At Machakos Teachers Training College, learners from all walks of life are admitted regardless of their physical abilities. The college has embraced Kenyan Sign Language (KSL) in classrooms and other social spaces, the incorporation of sign language interpretation in classrooms is boldly breaking communication barriers between learners and their educators, fostering a more equitable and inclusive learning experience and embody a sense of acceptance and collaboration.
Despite the progress made through decades of learning, not all inclusion initiatives have supported learners with disabilities. However, the introduction of Kenyan Sign Language at basic education levels in Kenya may help change the tune. This move may incite substantial efforts by both state and non-state actors to support learners and workers to learn and use KSL. It is a welcome move at Machakos TTC where hearing students and staff learn KSL every so often and tap on signs from the hearing-impaired students as well – bridging the silent gap of communication that is often evident between hearing and deaf populations.
A peek into the second-year Mathematics class at Machakos TTC presented a new lens through which to look at inclusion. Rose Nafula demonstrated how she would take a learner through a mixed fraction sum, engaging the rest of the class while Alice Wambui, the assigned KSL interpreter signs along. Beston Kiprotich, also a KSL signer then took on the sum with Alice as support. What a sight to behold!
The integration of Kenyan Sign Language and interpreters into Kenyan classrooms is a laudable step towards a more inclusive educational system creating classrooms where communication is accessible to all. Students no longer feel isolated, they actively participate in discussions, contribute ideas, and engage in class activities. Learning sign language and interacting with interpreters promotes broader societal inclusion and challenges the notion that spoken language is the only way to communicate.
Machakos TTC is one of many institutions collaborating with Zizi Afrique Foundation (ZAF) to champion core competencies, also known as life skills and values. ZAF also supports teacher educators at the college to define, integrate, nurture and assess these core competencies, and has influenced the formation and strengthening of clubs to enhance the implementation of competency-based education. Machakos college has gone further to introduce the said values and life skills during students’ orientation. They practice the same as they go about their businesses within and without the college.
