The Al-Waagah Institute for the Deaf is a respected organisation championing the rights and inclusivity of the Deaf, serving as a vital refuge for those impacted by systemic exclusion and gaps in policy implementation. Apart from their need for more meaningful social interaction, AL-Waagah currently also assists with legal services, applying for social grants, support for individuals from other Af
rican countries, poverty alleviation interventions, counselling services, workplace placement and any other ad hoc services. AL-Waagah Institute for the Deaf was established in 1995 to fill the gaps that are left in the development and support needed to help Deaf individuals overcome barriers to achieving their full potential. While there are approximately 43 schools across the country for Deaf and hard of hearing learners, few have the capacity to provide comprehensive support especially in impoverished neighborhoods. Being an education institute, essentially, AL-Waagah has nurtured the idea of establishing a school that would cater
not only for the education needs of Deaf learners but also for their social and personal wellbeing. The idea of an all-
inclusive school is that the Deaf are no longer marginalized or only confined to special schools. An all-inclusive school
would admit both hearing and Deaf learners, with the aim of empowering more people to communicate in sign
language and to mainstream the Deaf community. In this regard, the school is a “game-changer” in reimagining
basic education systems and the future of holistic, inclusive learning. You may ask why this Institute is so important and why it is needed! Education is the cornerstone of any society and the gateway to poverty alleviation, inter-dependence on family and government social grants. Education equalizes a society and people with disabilities are the ‘forgotten souls’ within our societies and communities. They are hidden away and made to believe that there is something wrong with them; they are essentially stripped from the ability to become successful human beings. The Deaf are not only marginalized against, they are discriminated and neglected. Their first language is Sign Language yet they are forced to live in a hearing world which is not adaptable and acceptable. For generations the Deaf had to conform to the needs of the hearing world but that can stop now. A vast majority of Deaf students fall out of the educational system because there is a lack of teachers who are unable teach in Sign Language. It has been researched that to be taught in Sign language or the language of your choice, has many cognitive and social benefits which include improving the learner’s communication skills, reducing social isolation, stigmatisation, loss of independence, poorer literacy and academic outcomes. According to the Department of Education (Feb, 2021), the total number of candidates, who registered for the 2020 NSC exams was 725 034 learners. Of that number, 100 candidates wrote the exam in South African Sign Language. Who benefits from our services? Current schools do not teach every subject in Sign Language. They mostly insist that the Deaf learn to speak spoken English. The Deaf within South Africa therefore has and still suffer a major injustice due to not being able to study in their chosen language, Sign Language. This is from primary school right through to tertiary institutions. They are not only marginalized within society but more importantly within education. We aim to teach every subject in Sign Language and spoken English, in this way we will not only ensure the Deaf is able to complete their education up to Matric level, we will also be training a generation of hearing students who will be proficient in Sign Language giving them an advantage in the workplace as Interpreters. The Problem
We currently do not have a school that teaches every subject in sign language within the Cape Flats. The Solution
We would therefore like to establish an all-inclusive school that offers education for both hearing and Deaf children. The model is based on the belief that placing children in the same space with others, who do not have disabilities, provides them with equal access to learning opportunities. It also increases the awareness and practice of sign language, helping to shift the narrative from the margins to mainstream. Even though the idea has been discussed on the level of the National Department of Education, thus far no initiative has taken up the challenge to put these ideas into practice. AL-Waagah therefore plans to be the first organization to develop the idea of an all-inclusive school, thereby pioneering a much-needed facility within the context of greater equality for our Deaf community. AL-Waagah has recently acquired a building in the neighbourhood of Bridgetown in the Western Cape, approximately 10km from the City Centre of Cape Town and in close proximity to some of the most marginalized communities known as the Cape Flats. It iseasily accessible to many impoverished communities in the city, especially those that were established under the oppressive apartheid legislature and continue to experience socio-economic depravation. The property was previously owned by a community development organization and has been vacant for a number of years. the basic structure is well suited to the needs of this project, as shown through current images in the appendix, however it is dire need of renovations and repurposing. This proposal invites potential donors to consider contributing to the establishment of an all-inclusive school for the Deaf and the hearing, the project includes the following aims and objectives:
• To provide an all-inclusive secular education by providing a school to the Deaf and the general public as defined in the South African Schools Act, 1996, (Act No. 84 of 1996).
• The provision of Edu care or early childhood development services for pre-school children.
• To establish and promote sign language for the Deaf in particular and society in general.
• To be a secular school inclusive of any and all religions.
• To provide ‘Adult basic education and training”, as defined in the Adult Basic Education and Training Act, 2000 (Act No.52 of 2000), including literacy and numeracy education.
• Training of unemployed persons with the purpose of enabling them to obtain employment.
• The provision of bridging courses to enable educationally disadvantaged persons to enter a higher education institution.
• To empower and assist with the social integration of the Deaf and the general public into mainstream society.
