Hearing-impaired Immanuel Tuyeni is one of the few committed servants in public service since joining the Office of the Auditor General (OAG) as a cleaner.

Tuyeni expressed his gratitude that the OAG family has embraced his hearing impairment by identifying him as their Deaf Awareness Champion. He said the status accords him an opportunity to promote the OAG customer service elements to diverse customers.

He completed his studies at the Eluwa Special School, where he specialised in carpentry. Eluwa is a special school for the visual and hearing-impaired, and those with intellectual impairments based in Ongwediva, Oshana region.

Narrating his journey to public service through a sign language interpreter, Tuyeni said “after my studies, I became an assistant joiner and carpenter at Namibia Joinery Supplies, and it was at that time that I saw a vacancy at the Office of the Auditor-General. I applied, and got it,” he smiled.

Along with maintaining office hygiene and safety at the OAG, he distributes cleaning materials and equipment daily, cleans dining areas, cafeterias, boardrooms, auditoriums and consulting rooms whenever necessary, as well as reports damages and losses of equipment. He also takes inventory of all cleaning materials once a month, and follows the health and safety policy daily.

Challenges

Due to his hearing impairment, Tuyeni had a hard time adjusting to a new work environment,
saying “Since my colleagues do not know sign language, communication was difficult at first”.

However, due to the OAG leadership’s commitment to inclusivity, the office rolled out a sign language course which aims to close communication gaps between him and the entire organisation, starting with top management.

 “It is fulfilling to know that almost everyone at the office can ‘sign’ a few things now, which makes it a lot easier for them to communicate with me,” he said.

 Tuyeni further commended the OAG for its exceptional culture of inclusiveness; a culture that is rare in most government institutions. He praises the Auditor General’s office for having made great strides in accommodating people with disabilities, who comprise about 5% of its staff. 

He said using the Disability Language Style Guide and related resources, the office has ensured that its communications are accessible. “At the OAG, there is a sense of belonging. Everyone is celebrated, no matter what position they hold.  During the Deaf Awareness Week, all staff members sat in the auditorium to watch the movie ‘Colour Purple’ with no sound to relate with those in the hearing-impaired community.

“The OAG also provided training to colleagues in communication departments on public information inclusivity by showing people with disabilities in photographs, infographics and other digital images on our website, on social media, and in other materials. I thought the gesture was amazing,” he narrated.

Achievements

 As the deaf awareness champion
of the OAG, Tuyeni is a sign language influencer within the office and public service at large. 

At this year’s Africa Public Service Day celebration, the office demonstrated its outreach to the public, with the OAG scooping an award for Best Customer Service Charter Implementation in government.

“Sometime this year, the office approached me to sign the Customer Service Charter videos. I took up the task because I wanted the message to reach out to people with hearing impairment, as we are responsible for them too. When the video came out, I had people viewing it in shock, looking at me - open-mouthed - at the fact that there is a hearing-impaired guy who can do amazing things and he’s defying the laws of anything normal,” Tuyeni beamed.

Despite the obstacles faced by people living with disabilities, he encourages them to pursue their passion and embrace other interests in their jobs. 

Tuyeni said there is a big misconception that people with disabilities who are working in public institutions are unproductive and inefficient, a claim he considers unfair and untrue.

 “I disagree with this misconception. It first establishes that hearing people as the group by which hearing-impaired people should be compared to, and then further demeans us by saying we are a lazy version of those very same people we are supposed to be emulating. The truth is, we are all equal, and when given the right resources, we are just as productive as other people. I am glad that that misconception is not something I have experienced here at the Office of the Auditor-General, and if there is someone out there who is being called unproductive or inefficient for their condition, I urge them to refuse to let these limitations and critics define them. With our unwavering determination, we should stand up to challenge these misconceptions,” he added.

An avid footballer, Tuyeni represents Namibia in the deaf persons’ national football team, and will represent the country at an international tournament set to take place later this month in South Africa.