142 working together to help children who are deaf
Making the community a better place
for children who are deaf
Raising awareness
The way that adults and older children act towards deaf children can
have a strong effect on others. For example, if people include deaf
children in their activities, or if they oppose poor treatment of deaf
children, it is more likely that others will follow their example. Here is
a story about a school principal in Mongolia who used his position to
influence how deaf children were treated in his school.
A school learns to welcome deaf children
In one town in Mongolia, a few families worked hard to
organize classes for deaf children in their local school. After
some cases of teasing and making fun of the deaf children,
the school principal called all the students to a meeting and
explained to them that this behavior was not acceptable, and
that all children at the school should feel welcome.
Everyone’s behavior changed when the school principal
insisted on better treatment of the children who could not
hear. As time passed, the teachers,
parents, and students began to feel
proud of their deaf classes and feel
responsible for the students. Now,
Come
play ball
with us.
when the other children meet their
deaf schoolmates outside the school,
Okay!
they are friendly to them. Children
from other classes often visit the deaf class, and
some of the older girls have taught the young
deaf children the complicated steps of traditional
Mongolian dances.
Help people communicate with your child
Adults and children in the community can help deaf children by
interacting with them. They must treat deaf children with the same
respect and kindness they show to others. When community members
communicate with deaf children, they will learn that children who are
deaf are just like other children.
Helping Children Who Are Deaf (2004)