Monrovia – Access to justice is an uphill battle for Harrison T. Gardea, a student of the AME University in Monrovia.
Gardea, 35, suffers from a loss of hearing. He is amongst many who make up the deaf community in Liberia, a community that has decried being trapped in silence in a quest to seek justice.
Speaking via a sign language interpreter, Gardea, who studies social work at AME University, said he is often taken for granted whenever he approaches the Police for help.
He said the acute absence of sign language interpreters at police depots across the country leaves him and others unheard as they try to sort out the kinks in a system that feels inaccessible and unwelcoming.
Due to the inadequacy of the Liberia National Police, he said he usually eschews confrontations by donning a smile on his countenance.
Furthermore, he explained, officers often request bribes to register his case. He revealed that most times he has not been asked to write a statement because he has been assumed to be uneducated, although he is a student at the university.
Harrison T. Gardea, a student of the AME University who is deaf.
He added that the lack of sign language interpreters at police depots fosters an environment of fear and mistrust.
UN CRPD Violation
Gardea’s dilemma at the hands of law enforcement appears to be in stark contrast to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability (CRPD). Liberia is a signatory to the convention.
Article 9 of the Convention calls on State Parties, including Liberia, to institute appropriate measures for accessibility by persons with disabilities at all public facilities.
It further calls for the provision of intermediaries, including guides, readers, and professional sign language interpreters, for ease of access and to promote access to information for people like Harrison Gardea.
The Director of the Human Rights Division at the Ministry of Justice, Kutaka D. Togba, did not respond to journalRAGE’s inquiries.
But in an earlier interview, he revealed that the Ministry is a member of the ALLIANCE, a network of government institutions, civil society organizations and international partners. Togba furthered that the ALLIANCE meets regularly with the National Commission on Disability to discuss issues affecting the rights of persons with disability and to craft measures to tackle.
He revealed that AIFO, a member of the ALLIANCE, runs a project to train sign language interpreters to assist persons with hearing impairments to be able to participate effectively in discussions around their well-being.
There are about 466 million deaf people worldwide, according to the World Health Organization. There is a shortage of available data on the population of Liberia’s deaf community. The African Sign Language Resource Center estimates there are 3,000 deaf people in Liberia.
However, according to AIFO (Associazione Italiana Amici di Raoul Follereau), an Italian NGO, the 2022 census data presents varying figures.
“One summary suggests that 11.4% of the population aged 5 and above have some form of disability, an increase from 3.2% reported in the 2008 census,” an official from AIFO stated.
“This 11.4% includes 8.7% with some form of disability and 2.7% with severe disabilities. Conversely, another report states that the proportion of persons with disabilities increased slightly from 2.1% in 2008 to 2.2% in 2022.  Historically, the 2008 census reported that 2.1% of Liberia’s population had a disability, totaling 110,260 individuals, with a nearly equal distribution between males (51.3%) and females (48.7%).”
These statistics highlight the need for comprehensive and consistent data collection to accurately assess and address the needs of persons with disabilities in Liberia.
But despite the lack of adequate data, AIFO Liberia says it has been actively working behind the scenes to uphold the rights of deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals via various initiatives that are aimed at promoting inclusion, empowerment, and equal opportunities.
“A significant effort in this direction is the Voices for Inclusion and Civil Society Empowerment Project, funded by the European Union,” an AIFO Liberia official revealed. “This two-year initiative, launched in 2021, focuses on enhancing the capacities of Disabled People Organizations (DPOs) and fostering the inclusion of deaf and hard-of-hearing persons in Liberia’s national development agenda.”
The project, They said, was implemented in Montserrado, Bomi, and Nimba Counties and targeted 90 deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals with vocational training. “In addition to vocational training, the project provided sign language training to parents of deaf individuals.
They furthered that the organization continues to advocate for and support the rights of deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals to promote inclusion and participation at full societal levels.
The lack of access to justice for the deaf community is a major human rights violation and, according to Atty. Urias Pour, Executive Director of the Independent National Commission on Human Rights (INCHR), the organization has established a disabilities desk at their headquarter.
He said the sole purpose is to address PWDs’ marginalization, including advocating for sound language interpreters at Police depots.
While the government is far from hearing the cries for sound language interpreters at police stations, he said it is achievable if the government places more emphasis on PWDs.
“In Liberia, we think PWDs are vulnerable and sorrowful, so we should always give them alms,” he said. “These people have skills and need to be empowered. When too much attention and focus are placed on PWDs, their needs and concerns will be addressed and sound language interpreters will be everywhere,” he added.
On the other hand, Baby Diggs, a deaf market woman at a supermarket in Gardinersville, also shares a fate akin to Harrison Gardea.
Baby Diggs, a deaf market woman
According to her, she faces challenges when she goes to the market to sell. She said in the absence of her daughter to interpret, she is unable to take her grievances to the Police, revealing she is often ignored.
She said her struggle for justice is about access to law enforcement and her fundamental rights to be heard and understood.
Baby noted that the determination of the Deaf community to break down barriers and claim their rightful place in society is constantly downplayed at police stations and hospitals.
Don’t Direct Focus on LNP
While the Police continue to take flak for the absence of sign language interpreters at its depots across the country, the spokesperson of the Liberia National Police, Madam Cecelia G. Clarke, said public scrutiny should not solely be directed at the organization.
According to her, the absence of sign language interpreters is among the litany of issues besetting PWDS in the country. At the LNP, she added, they have progressed by providing sign language interpreters during press conferences.
Whether that is sufficient for Harrison T. Gardea and Baby Diggs remains to be seen.
This story was funded by the European Union under the Liberia Media Empowerment Project (LMEP). Its contents are the sole responsibility of journalRAGE and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.
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