The Australian Government-funded Burnet Institute provides basic PNG sign language training for staff, partners, community leaders and parents of children living with a communication related disability.
The sign language training was initiated by Burnet’s Western Province Disability Inclusion Champions, a group of staff volunteers across the organization, many with lived experiences of disabilities. The initiative aims to ensure all members of the community are included in tuberculosis (TB) screening care and treatment by integrating sign language skills.
Disability Inclusion Champions member Merlyn Siware said: “PNG sign language is a crucial tool for disability inclusion, not only in Western Province but also across the country.
“Sign language is a unique form of communication that uses hand gestures, facial expressions, and body movements to convey letters, words, and sentences,” she said.
“To effectively communicate in sign language, both parties must understand it, which promotes inclusivity and better communication.”
“Sign language allows people to fully exercise their freedom of expression and access information.”
Daru community leader Malcom Sampson and his wife Waga Sampson added: “Sign language is a very important tool for communication especially for people who may be in the same situation as my husband.
“Sign language helped me to communicate well with my husband and to interpret his messages to other people who cannot understand his words or signs,” she said.
Through skills development and awareness, the initiative improves TB care and empowers individuals, families, and the community to bridge communication gaps and build a more inclusive society for the future.
As of December 2024, the program had 41 participants in the training and 33 had graduated with a certificate in basic Melanesian sign language.