The Commission notes that the United Nations General Assembly by its Resolution No. A/RES/72/161 adopted on 19 December 2017, proclaimed the celebration of the International Day of Sign Languages (IDSL) on 23 September of each year, beginning in 2018, to raise awareness of the importance of sign languages for the full realisation of the rights of deaf and hard of hearing people and for promoting their social and economic integration.

The Commission emphasizes that among children suffering from hearing impairment, deaf children particularly do not have problems in learning or acquiring language, but rather they encounter problems in accessing sign language, which delays their acquisition. This is not due to hearing loss, but to political and sociological factors that impede their ability to access a sign language rich environment.

The Commission is pleased to note that out of the 220 recommendations accepted by the State during the adoption of the Report of Cameroon on 26 March 2024 after undergoing the fourth cycle of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR), four are in favour of people with disabilities and have been distributed by the CHRC to State structures as well as civil society organisations (CSOs), each as far as it is concerned.

The Commission commends Government's efforts to promote and protect the rights of individuals with hearing impairments, deafness and hearing loss, and to encourage their development in society, in particular through the official launch by the Ministry of Social Affairs of the We Ring the Bell campaign to raise awareness of schooling for children with disabilities, with the theme of inclusive education, play and learning, for families and communities of deaf people, on 8 May 2024.

The Commission welcomes the signing by the President of the Republic of Decrees No. 2024/132 and 2024/133 to appoint the Board Chairperson and the Director General of the Maroua Rehabilitation Centre for the Disabled (CRPH-Maroua) on 25 April 2024.

The Commission reiterates its recommendations formulated during the previous International Sign Language Days, in particular to Managers of public and private television channels: 

(I) to provide a news slot in sign language at least in one daily television news programme as well as in audio-visual documentaries

(ii) to systematically introduce subtitles for deaf and hearing-impaired viewers in all other television programmes.