Thousands of Deaf Malawians continue to face barriers that limit their access to basic services and opportunities.
The Malawi Human Rights Commission (MHRC) has now pushed government to act on the challenges affecting the country’s estimated 400,000 Deaf and hard-of-hearing people.
MHRC has given government a 5-point roadmap to dismantle systemic barriers faced by Deaf and hard-of-hearing Malawians.
The roadmap is contained in a statement released on 21st September 2026 by Executive Secretary Habiba Osman as Malawi joins the global community in commemorating the International Week of Deaf People (IWDP) from 21st to 27th September, and the International Day of Sign Languages (IDSL) on 23rd September.
Osman said despite notable achievements including the enactment of the Persons with Disabilities Act, 2024 and the launch of the Malawi Sign Language Dictionary, the practical reality for most Deaf Malawians remains one characterized by systematic exclusion, discrimination and persistent barriers to basic human rights.
The Commission documented five systemic challenges namely severe barriers in accessing healthcare, exclusion and substandard quality in education, denial of access to justice and legal services, economic marginalization and high unemployment, and limited public information and media accessibility.
To address these, MHRC has called for immediate, coordinated execution of the following strategic actions:
It says government should actively recruit and deploy certified Malawian Sign Language interpreters to all central, district and community health centers, as well as police stations, magistrate courts and all institutions providing public services.
Secondly, the Ministry of Education should aggressively expand specialized teacher-training programs and expedite the integration of the Malawian Sign Language Dictionary and curriculum guidelines into standard teacher-training modules.
The Ministry of Labour has also been targeted to enforce the employment quotas stipulated under disability legislation. Private and public employers should be incentivized to create accessible workspaces, ensuring fair recruitment and retention of qualified Deaf professionals.
As part of the media, the Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) must strictly enforce broadcasting licenses, ensuring that all television stations provide visible sign language interpretation.
Finally, the Ministry of Finance must allocate adequate and consistent financial resources to the Department of Disability Affairs in the Ministry of Gender, Children, Disability and Social Welfare and organizations representing Deaf persons to implement targeted economic empowerment programs.
The Commission has reassured the Deaf Community of its unwavering commitment to protecting and promoting their rights.
