Miss Jamaica Festival Queen 2024, Omolora Wilson, has launched the Signed Sealed Jamaica project, which is aimed at teaching aspects of Jamaica’s culture through sign language.

The programme will be implemented in school clubs as an extracurricular activity and in churches in New Market, St. Elizabeth, from which Wilson hails.

Signed Sealed Jamaica, which is the Miss Jamaica Festival Queen national project, was launched in a ceremony on Monday (April 7) at the Ranny Williams Entertainment Centre in St Andrew.

While providing an overview of the programme, Wilson explained that she was initially inspired to make sign language more inclusive in schools while she served as guild president of the University of the West Indies (2022-2024).

The lack of inclusivity was further highlighted after returning home to St Elizabeth and witnessing two students make remarks about a deaf child who was conversing with his mother.

“In that moment, I realised that my community on a whole is not an inclusive community; it’s not an understanding community and it’s not a community that allows all to thrive and I knew I had to do something about it,” Wilson said.

With support from community members, including Mayor of Black River Richard Solomon, schools and churches in the community and partnerships with sign language organisations, Ready To Sign and Sign Clubs of Jamaica, Signed Sealed Jamaica was created.

“What we want to do at Signed Sealed Jamaica is to incorporate sign language in our cultural elements such as our folk songs, our poems, our folk tales just as we have done with our deaf dance so that students become accustomed to the language and also start to make it a part of their life,” Wilson said.

The festival queen explained that through the programme, teachers of school culture clubs will be trained, at least to level one in sign language, as they will, in turn, teach the students the basics of sign language, including the alphabet and greetings, while incorporating folk songs, storytelling, and other cultural activities.

She pointed out that with a pledge of J$100,000 from Mayor Solomon, five teachers are already covered for training.

Schools will also be registered with Sign Clubs of Jamaica to facilitate networking and growth among other sign language groups.

Wilson hopes the programme will be replicated in communities across Jamaica.

“What I want from you being here today is not just to leave with this here. We don’t just want to go back and have it amongst ourselves; we want this to grow and if you see this as a need within your community or your parish, wherever you’re from, feel free to join on board with us and get the movement going. It’s not a one-man thing; it’s not a one-community thing; it’s not a one-parish thing. Sign Sealed Jamaica is for Jamaicans all across the board,” Wilson declared.