Monday, 27 August 2007

KSLIA Statement

KSLIA would like to give an official statement on the issues therein.

It is the official position of the Kenyan Sign Language Interpreters Association (KSLIA) that the provision of quality and professional interpretation services is a right to all Deaf Kenyan community.

We believe that in Kenya as elsewhere in the world Interpreters are first normally Siblings, Parents, Friends, Colleagues, Neighbours or children of the Deaf - they naturally become the immediate available Interpreters thus many of the untrained, freelance and employed interpreters working in various settings throughout Kenya. They are leaders in delivering a very important service of interpretation in professional and community settings, including formal and informal settings and inclusion of these services in programs, projects and policy initiatives at local, regional, national and international levels.

In addition, all interpreters as members of KSLIA are leaders in facilitating and participating in research, training and documentation of interpretation profession in Kenya. In an era of increased opportunities for Deaf Kenyans to be involved in various professional, social and academic engagements, there is increased demand for the deployment of qualified and professional interpreters in fulfillment of the PWD Act 2003. Through the involvement and rigorous engagement of KSLIA in research, curriculum development, training, testing, certification and continuing education Kenya will be a beacon of interpretation excellence in this region and leading the way in empowering the Deaf community by giving equal access to information, education and communication for persons who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing.

KSLIA would like to reiterate its position on this blog and in public domain with this rallying call echoed by many before us in the Disability Movement - 'Nothing About Us Without Us!

We believe, as Mahatma Gandhi before us that “progress depends on not repeating the past and that, if we are to make progress, we must not repeat history but make new history.”

Chairman, KSLIA