working together to help children who are deaf 149
Everyone benefits from efforts to support deaf children
The entire community becomes stronger when people take care of each
other, are responsible for each other, and when they accept people’s
differences as well as the things they have in common. So when
attention is given to the special needs
of deaf children, it often improves
conditions for the entire community.
All children in the community can
benefit from improved social services
like hearing tests and better access to
education and training.
When people learn to work together toward a common goal they learn
that they can achieve much more together than alone. A community
that organizes around one issue will be able to use that experience to
address other needs and do other projects.
When teachers find ways to
communicate with children
who cannot hear, it can
help all children to
understand their lessons
better.
Aren’t you afraid that having
those deaf children in your
class will slow the class down?
No, I think the
other children
need to learn
some patience!
And all of their
reading is getting
stronger. They
are also learning
sign language.
If children who cannot hear well do not get education and support,
they may never learn to communicate with other people or learn useful
skills to get work, take care of themselves, or live peacefully with others.
Their unhappiness and poverty may become a burden on their families,
neighborhoods, and communities.
Helping Children Who Are Deaf (2004)