Deaf and hearing communities are gathering in Alberton on Sunday for the 10th annual Silent Walk and Run, an event focused on sign-language awareness, inclusion and equal access.
The event is being held at Rietvlei Zoo Farm as South Africa observes Deaf Awareness Month. Gates opened at 08:00 and the walk was scheduled to start at 09:00.
The Neema Foundation for the Deaf is hosting the event with the Gauteng Department of Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation and other partners. The 2026 theme is “Shine a Blue Light on Sign Languages”.
Organisers say the walk brings Deaf and hearing participants together and raises funds for disability-inclusion work. This year’s event is also supporting awareness of gender-based violence and femicide.
A decade of the Silent Walk
The foundation describes the Silent Walk and Run as its flagship annual fundraising and awareness programme. The Gauteng department said the event encourages the use of sign language and promotes access to sport, recreation and community programmes for people with disabilities.
Gauteng MEC for Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation Lebogang Maile said the provincial government supported the initiative through its funding-assistance programme. He said it aligned with the department’s mandate to create inclusive public spaces.
Sunday’s programme takes place at 101 Swartkoppies Road in Alberton. The organisers list the Neema Foundation’s website and contact channels for event information.
Deaf Awareness Month places attention on communication access, South African Sign Language and the barriers Deaf people continue to encounter in public services and everyday life.
