the plaintiff would serve as a primary source and ought to be accurate. 

Nanyeni stated the deaf community too needs access to services wherever and whenever, and the absence of a person with the know-how should not be an obstacle. 

He asked banks and other financial institutions to follow suit and make their products accessible to the hearing impaired. 

Naanda Shipahu, a veteran sign language interpreter, also welcomed this move, saying he has been a strong advocate for police officers to know sign language. 

"I have always advised police officers to be trained in sign language to be able to communicate with deaf people whenever they require police assistance. The Deaf community faces a huge challenge in communicating with the hearing world unless accompanied by sign language interpreters." 

Aune Ashikuti-Nuuyoma also pointed out the challenges faced by the deaf community. 

"Imagine a deaf person wants to report a case at the police station and they cannot communicate with the police officer. And sometimes these deaf people can commit crimes like others. They will end up being jailed for nothing. or for a crime, nothing about it. Most of the deaf people cannot express themselves through writing. In Namibia, very few deaf people have access to education, and that makes it difficult to write their own statement that they can't communicate with the police officers. That's the biggest challenge I have noticed." 

Teachers and nurses are a segment of society that she wants to be trained extensively in sign language. 

Selma Moses stressed the importance of sign language being recognised as an official language.

"At the moment we are fighting for sign language recognition. We are hoping that it gets recognised, then it gets protected, and then linguistic and cultural rights are enhanced. And once you recognise sign language, then it literally translates to the government ensuring that wherever a deaf person goes, there is sign language provision."

Figures show there are about 27,000 deaf people in Namibia.