In a heartfelt plea underscored by a road traffic death of a deaf pedestrian, the Barbados Council for the Disabled on Thursday urged the inclusion of sign language in school curricula to prevent further incidents that leave deaf and hearing-impaired people vulnerable.The call for action follows the fatal hit-and-run of 64-year-old Cedric Beckles, a deaf man from Golden Rock, Pinelands, highlighting the urgent need for better communication and understanding within society.According to police, at approximately 1:20 a.m., on Wednesday, Beckles was walking along Waterford Boulevard, just 150 metres south of the Clyde Walcott Roundabout, when he was knocked down. The vehicle failed to stop at the scene.Roseann Tudor, the council’s operations manager, stressed the implication of miscommunication for the deaf.She said: “Most of the blind would walk with a cane, so that is visible to people recognising that that person is blind, but a deaf person going along and looking just like anybody else.”
