If a New Zealand-born person doesn’t speak good English, people are likely to assume such a person is unintelligent.
Such an assumption is wrong when the person is born deaf.
A child learns language by listening and imitating adults – and without hearing the whole process of learning to communicate becomes extremely difficult.
Imagine living in a country where you cannot speak the language and can only imperfectly understand it.
Most things people say go over your head — you’re left out of most conversations, left to wonder what the others are saying.
People born deaf have normal physical abilities and urges, and a comparable level of intellect compared with those of normal hearing.
They have the same range of emotions, desires and needs.
INCOMPLETE
Their lack of communication leaves them with an incomplete appreciation of the finer points of life. When a hearing person understands automatically.
This can lead a deaf person to a sense of inferiority, of withdrawal and isolation.
These were some of the points made in a plea by a Hamilton mother of a deaf child when making submissions to the Educational Development Conference.
The EDC was the impetus for action to many groups of people around the country concerned with education of the deaf.
In Wellington a seminar on the subject was organised by Victoria University Extension at the request of interested parties.
One of the participants was Mrs L. A. Walton of Kemp Street, Kilbirnie, the Wellington Deaf Society’s liaison officer.
Mrs Walton has been involved with the society for many years, having a son who is deaf.
He is now married and works as a self employed cabinet maker.
“The mother has to do the spade work when educating a deaf child.” Mrs Walton said.
“It took me 12 months to teach my son to say ‘mummy’.
“If he came home from school saying a word the wrong way I would get the dictionary and explain the meaning and the sound to him. It takes a lot of patience.”
In recent years there have been many technological improvements in hearing aids – most deaf children have some hearing – and a new emphasis on pre-school education for the deaf.
The first few years are crucial. This is the time when a normal child learns language.
The submissions formulated by the Association for Deaf Children at the Wellington seminar sought a comprehensive review of education for the deaf.
The administration of services for the deaf is split up between the departments of health, social welfare and education.
Deaf unit classes in primary and intermediate schools are under the control of local education boards while hospital boards are in charge of the issue, repair and maintenance of hearing aids.
The association feels there should be more co-ordination and co-operation between departments dealing with deaf children and their families.
Submissions also called for greater integration of deaf children into normal classrooms. They are often socially isolated from hearing children of the same age and it is better for their social development if they mix.
Integration of deaf children would mean a need for more itinerant teachers to visit schools, giving individual attention to deaf children where they fall behind with their work.
Image caption – LIAISON OFFICER: Kemp Street’s Mrs L. A. Walton, a tireless worker for the Wellington Deaf Society, pictured at home this week. The chair she is seated on was constructed by her son who carries on his own cabinet making business despite a hearing disability.
