Republic Act No. 11106, also known as the FSL Act, is an act declaring the Filipino Sign Language as the national sign language of the Filipino Deaf and the official sign language of the government in all transactions involving the Deaf.
Section 8 states that all healthcare facilities shall ensure access of the Filipino deaf to health services, including the free provision of FSL interpreters and accessible materials upon request, or individuals who have family members who are deaf. The IRR also states that the DOH should have policies that promote and develop programs, activities, and facilities regarding FSL in health facilities, centers, and institutions, both public and private.
According to various interviews conducted, it would seem that the implementation of the FSL Act is rather lackluster. Majority of the interviewees within the medical field were not aware of the Act, and those who had some awareness did not fully understand its contents. Moreover, the Deaf community also feel as though their communicative needs are not properly addressed to the extent that the Act promises.
With that, KonsultaKamay is born: an informative website that advocates the use of FSL for people in the medical field through articles, guidelines, instructional videos, and infographics. The project aims to help people within the medical field to understand and learn about FSL and RA No. 11106, which will allow Deaf people to feel safer, more comfortable, and included in their treatment in the health sector.
