Deaf cultures and Sign Languages of the world: Zambia (Zambia)

Created 10 April 2000, links updated monthly with the help of LinkAlarm.

Zambian flag David Bar-TzurZambian flag

map of Zambia

Flag: World flag database.
Map: Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection.

For a quick, interesting resource for facts about this and other countries,
try Mystic Planet - The New Age directory of Planet Earth.

Note: A flag next to a link shows what language the website is in. If it is followed by this icon: (video camera: This links to a video), it is a video in that spoken language. A flag followed by Sign Language iconmeans it is in the sign language of that country. globe (international icon)Sign Language iconmeans there is International Gesture.

Deaf culture Deaf education & youth Deaf history and current events Organizations Periodicals
Zambian Sign Language Zambian Sign Language dictionaries

Deaf culture

International Bibliography of Sign Language - Zambia.

Deaf education & youth

Deaf Education & Arts for African Families.

EENET. (2006, July 13). Learning from Difference: An action research guide for capturing the experience of developing inclusive education.Saudi flagUS/UK flagsFrench flagSpanish flagPortuguese flagEENET has developed a set of guidelines to help promote action research in schools and communities. The guidelines were developed during our action research project in Zambia and Tanzania (see below for a list of project-related documents). The guidelines will help schools and communities to look at their experiences of inclusion/exclusion in education, think about and assess the problems and solutions, and take action to improve the situation.

Kanyanta Bonaventure Sylvester. (2003, April). Special needs education for the Deaf and Hard Of Hearing.

Miles, S.

golden marble bullet& Woodford, D. (2003, October). The inclusion of deaf learners: observations from EENET's action research study in Zambia.

golden marble bullet(2001, May 31). Enabling Inclusive Education: Challenges and Dilemmas. I will argue in this paper that: unless diversity is welcomed, and relationships are consciously nurtured, there will be little change in the educational experience of disabled and other marginalised children. Of course, policy and legislative change is desirable, specialist skills can be useful and a greater financial investment in schools would be excellent, but good working relationships are critical.

golden marble bullet(2001, May 31). Overcoming Resource Barriers: the challenge of implementing inclusive education in rural areas. I have chosen to focus on resource barriers because they are the most widely used excuses for not promoting inclusive practice, even in the most apparently well-resourced educational settings. My teaching colleagues in the UK claim that they would be capable of so much more, 'if only there were more resources'. A lack of resources is perceived as a barrier to inclusion across cultural, geographical and economic boundaries. It is therefore important to understand what we mean by resources and begin to tackle the problem. Resources can be divided into human resources, material resources (money!), and access to information and knowledge.

NDCS. (2004, November 22). Monze Deaf Club. The project aims to establish a deaf club where 20 young deaf people will have access to training in sign language, literacy, numeracy and vocational training in either carpentry or tailoring. The club will also form a theatre and acrobatics group which will tour the area putting on shows and raising awareness of the issues confronting young deaf people as well as their potential to contribute to the community. HHI (Z) will establish links with a local bank to provide small loans to the young people and will support the development of a cooperative for purchasing materials and marketing their goods. Parents will also be involved as six times a year the youth club will bring together parents to learn sign language and discuss the needs of their deaf children.

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

Deaf Women's Network Zambia (DWNZ) is a non-governmental organization created by Deaf women to advocate and lobby on behalf of Deaf and DeafBlind women in Zambia. DWNZ works to improve women and girls's access to medical care, education and equal employment opportunities. DWNZ has actively lobbied international development and humanitarian aid organizations to fully include Deaf women and girls in their programs. HIV/AIDS education has been an important part of the Network's focus as they have worked to have HIV/AIDS related information translated in to Zambian sign language. In addition, DWNZ provides micro-credit loans and skills training to girls and women to help them to become economically self-sufficient.

World Federation of the Deaf membership information: Zambia National Association of the Deaf. Contact info only.

Periodicals

stained glass ballCenter for International Rehabilitation Research Information and Exchange: Malawi, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

Zambian Sign Language

Aaltonen, Jaana: Teaching sign language - Experiences from a development cooperation project in Zambia. In: Finnish Association of the Deaf (ed): East African Sign Language Seminar. Debre Zeit, Ethiopia August 20-26, 1990. Helsinki : FAD (1992) - pp. 75-78.

International bibliography of sign language - Zambian Sign Language.

Katongo, Godfrida Prisca N.: Sign language: An investigation of Zambian Sign Language. 1987.

Mbewe, McKenzie: Sign language and the situation of the deaf in Zambia. In: Finnish Association of the Deaf (ed): East African Sign Language Seminar. Debre Zeit, Ethiopia August 20-26, 1990. Helsinki : FAD (1992) - pp. 42-45.

Sichula, Alfred B.: The use of sign language in the teaching of the deaf in Zambia. In: Finnish Association of the Deaf (ed): East African Sign Language Seminar. Debre Zeit, Ethiopia August 20-26, 1990. Helsinki : FAD (1992) - pp. 80-83.

Sign Language Research: Theoretical Issues By Ceil Lucas.

Zambian Sign Language: A language of Zambia.

Zambian Sign Language dictionaries

International bibliography of sign language - Zambian Sign Language.

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