Making the Fight Against Information Disorder Inclusive

The effects of information disorder in our society are dire. Information disorder encompasses all forms of malicious or misleading information and remains a challenge societies strive to address globally. However, the fight against information disorder often sidelines persons with disabilities, such as the Deaf community. 

In Nigeria, it is estimated that 35.1 million people are currently living with disabilities, according to the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD). This means that 16% of Nigeria’s 216.8 million population have some form of disability. While there hasn’t been recent data on the number of deaf persons in Nigeria, it is estimated that about 8.5 million Nigerians have a form of hearing impairment according to the Speech Pathologists and Audiologists Association in Nigeria (SPAAN). 

For the Deaf community, information disorder can manifest in two significant ways. First is through miscommunication which occurs when the signers are not passing the right or accurate information. The second is through certain myths perpetuated ‘at’ and ‘to’  the deaf which are left unaddressed. Miscommunication then leads to misinformation being inaccurately interpreted within the community. 

This is coupled with myths and biases directed at the Deaf community, such as disinformation claiming that maltreating a disabled person ensures prosperity, constitutes information disorder ‘at’ them. This not only perpetuates harmful stereotypes but also creates tangible risks, including increased vulnerability to exploitation and harm. 

Information disorder for the deaf goes beyond facts and evidence but also incorporates miscommunication and harmful narratives. 

COMMUNICATION GAP AND MISINFORMATION

In Nigeria, current initiatives aimed at tackling information disorder include fact-checking, digital literacy campaigns, social media monitoring, and grassroots outreach amongst others. Unfortunately, fighting information disorder is often not inclusive enough. Fact-checking platforms rely heavily on text-based content, which is inaccessible to visually impaired individuals without proper screen-reader optimisation, while video content often lacks captions or sign language for the hearing impaired. Digital and grassroots literacy workshops rarely accommodate PWDs, omitting materials such as braille, sign language interpreters, etc. This is aside from the fact that disinformation specifically targeting PWDs such as fake medical claims or myths is rarely addressed. 

However, technological advancements have often served to ensure stronger access to information for people with disabilities with media houses like The Cable making an app aimed at promoting inclusivity for persons with disabilities.

In recent times, the increased use of subtitles in audio-visual content has fostered a degree of inclusivity by improving information access for individuals with hearing impairments. However, this progress is not without its limitations. The accuracy of subtitles often varies, with errors or omissions potentially leading to miscommunication or the distortion of information. While various factors can lead to the distortion of subtitle accuracy, a person with a disability is not aware of these factors thus making them more susceptible to misinformation,  This is particularly common in fact-checking where captions or subtitles are distorted leading to misinformation.

Additionally, the literacy levels of Deaf individuals can significantly impact their ability to fully comprehend subtitled content, as written language is not always the primary mode of communication for many within the Deaf community. This is particularly true as 84% of the Deaf population in Nigeria are undereducated and economically underdeveloped thus, making the use of subtitles somewhat ineffective.  There are currently 1,177 special-needs schools in Nigeria, however, this has not translated into proper education as challenges such as underfunding, difficulty finding willing teachers and a lack of societal interest have continued to play a role in the education of persons with disabilities. The effect of an undereducated Deaf community goes beyond the effectiveness of subtitle use to include challenges in the use of sign language which should be their primary language.

A significant experience shared by a journalist reporting for Premium Times (in a yet-to-be-published report) in Kuje, Abuja, reflected this while interviewing Talatu Jonah, a deaf survivor of sexual abuse. In the process of trying to interview Jonah, the assistance of two sign language interpreters to piece together Jonah’s account was required, as she had no formal education, complicating her ability to articulate her experience. In the Premium Times unpublished report, the two sign interpreters provided conflicting names “John” and “James” as the perpetrators, underscoring how communication gaps and restrictions can undermine proper investigations and lead to misinformation.

DISINFORMATION USING SIGN LANGUAGE

Beyond many Deaf Nigerians being undereducated, the lack of due diligence in ensuring that the communication gap is bridged by various organisations and institutions has fallen short of ensuring inclusivity. This has thus influenced the rise of phoney signers. 

