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Mrs. Christina Kobinah, the District Chief Executive (DCE) of Tarkwa/Nsuaem, called for the initiation of effective educational programmes to break the communication barrier between the deaf and society. she expressed worry that nothing serious has been done by churches and other institutions to effectively integrate the deaf into mainstream activities. Mrs. Kobinah was speaking the International Deaf Week celebration, on the theme: �Overcoming the Communication and Stigmatisation Challenges of the Deaf in Society- the way forward�, at Tarkwa on Thursday. �Communication is vital in the dissemination of information and the inability of the deaf to communicate with the rest of society poses a great challenge to humanity and this had contributed to the stigmatisation of the physically challenged in the society, Mrs. Kobina said. She said that children with disabilities should not be marginalised but they should be accepted as part of the society and given opportunities to expand their horizon. Mrs. Kobina said: �Take a sober reflection on your past, focus, examine your present environment and identify your future potentials as the way forward for your career development,� she said. Mr. Jonathan Amuah, the national vice president of Ghana National Association of the Deaf (GNAD), said that the deaf world wide faced challenges of ignorance, neglect, superstition, prejudice, discrimination and fear from society. He said �No society can claim to be developed or developing if the vulnerable, disabled and the aged are discriminated against and not cared for�. Mr Awuah noted that due to ignorance on the part of some Ghanaians, the deaf have been denied adequate education, participation in political and social activities, health and employment opportunities. He said that many people assumed that being deaf was a punishment or a curse from the gods for the ills of parents or families whilst others considered them as useless people who should be scorned. Mr. Amuah urged government to consider education of the deaf as a priority, to enable them contribute their quota to national development. He appealed to the University of Winneba, to improve on the teaching of sign language to trainee teachers for the deaf.