JAD seeks to improve education of hearing-impaired children

Sheneka Dias

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

THE Jamaica Association for the Deaf (JAD) has started a programme aimed at improving the education of hearing-impaired children through language and literacy development.

The project, 'Language and Literacy Development for Deaf Children and Youth', intends to bridge the gap between functional levels and age-appropriate language and literacy performance.

"In order to achieve the goal, critical resources are urgently needed to assist in modifying various school curricula, to develop appropriate assessment tools, and to strengthen staff capacity," explained JAD Chairman Christopher Williams.

Williams was speaking at the opening of the recently held National Conference on Bilingual Deaf Education at the Neville Hall Lecture theatre, University of the West Indies Mona Campus in St Andrew.

He said the JDA had received funds from the Organisation of American States' FEMCIDI (Special Multilateral Fund of the Inter-American Council for Integral Development) fund.

Williams said that the JDA wants to change the stigma about the hearing impaired.

"People have a bad perception of these deaf people, calling them dummy and the like, but they are as good as anyone else. We want them to think big, this is not a learning disability, they can be anything, they can compete and be qualified for everyone else, they will learn at the same pace as anybody else, this I can attest to," Williams told the Observer.

The three-day conference focused on developing a better communication strategy between teachers and students as it relates to the Jamaican sign language (JSL).

"There are about 13 schools that we have responsibility for and one of the problems that we need to solve is to get teachers to buy into the communication strategy of JSL. We find the JSL more efficient, students they learn a lot faster that way, for a deaf person the JSL is the quickest and most efficient way for them to learn the language," said Reverend Percival Palmer Vice chairman of the JDA.

His sentiments were echoed by Williams, who explained that it was better for the students to learn in a language, with which they were familiar.

"When you are in a schooling process that is teaching you one thing and then when you step outside and communicate with your brethren it's a completely different thing, you get confused; you are going to adopt the method that you talk to your brethren with," he said.