The deaf ask to be excused from social media taxes

By Moses Kidandi
The deaf people in Uganda have called upon government to exempt them from social media tax, saying it complicates their communication  and access to essential services such as education, health, justice, worship and news and information.
Uganda National Association of the Deaf (UNAD) says that they are ready to compile and share a list of an estimated 1,083,649 deaf people in Uganda according to the 2014 Uganda National Housing and Population Census report.
The deaf who have just concluded the International Deaf Awareness Week in the eastern district of Mbale  have also embarked on a campaign to teach and promote sign language digitally in a bid to increase the usage and understanding of sign language.

Under the digital content for learning of sign language, learners will be able to access content through enhanced videos aided with graphical illustrations and all content can be stored in one place and accessed online. Learners will also be able to interact with each other and team up to improve their communication skills.

They say with social media tax all their efforts to have their initiatives promoted will be undermined and are urging government to give them special consideration.

Hellen Ikitot, a teacher at Mbale Secondary School for the Deaf explains that  Increased awareness and use of the Uganda sign language would ease information flow between the deaf people and the wider public.

Dr. Edgar Napoleon Asiimwe, the programme manager, Research at the Swedish Program for ICT in Developing Regions (SPIDER), the funding organisation for the project, said, “Digitalizing will help everyone to know how  to communicate.