BBC news reported a story last month on the banning of texting/sms
messaging in the Democratic Republic of Congo see here. The decision to ban texting was made by the government
on the basis of preserving public order following unrest after the recent
elections. The deaf community has raised their concerns about the ban, claiming
that it is putting the lives of members of the deaf community at risk and
increasing isolation of the deaf community. There are over 1.4 million
people living in the DRC who have some form of hearing impairment. Text
messaging is widely used by the deaf community for communication. It has been
described as an easy way for deaf people to communicate with the rest of the
world, see here.
The simple act of texting enables deaf people to interact independently with
fellow members of the deaf and hearing community with ease.
Not alone, has
text messaging opened up easy communication methods for deaf people, it is also
being used as a way to communicate in case of an emergency. Text messages are
now considering an essential tool for communities to maintain security, as they
could spread alerts cheaply, quickly and discreetly to a large number of people
who may be in danger. For example in the UK some police services are offering
text services for people who are deaf or have difficulty with speaking, see here.
From a
development perspective, the use of mobile phone technology and sms messaging
is a vital way to communicate with marginalized groups that do not have access
to mainstream methods of communication or information services.
For example,
radio announcements to stay indoor during times of conflict are usually not
accessible to people who are deaf. Mananga Biala, the head of Kinshasa’s main
educational centre for deaf people commented that a as a result of this texting
ban, members of the deaf community had no alternative means of staying in touch
as many did not have access to email or the internet. Additionally he commented
that members of the deaf community lives were at risk due to not being able to
hear gunfire or protesting. There are many good example of how to make
emergency responses inclusive for persons with disabilities in times of
conflict and also during natural disasters etc. CBM have produced some useful
publications on this matter see links here.
Also it is
worth remembering that the Convention on the Rights of Persons with
Disabilities (CRPD) provides for the right to safety for persons with disabilities,
particularly in times of conflict and emergencies. The Democratic Republic of
Congo became a signatory to the CRPD in 2007. By signing the Convention, the
DRC is considered to be making a commitment to upholding the rights of persons
with disabilities. It is also committed not to take any retro regressive steps,
which might undermine the sentiments of the CRPD. Article 11 of the CRPD
asks States to ensure that all “necessary measures to ensure the protection
and safety of persons with disabilities in situations of risk, including
situations of armed conflict, humanitarian emergencies and the occurrence of
natural disasters”.
Article 11 can be broadly interpreted as asking States to take a range of
measures to ensure the safety of persons with disabilities during times of
conflict and natural disasters. These measures can be very broad, but at the
very least, should ensure that methods of communication used during times of
conflict are accessible to and inclusive of persons with disabilities, and in
this particular instance, people from the deaf community in the Congo.
