Republic of Liberia
Total Population
5,073,000 (Ethnologue, 2020)
Deaf Population
3,000
Nation's Official Language
English
Other Languages
The number of established languages listed in Ethnologue is 31. Some of these are:
- Akan
- Bandi
- Bassa
- Dan
- Gola
- Grebo, Southern
- Kpelle
- Kuwaa
- Manya
- Sapo
- Vai
Name of Sign Language
American Sign Language
Overview Of Deaf Community And Education
Liberia has at least three deaf schools: the Monrovia School of the Deaf, the Free Pentecostal Global Mission School of the Deaf, and the Hope School of the Deaf of the United Methodist Church. The first deaf school of the country was established by the Christian Mission for the Deaf in the 1960s.
Sign Language Overview
In Liberia, American Sign Language is used according to van Arsdale (2014). There appears to be no research on any local signs or the variation in ASL as used in Liberia..
Deaf Organizations In Country
- Liberian National Association of the Deaf (LNAD)
- The Organization for the Social Intergration of Liberian Deaf (OSILD)
Overview of Interpreting Services
There are no certified sign language interpreters in Liberia.
Resources
Gallaudet University. Andrew Foster. https://www.gallaudet.edu/about/history-and-traditions/andrew-foster
WFD (2008) Global Survey Report. WFD Regional Secretariat for Western and Central Africa Region (WFD WCAR). Global Education Pre-Planning Project on the Human Rights of Deaf People. World Federation of the Deaf. Finland.
Van Arsdale, Brooke (2014, October). Deaf Culture in Liberia. Prezi presentation: https://prezi.com/uut1lyn6qmtp/deaf-culture-in-liberia/)
List of Contributors
Victoria Nyst
