Throughout the world it is commonly accepted that although being deaf is a substantial handicap, deaf people are valuable members of society and that with the right provision for them, they can and do, lead lives of comparable quality to the non-deaf and, furthermore, they make valuable contribution to society in general.

Some manifestations of the provision that most societies provide are special deaf schools, technical adaptations such as ‘hearing loops’ and special operator services; one of the most fundamental provisions though, is the provision of interpreters for the deaf.

According to recent reports though, Uganda is holding up to 40 deaf prisoners without trial within its jails, due to a lack of interpreters. The MP with special responsibility for the disabled, Mr Alex Ndeezi, admitted the court system in Uganda does not make provision for sign language, in fact there was no such provision nationwide and additionally there was not even a deaf register, so that no one was able to judge the scale of national neglect for the deaf.

Mr Jalia Bintu, chairman of the Ugandan National Association for the Deaf, commented that the deaf in Uganda were routinely denied access to health provision, legal representation and participation in decision making; he further called for a national register of the deaf to be drawn up and the establishment of a national policy for the deaf, including the training and deployment of interpreters for the deaf throughout the national infrastructure.

Until that time though, it seems that the 40 or so deaf prisoners must languish further until suitable interpreters cam be found.