Minister condemns mockery of sign language

Fiji's Minister for Women, Sashi Kiran, has strongly condemned a social media video that allegedly mocks sign language and members of the Deaf community. The video, reportedly created by students from a tertiary institution, has drawn widespread criticism for its disrespectful portrayal of an important form of communication.

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Sign language is an important form of communication, culture and identity, and should never be used for entertainment or ridicule.

Kiran emphasized that sign language is integral to communication, culture, and identity, and should never be used for entertainment or ridicule. She stated that such incidents perpetuate harmful attitudes towards individuals with disabilities and undermine the nation's efforts to foster a more inclusive Fiji.

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She says incidents like this reinforce harmful attitudes towards people with disabilities and undermine efforts to build a more inclusive Fiji.

The Minister is urging the students involved and their institution to use this incident as a learning opportunity for education and accountability. She also called upon educational bodies nationwide to bolster disability awareness programs and champion greater respect for diversity. Kiran advised social media users, especially young people, to carefully consider the potential impact of their content on others before recording, posting, or sharing it, stressing that humor should never compromise another person's dignity.

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She says humour should never come at the expense of another person’s dignity.