Letsike: Equality Denied if Deaf South Africans Lack Sign Language Access

Deputy Minister of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities Steve Letsike has warned that South Africa’s constitutional promise of equality will remain unfulfilled unless deaf citizens are given full access to education, justice, healthcare, and economic opportunities in South African Sign Language (SASL).

Letsike delivered the message on Tuesday as South Africa joined the global community in observing the International Day of Sign Language (IDSL), commemorated annually on 23 September. The United Nations established the day to underline the importance of sign languages in realising the human rights of deaf people worldwide. This year’s theme, “No Human Rights Without Sign Language Rights,” served as a strong reminder of the obligations facing governments and societies.

Democracy Through Language

Speaking at a celebration event in Pretoria, hosted by the Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) in partnership with the Department of Sports, Arts and Culture and the Pan South African Language Board (PanSALB), Letsike described the theme as more than symbolic.

“It is a profound truth and a declaration of what democracy means in practice. It challenges all South Africans to ensure that the recognition of South African Sign Language as our 12th official language is matched by implementation in every classroom, every clinic, every court, every workplace, and every community space,” she said.

She emphasized that deaf South Africans are not invisible or marginalised, but citizens with equal rights and legitimate claims to justice and opportunity.

“Language is not simply a tool of communication, but a vessel of belonging. It is the bridge into education, the pathway into employment, the medium through which one takes part in democracy, and the foundation upon which identity and dignity are built. Denying SASL is denying the fullness of citizenship itself. It is denying democracy. It is denying humanity,” she warned.

Deaf Community in South Africa

According to the World Health Organisation’s World Report on Hearing, around four million South Africans live with significant hearing loss, of which approximately 600 000 actively use SASL. Letsike stressed that this figure represents not a “marginal fragment” of the population, but a significant community whose lives must be central to the country’s development path.

Despite progress, exclusion remains widespread. Letsike raised alarm about the state of education for deaf learners, noting that studies show nine out of 10 teachers of deaf learners lack proficiency in SASL.

“Imagine the injustice of expecting children to flourish in classrooms where their teachers cannot communicate with them. This is not simply a barrier to learning, it is a denial of equality itself,” she said.

Shortages of trained teachers, insufficient curriculum support, lack of teaching materials, and vast disparities between schools continue to undermine the implementation of SASL as a language of learning and teaching.

Challenges Begin at Home

The Deputy Minister also highlighted that between 90% and 95% of deaf children are born to hearing parents who do not use SASL at home. This means many deaf learners arrive at school with delayed language development, not because of lack of ability, but due to a lack of early communication access.

“This delay follows them for life. It shapes their educational trajectory, limits their opportunities, and too often undermines their confidence and sense of self. And we must ask: what does it say about our collective humanity when we knowingly allow such deprivation to continue?” Letsike asked.

From Policy to Practice

Letsike called for stronger implementation of South Africa’s policy frameworks, including:

• The White Paper on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

• The Disability Rights Bill

• The recognition of SASL as an official language

• South Africa’s ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

“These frameworks must travel from paper into practice. Equality is indivisible, justice is indivisible, and human rights are indivisible,” she said.

A Global Responsibility

As South Africa prepares to host the G20 Presidency for the first time in history, Letsike noted that the country has both a national and global responsibility to champion the rights of persons with disabilities, including the deaf community.

“Our leadership must reflect in how we treat the most vulnerable among us. Recognising and implementing SASL in all sectors of life is not charity—it is justice. It is democracy in action,” she concluded.