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Cameroon Sign Language

CAMEROON DEAF EMPOWERMENT ORGANISATION - Programs. Sign language classes are organised for parents of deaf children and other interested individuals . Classes are taught by trained deaf and hearing teachers. A three day training programme was conducted in June 1999 and this included deaf people from the town of Kumba. A total of nine people participated. Ongoing training is provided to CDEO sign language teachers. Funding for this programme was provided by the British High Commission of Yaounde and the Catholic Deaf Association (CDA), U.K. In January 2000, Rev. Fr Peter McDonough and Mrs Roslyn Robinson, representing CDA, U.K .gave a seminar on teaching sign language in CDEO’s office. The sign language teachers found the seminar refreshing

Kamei, N.

(n.d.).The Birth of Langue des Signes Franco-Africaine: Creole ASL in West and Central French-speaking Africa.Langue des Signes Franco-Africaine (LSFA) is a generic term for sign languages widely used among the Deaf in French-speaking West and Central Africa with two distinctcharacteristics, loan signs from ASL and an influence based on spoken/written French. Inshort, LSFA can be defined as a generic term for creole sign languages consisting of ASL and French in Africa.

(2006, December 25). History of Deaf people and sign languages in Africa: Fieldwork in the "kingdom" derived from Andrew J. Foster. Tokyo: Akashi Shoten Co., Ltd. 月刊言語』書評で紹介 (2007年6月号) 毎日新聞全国版の書評で紹介 (2007/02/18)『アフリカのろう者と手話の歴史』刊行 (2006/12/25)

Deaf culture

Publications and presentations by KAMEI Nobutaka.

Rich, J. Research interests of KAMEI Nobutaka. Studies on the Deaf communities and sign languages in Africa - Fieldwork in Cameroon and Gabon.

Deaf education & youth

Divers : Faire un don de matériel pour un institut de jeunes sourds en Afrique - BB.

Engono, A. (2008). LE JOUR QUOTIDIEN - Innocent Djonthé : “Les textes signés ne sont pas respectés”. LE PROMOTEUR DU CERSOM DÉPLORE LE MANQUE D'ENCADREMENT SCOLAIRE DES SOURDS-MUETS.

Ephphatha Institute for the Deaf (EID).

Institut National Evangelique Des Enfants Deficients Auditifs et Visuels (INEDAV).

NDCS.

Cameroon.The Promhandicam Association based in Yaounde, Cameroon has produced these two leaflets in French for parents of deaf children. "La Prevention de la Surdite." (129 kb) This leaflet explains the common causes of deafness and how to prevent deafness and maintain healthy ears. "Elever un enfant sourd." (178 kb) This leaflet is targetted to parents and explains some of the most important elements of bringing up a deaf child, such as the development of language and social skills.

(2007, February 15). Initiating an Education and Empowerment Project for families of Deaf Children in Cameroon. When children of the Buea School come back home to their families during holidays, they are often unable to communicate with their parents. During term time, they increase their fluency and often find it frustrating to go home as they cannot communicate effectively. Parents, who receive no governmental support for their deaf child and have very little access to information, also find this frustrating. Many parents have expressed an interest in improving their Sign Language skills. In addition, there is little awareness of the needs of deaf children and their families among teachers and community workers. This project aims to address these limitations by working with teachers and parents at the Buea School for the Deaf as well as including community workers from other community based organisations. The School will organise Sign Language classes and train Home Support Workers to provide information to families and support them in improving communication at home.

(2005, April 19). Vocational Training Project for the Ephphatha Institute for the Deaf. This project will establish the only secondary education facility in Cameroon at the Ephphatha Institute for the Deaf (EID). The centre will specialise in vocational training alongside the general curiculum.

Shettle, A. (2004, Spring). Deaf Children with Additional Disabilities in Developing Countries, Cameroon and Cameroon resources.

Surdité en Afrique. See 4. CAMEROUN.

Deaf health

DeafTODAY. (2004, May 5). North West: Deaf and Dumb Sensitised On HIV/AIDS. A Non-governmental Organisation (Centre de resources d'animation et de la sensibilisation des sourds) known by its French acronym CERAS is currently integrating the deaf and dumb throughout the country in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

Deaf history and current events

Miles, M. (2005). Deaf people living and communication in African histories, c. 960s - 1960s. There is strong documentary evidence that deaf or hearing impaired men and women, girls and boys, did occupy social space and took roles across the full spectrum of life throughout Africa in earlier centuries, living lives like everyone else and also having some different experiences. Traces and signs of deaf people appear in many sorts of historical document, such as travellers' accounts, legal and genealogical records, government, institutional and missionary archives, linguistic studies, literature, folklore, religious narrative, mime, dance and drama. Many of their experiences have involved severe economic poverty and adversity, stigmatising attitudes and exclusionary practices; yet this has not been the norm everywhere in Africa, and many deaf people have shown great resilience, perseverance, humour and ingenuity in their dealings and communications with the non-deaf world.

Organizations

Association Nationale des sourds du Cameroun

CAMEROON DEAF EMPOWERMENT ORGANISATION.

Surdité en Afrique. See 4.CAMEROUN.