The Pan South African Language Board (PanSALB) in conjunction with the National Institute for the Deaf (NID) will on Thursday, 1 September 2022, launch Deaf Awareness Month and the first bilingual South African Sign Language (SASL) Dictionary at a media briefing to be conducted at the Imbizo Media Centre, Parliament of South Africa and the official launch at Iziko Museums of South Africa, TH Barry Lecture Theatre in Cape Town.
September is Deaf Awareness Month which coincides with the South African Heritage Month. This period is used to celebrate the rich cultural history of the Deaf community and continue the work of advocating for the rights of Deaf people. Throughout the month, PanSALB will be conducting various activities to raise awareness to bridge the gap between the hearing and the Deaf community to enhance social cohesion.
“South Africa continues to have high levels of illiteracy, however, the high level of illiteracy is not a challenge that is unique to South Africa only, the global statistics released by UNESCO indicate that 774 million adults (15 years and older) still cannot read or write, two-thirds of which are women. Illiteracy is a global challenge, which requires all spheres of government, the private sector, and civil society to form a social compact to reduce the rate of illiteracy in the world” he concluded.
