150 working together to help children who are deaf
Here is a story about how a group in Brazil is working in their
community to change the lives of deaf children.
A town learns a new language
In a northeastern town in Brazil, a church started a small school
for deaf children. Soon the families that attended began a parents
group, the Association of Parents and Friends of the Deaf in
Cabo (APASC). As a group, APASC decided to offer sign language
classes to hearing people so that they could communicate with
their deaf children.
They contacted the
deaf association
in the neighboring
big city and hired
a deaf man to
teach the parents
and their family
members sign
language.
APASC also got the
local government to open
the local school to their deaf
children. The school hired
More and more people took sign
language classes and learned how to
communicate with the deaf children and
deaf adults who lived in the town.
trained teachers and started classes for deaf children. The deaf
children joined the hearing children in many of the school’s
activities. Soon, the town was seeing sign language in the schools,
in the shops, and in the streets.
Before, many people had thought that deaf people were
mentally slow. Now, they have new ideas about deafness. They
see sign language interpreters at church services, deaf teenagers
getting jobs in the community, and deaf children studying and
playing with hearing children.
APASC helped raise the level of awareness about deafness in
their community. They have workshops and monthly meetings
where parents can find support from other parents, and learn
about deafness and how to communicate with their deaf children.
APASC also printed a simple sign language dictionary with 500
signs that many people in the community use.
By working together, they are building a society that helps all
children develop to their full potential.
Helping Children Who Are Deaf (2004)