By Nadia Muthoni

On Friday morning the 26th of September 2025 at the Kenya Institute of Special Education (KISE), the campus buzzed with energy unlike any other day. It wasn’t just another event on the calendar, it was history in the making. For the very first time, KISE opened its doors to host a Deaf Awareness event, a celebration that put the spotlight on learners,teachers and parents who communicate not with their voices, but with their hands, hearts, and vibrant expressions.

The grounds came alive with performances from children drawn from Deaf schools, each piece reminding the audience that talent knows no barriers. A skit here, a poem there, each performance was not only entertaining but deeply moving. The children’s hands fluttered in the air, painting stories, emotions, and truths that words could never fully capture. In those moments, you realize, these are children who see beyond what limits them. They are storytellers, actors, and poets whose voices are found in the rhythm of sign language.

Yet Deaf Awareness is more than a stage performance. At its heart, it is about understanding and respecting Deaf culture, language, and the unique experiences of Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals. It is about breaking down communication barriers that too often exclude them in schools, hospitals, workplaces, and public spaces. It is about learning sign language, supporting Deaf-led organizations, and most importantly, making inclusion a practice that lasts all year round, not just on a single day.

When society embraces Deaf Awareness, something powerful happens. Barriers fall. Communities open up. Deaf individuals are no longer seen through the lens of limitation but celebrated for the richness of their culture, their language, and their contribution to society. It creates a world where being Deaf is not a disadvantage but a different way of experiencing and expressing life.

This spirit of inclusion was echoed by KISE Director, Dr. Norman Kiogora, who in his opening remarks challenged the Dean of Students and the Head of the Hearing Impairment Department to make the event a tradition. “Inclusion must not be a one time affair,it should be the heartbeat of our institution,” he said, setting the tone for what may become a defining culture at KISE.

The Deaf Awareness event was a powerful reminder that the narrative is shifting from silence to expression, from exclusion to inclusion, from limitation to limitless possibility.At KISE, the hands of children did not just perform; they spoke. And their message was clear,every child deserves to be seen, heard, and celebrated.

Post a comment

Your email address will not be published.

Related Posts