Civil society organizations and human rights groups continue to champion the plights of people living with disability as they call for more government intervention.
By: Edwin N. Khakie
Mr. Octavius Vorkpor, Director of the Liberia Deaf Association, and disability rights advocate Anthony Z. Kollie are urging the Government of Liberia, parents, and philanthropists to take bold steps toward prioritizing the education of deaf children across the country.
Speaking through a sign language interpreter at the 3rd Closing and Graduation Ceremony of the Gbarnga Central School of the Deaf, Mr. Vorkpor emphasized that being deaf does not equate to being incapable of learning, adding that deaf children deserve equal opportunities to access education and thrive like their hearing peers.
Mr. Vorkpor lamented the gross underrepresentation of deaf education outside Montserrado County, revealing that the remaining 14 counties still lack formal schools for deaf students. As a result, hundreds of children with hearing impairments remain at home, excluded from the national education system.
“There are deaf schools in Montserrado, but what about the children in Bong, Lofa, or Maryland?” Vorkpor questioned. “They have the same potential, the same right to learn and grow, yet many of them are forgotten.”
He cited statistics from the Gbarnga Central School of the Deaf to demonstrate the ongoing challenges. The 2024/2025 academic year began with 21 students, but only 14 completed the school year. According to him, this decline is directly linked to lack of parental support, stigma, and financial difficulties.
“It is heartbreaking to see parents abandon the education of their deaf children,” he said. “We must stop referring to them as ‘deaf and dumb’ they are neither. They can learn, communicate, and contribute to society meaningfully if given the chance.”
Mr. Vorkpor called on the Government of Liberia to make strategic investments in deaf education by establishing schools in all counties, training sign language teachers, and allocating budgetary support for inclusive education.
“Deaf children are citizens too. They can become teachers, entrepreneurs, doctors, and public servants if only we invest in them,” he stressed. “Exclusion from education is exclusion from opportunity.”
He also urged philanthropists and development partners to support local initiatives and grassroots organizations working to promote inclusive education for people with disabilities.
Adding his voice, Mr. Anthony Z. Kollie, the newly appointed Liaison Officer for Disability in the office of Senator Prince Kermue Moye Sr., pledged his office’s support in lobbying national and local authorities to expand services for the deaf community in Bong County and beyond.
“Education is empowerment,” Kollie said. “It gives our deaf brothers and sisters the tools to rise above marginalization and live with dignity. We cannot claim to be developing as a nation if we leave them behind.”
He called on parents to stop hiding or ignoring their children’s disabilities and instead view education as the best way to break the cycle of poverty and discrimination.
Kollie emphasized the need for a national conversation on inclusive education, where people with disabilities are no longer treated as afterthoughts but as active and capable members of society.
Both speakers stressed the importance of changing public perception and reducing stigma around deafness. Mr. Vorkpor particularly emphasized the need to stop using derogatory language such as “deaf and dumb,” which perpetuates harmful stereotypes and dehumanizes people with hearing impairments.
“This school, though small, is a beacon of hope,” he said. “But we need the community, the government, and our international friends to keep the light burning.”
The graduation ceremony at the Gbarnga Central School of the Deaf was not only a moment of celebration but also a sobering reminder of the work still needed to achieve inclusive education in Liberia.
As Liberia moves toward educational reform and decentralization, advocates like Vorkpor and Kollie are calling on the nation to listen more attentively not just with ears, but with hearts and policy action.
Their message is clear: every child, regardless of ability, deserves a chance to learn and contribute to Liberia’s future. -Edited by Othello B. Garblah.
