Belgium has accomplished a significant amount in advocacy of the Deaf and disability community in terms of rights. Belgium has a solid belief in equality that is deeply rooted in various legal frameworks both nationally and internationally.
They include the Laws of the Equality of Persons with Disabilities, the other laws that ensure promotion and success in obtaining a non-discriminatory yet inclusive society.
Belgium has also signed the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which binds Belgium to an accessible and inclusive society.
The convention binds Belgium on the way of formulating the policy that ensures equal opportunities for the persons with disabilities towards their accessibility into the field of the sectors of education, employment, health, and public services.
The Deaf individual as linguistic and cultural minority
Unlike stereotypic views that position deafness as an absolute disability, the Deaf have been recognized by the Belgian state as the linguistic and cultural minority group.
It is such a belief that forms the policy that ensures uniformity in the application of use of sign language together with the right to interpretation across all facets of life.
Sign language recognition has been one that has been needed as a step towards integration. Flemish Sign Language or the Vlaamse Gebarentaal has been recognized legally in Flanders since 2003. The same has been the need of the German and the French sign language in the German-speaking community and the Walloon community.
Deaf Children and the Access and Education
Since education is a right, arrangements have also been made by Belgium for the attendance of the Deaf students at all levels of education.
The Law on the Equality of Persons with Disabilities makes equal attendance in schools compulsory for everyone, even people with the hearing disability.
Deaf children are taught in sign language and it is used as a medium of instruction in special schools.
Besides this, regular schools are also becoming inclusive through the provision of sign language interpreters, captioning, and other accessibility features to include Deaf children as well.
All this aside, so much still has to be achieved. There are many deaf students who remain disadvantaged by way of poor provision, poor staff that are well equipped and well trained in the sign language, and also unavailable in universities and colleges of advanced learning. All these need addressing by way of persistent advocacy and provision towards inclusive learning and education.
Labor and Work Place Inclusion
The deaf, together with other disabled employees, are protected by laws that apply in Belgium. The employers are required to make the workplace accessible through the provision of reasonable adjustments that encompass the supply of sign language interpreters during the interviewing process, access within the workplace, and the modification of the method in which communications are carried out.
The government also compensates the employers for employing people with disabilities, i.e. with economic incentives as well as support in the dimension of making their working places suitable for their employment. In all these, the Deaf population is more likely to suffer from high rates of unemployment, compared to their hearing counterparts.
Among the factors responsible for this are employers’ lack of awareness, discrimination, and communication. In order to foster workplace inclusion, effort must be made towards educating employers concerning the benefits accrued to employers in terms of utilizing Deaf workers and provision of equal opportunity for career advancement.
Availability to the public and legal protections
Some of the key disability rights in Belgium include equal access to the public service. Public bodies, including the government offices, health, and the courts, must make allowances for persons with disabilities, as required by law.
There must be interpreters of sign language in the courts, the hospital, and government buildings in the Deaf community. The government funds the interpreters so that the Deaf community can manage to communicate with public services. Through all of that, not having interpreters and tardiness in providing service is an inevitable phenomenon.
Protection against discrimination is also assured under the legislation. Disposal of complaints on disability discrimination and consideration and realization of the rights of the person with disability is shared partially by the Centre for Equal Opportunities and Combating Racism (Unia).
Challenges and the Future
While developments are indeed seen, the Deaf community in Belgium continues to be faced with issues with not enjoying equal enjoyment.
Trained sign language interpreters remain scarce, and more public sensitization and awareness of the rights of Deaf individuals need to be created. There exists the possibility with current solutions, as real-time captioning and current relay service, which would make it accessible to the Deaf.
Additionally, more active enforcement of current law and policy, more funding for accessibility, and ongoing activism on the part of the Deaf community will be necessary to achieve an inclusive society. Belgium has demonstrated its commitment towards achieving disability community security, but much more remains to be done.
Harmonization of the legal framework, the more-better-put-into-effect policies, and the promotion of Deaf awareness among the general populace at large will be milestones towards the ultimate achievement of equality for the Deaf community.
For those who are looking for additional support, Unspoken Language Services offers interpreting services to help bridge the communication gap between the deaf and hearing communities.
Thumbnail Photograph by Amine İspi
