Deaf People in Arusha (Tanzania): Experiences with a Multilingual Education System, Mainstream Society's Expectations, Deaf Spaces, and Identity

Abstract:This article follows the often difficult educational path of deaf children in Tanzania, from homes with very little communication to cherished times at deaf (units of) primary schools, through secondary school, which had to be "endured" only, up to work life. It describes challenges and coping strategies, many of which are connected to languages (Tanzanian Sign Language [TSL], also known as Lugha ya Alama ya Tanzania [LAT], Swahili, and English) and deals with hearing mainstream society's perception of deaf people, identifies places and "spaces" for the deaf, and finds indications for deaf identity. Having found that earlier research, with some exceptions, did often not allow deaf people to voice their own concerns in their preferred language, the author gathered data mainly through questionnaire-based interviews (mostly in TSL) with sixty adult schooled deaf people in Arusha Region. This was complemented by street polling of 240 hearing inhabitants (in Swahili) at twelve locations in the region, as well as participatory observations, interviews with professionals from schools, local government offices, and deaf associations, as well as a literature review.