Bonnie Busingye
Senior Technician (Ugandan Sign Language)
Ms. Bonnie Busingye is a Senior Technician (Ugandan Sign Language), a position she began in 2022 in the Faculty of Special Needs and Rehabilitation at Kyambogo University, Uganda. Ms. Bonnie is a person with hearing impairment (post-lingually deaf) and has over 23 years of work experience in the faculty. She started her career at the university as a Tutorial Fellow in the former Uganda National Institute of Special Education (UNISE) from 2002 to 2006. She later became a Sign Language Instructor in the Department of Special Needs Studies, serving from 2006 to 2022.
Prior to her time at the university, she worked as a Community Development Worker from 2000 to 2002 at the Uganda National Association of the Deaf (UNAD). In addition to her current role, Bonnie holds additional responsibilities as the Timetable and Examination Coordinator for the Department of Hearing Impairment and Sign Language Interpretation Studies (HI&SLIS).
Ms. Bonnie holds a Master’s in Vocational Pedagogy (2016) and a Bachelor of Adult and Community Education (BACE) from Kyambogo University, Uganda, completed in 2008. Her research interests are focused on the Deaf community’s perspectives towards professional Ugandan Sign Language (USL) interpreters and the factors contributing to poor academic performance among Deaf learners in Uganda. Ms. Bonnie has published and presented her research at international conferences.
She also serves as a board member of Deaf Girls Rescue and Deaf Link Uganda Savings and Credit Cooperative Organizations (SACCO) in Uganda.
Current Job Title
- Senior Technician (Ugandan Sign Language), 2022-Present
Department
Dean’s Office, Faculty of Special Needs and Rehabilitation, Kyambogo University, Uganda
Academic Qualifications:
- Master in Vocational Pedagogy, Kyambogo University, Uganda, 2014-2016
- Bachelor of Adult and Community Education (BACE), Kyambogo University, 2005 – 2008
Past Work Experience:
- Sign Language Instructor, Department of Special Needs Studies, 2006 – 202
- Tutorial Fellow, Uganda National Institute of Special Education (UNISE), 2002 to 2006.
- Community Development Worker, Uganda National Association of the Deaf (UNAD), 2000 to 2002
Additional Responsibilities Held:
- Examination Coordinator, Department of Hearing Impairment and Sign Language Interpretation Studies (HI&SLIS), Faculty of Special Needs and Rehabilitation, Kyambogo University, Uganda, 2022-Present
- Examination Coordinator, Department of Hearing Impairment and Sign Language Interpretation Studies (HI&SLIS), Faculty of Special Needs and Rehabilitation, Kyambogo University, Uganda, 2022-Present
Research Areas of Interest:
- Deaf community perspectives towards professional Ugandan Sign Language (USL) interpreters
- Poor academic performance among Deaf learners in Uganda.
Research, Publications and Conference Papers:
Busingye, B. (2016). Evaluating Teaching and Learning Processes for the Diploma in Ugandan Sign Language Interpreting Programme: A Case Study of the Department of Special Needs Studies, Kyambogo University, Uganda. Master’s Degree Dissertation, Supervised by Dr. Okwaput Stackus, Ph.D., and Dr. Lutalo Kiiingi Sam, Ph.D.
Publications and Conferences:
- Busingye, B & Nantongo, P.S. (2022). The State of Sign Language Translation and Interpreting in the East African Community. In The Routledge Handbook of Sign Language Translation and Interpreting: Eds Stone C, Adam R, Müller de Quadros R, Rathmann Routledge, London Accessed via: https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781003019664-40/state- sign-language-translation-interpreting-east-african-community-busingye- bonnie-nantongo-proscovia-suubi
- Busingye, B. (2016). An Evaluation of Teaching and Learning Processes for Ugandan Sign Language Interpreting Program at Kyambogo University. Masters Dissertation. Kyambogo University Research Repository. Accessed via:https://kyuspace.kyu.ac.ug/handle/20.500.12504/669
- Wallin, L., Lule, D., Lutalo, S.K., Busingye, B. (2006) Ugandan Sign Language Dictionary, First Edition. A Faculty of Special Needs and Rehabilitation publication Kyambogo University. Accessed via: https://libcat.kyu.ac.ug/cgi-bin/koha/opac-detail.pl?biblionumber=5146&shelfbrowse_itemnumber=12070
Conference Paper(s):
Busingye, B. (2020) An Evaluation of Ugandan Sign Language Interpreting Programme at Kyambogo University In proceedings of the of World Association of Sign Language Interpreters (WASLI) France, Paris 17th-19th July 2019.
Consultancies and Projects:
- Technical member, Reviewing Uganda Sign Language Curriculum Content. Funded by Yunikee –India in collaboration with Cyber School Technology Solutions Uganda, 2023 – 2024
- Trainer, Capacity Building in Sign Language Training to Trainer of Trainers at Centre for Sign Language Translation Network (CEBTRAN), Funded by Uganda National Association of the Deaf (UNAD) , 2022-2023
- Trainer, Online Material Development for Deaf Learners for Ugandan Sign Language Technical Personnel, Funded by National Curriculum Development Centre (NCDC), 2021-2023
Membership of Corporate, Social and Professional Bodies
- Board Member, Deaf Girls Rescue
- Board Member, Deaf Link Uganda Saving and Credit Cooperative Organizations (SACCO)