Sign language is a visual language that uses hand gestures or facial expressions to convey messages. Millions of deaf people around the world use the language every day to communicate with each other and also with normal (non-hearing impaired) people.
There are over 100 sign languages spoken around the world. Some of the most common are ASL, BSL, and Auslan. They all have some variations and similarities. In Kenya, the Kenya Sign Language (KSL) is the standard taught in schools and used by hearing-impaired persons to communicate.
Institutions offering sign language courses in Kenya
If you are interested in learning sign language, you should consider pursuing it as a career. You will have an opportunity to work as an interpreter or a teacher. You will be trained and equipped with the knowledge and skills required to teach deaf students and interpret conversations to hearing-impaired persons.
The following are some institutions that provide certificate and diploma sign language courses in Kenya:
- Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology
- Thika Technical Training Institute
- St. Joseph’s Technical Institute for the Deaf
- Kenya Institute of Development Studies
- Maseno University
- Machakos Teachers Training College, Machakos
- St. Paul’s University
The minimum requirements for a diploma course are KCSE C-, with at least C- in Kiswahili and English, or a certificate in KSL.
Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC) also offers a short (six-month) course. If you are a health worker or someone who is interested in working with the deaf, you can enrol for it. The course is available in Molo and Murang’a KMTC campuses. The only requirement is a certificate in any course.
On completion of the course, you can be employed as a sign language interpreter in a local media house. You can also work as a teacher in a school for the deaf or even a social worker.
A sign language interpreter in Kenya earns somewhere between Ksh30,000 and Ksh70,000 (depending on the employer).