Phoney signers have become a recurring challenge to those from the Deaf community mostly because of the public’s lack of awareness and attention. These individuals (phoney signers) often lack the qualifications or fluency needed to accurately interpret, leading to misinformation or exclusion during critical events. 

In 2005, the Nigerian National Association of the Deaf (NNAD) Port Harcourt described the male signer contracted for the National Political Reform Conference (NPRC) as a ‘charlatan’. According to the body, the signer had “never for once made a single correct interpretation of any speech. He is only making caricature signs or mocking interpretations to deceive the gullible public."

Interestingly, this same incident was repeated in 2013 at the funeral of former South African president, Nelson Mandela. Thamsanqa Jantjie, watched by millions worldwide, was accused of not knowing anything about sign language, even basic phrases like ‘thank you’. He would later claim to have been hallucinating on the said day. 

While both Jantjie’s and the NNAD's wrong interpretations were highlighted a day later, it is intriguing to know what would have happened if he was contracted to interpret for a Deaf community where the majority of persons had little or no education as in the case of the Premium Times report. 

The issue of a unified sign language to be used across Nigerian deaf schools is also a point of a broader conversation. While there seems to be a Nigerian derivation of the American Sign Language (ASL), this is not a term that has been widely accepted.  The first reason is because many Nigerian signers believe they are using the American Sign Language. The second reason is that the signs used are dialects of Nigerian Sign Language, used in the country’s different geopolitical regions. Each region has found a way to include various local indigenous phrases and dialects. This however is not officially accepted nor has it been embedded in everyday sign language usage. Consequently, Nigeria has representation at the state level of sign language interpretation but not at the national level mostly because there has not been a nationally acceptable sign language manual to be used or adopted across the country. 

This also contributes to the discussions about the different signs used in different regions and amongst various ethnic groups, some of which  may not be universally accepted within  the broader framework of Nigerian Sign Language. 

A CASE OF LITTLE OR NO PATIENCE FOR INFORMATION PROCESSING

While the lack of education might hinder sign interpretation and understanding there is a case of accessibility with many public spaces devoid of sign language resources. In other instances, there’s also cases of being in a fast-paced environment where communication is expected to be swift and straightforward. 

In cases where individuals cannot express themselves and are even devoid of the use of sign language, many persons are complacent in giving them attention. Offor Salamatu, a signer in Kuje while speaking on this issue, highlighted the profound impact of low literacy rates among the Deaf community on effective communication, particularly in sensitive situations involving rights violations. She noted that many essential services, such as police and healthcare, lack sign language interpreters. Moreover, individuals within the community who have no formal education face additional barriers, often struggling to express themselves or explain their situations.

Salamatu emphasized that accurate interpretation for Deaf individuals frequently depends on a “familiar interpreter” who understands their unique signing style. This approach, which she referred to as “rogue interpretation,” is inherently flawed. It often involves guesswork, increasing the risk of miscommunication and misinformation. For instance, in cases like reporting to law enforcement, the lack of clear and precise interpretation can lead to significant discrepancies.

THE ROLE OF FACT-CHECKING

Fact-checking goes beyond debunking false claims to also serve as a powerful educational tool for promoting media literacy and combating disinformation. For the Deaf community, tailored fact-checking initiatives that combine accuracy with inclusivity are essential. This requires a multi-faceted approach encompassing grassroots engagement, creating accessible content, and fostering active collaboration.

Fact-checking organisations should work in collaboration with disability bodies such as the Nigerian National Association of the Deaf (NNAD) and the Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD). This is essential in promoting initiatives tailored to the needs of Deaf individuals. These initiatives can lead to the establishment of applications and platforms focused on educating the Deaf community, debunking myths about disabilities, and boosting confidence in their ability to access and assess accurate information.

In community engagement, it is essential for fact-checking initiatives to be conscious of the Deaf community thus ensuring content aimed at inclusion and awareness of the effects of misinformation.

More effectively, a holistic approach to training and empowering deaf reporters and information scouts to identify and report disinformation within their circles would significantly improve fact-checking outcomes. Especially, as this gives them a chance to work with their abled peers.

While initiatives and empowerment are highly acceptable, a two-way feedback mechanism is essential. This would allow for public education and interactions as well as the debunking of myths.

Chioma Iruke is a factcheck analyst at the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD-West Africa)