OR TAMBO DISTRICT MUNICIPALITY ADVANCES INCLUSIVE SERVICE DELIVERY THROUGH SIGN LANGUAGE TRAINING.
The first cohort of frontline staff and councillors equipped to better serve Deaf residents.
O.R. Tambo District Municipality has taken a significant step towards strengthening inclusive and accessible public service delivery, following a directive by Executive Mayor Cllr Mesuli Ngqondwana to improve the Municipality’s ability to communicate effectively with members of the Deaf community.
In response, the Municipality has successfully trained its first cohort of 70 participants, comprising frontline municipal staff and councillors, through a Sign Language Awareness Workshop aimed at equipping participants with the knowledge and practical understanding needed to better engage with Deaf residents accessing municipal services.
The initiative forms part of the Municipality’s broader commitment to inclusive governance, particularly following the recognition of South African Sign Language as one of the official languages of the Republic of South Africa.
Speaker of Council, Cllr Nonkoliso Ngqongwa, was among those who participated in the first cohort, reflecting leadership’s commitment to advancing inclusive communication and accessible service delivery across the institution.
Executive Mayor Cllr Mesuli Ngqondwana emphasised that inclusive governance requires ensuring that no resident is excluded from participation or access to services.
“No one deserves to live unheard. No child should be silenced by barriers they did not create. No neighbour should feel invisible in their own community.”
During the workshop, participants were introduced to key aspects of Deaf culture and communication, including the importance of eye contact, visual attention, environmental awareness such as lighting and vibration, and respectful engagement with Deaf individuals.
Participants also received practical exposure to basic sign language communication, including common signs, numbers, simple sentence construction, and the role of facial expressions in conveying tone, meaning and emotion.
As frontline staff and councillors often serve as the first point of contact between communities and the Municipality, the training strengthens the institution’s ability to provide services that are accessible, respectful and responsive to all residents.
The completion of this first cohort marks an important milestone in the Municipality’s journey toward building a people-centred and inclusive institution.
Importantly, this is only the beginning. The Municipality will soon roll out additional training through the Corporate Services Skills Development Division, expanding sign language awareness to more officials and councillors across the institution.
Under the leadership of Executive Mayor Cllr Mesuli Ngqondwana, O.R. Tambo District Municipality continues to advance initiatives that promote dignity, accessibility and equality for all residents.
Every voice matters. Every hand speaks. And no member of our community should ever be left behind.
