Deafness : Inclusion and Deafness Report Contents

Inclusion and Deafness Seminar

University of Manchester, June 14th 1999

Follow-up

10.1 The seminar provided an opportunity for specialists (those with specific knowledge of deafness) and non-specialists to come together to discuss issues of mutual concern about inclusive education and the specific needs of Deaf children. The non-specialists were amazed by the specialists’ lack of awareness of general education issues. Similarly, the specialists were surprised by the non-specialists’ lack of awareness to aspects of deafness. Four international seminars provide the opportunity to address the following concerns:

(a) Future meetings should begin with a basic introduction to the effects of deafness on the acquisition of spoken language;

(b) Deaf issues need to be represented in meetings and seminars about inclusion to enable more exchanges of ideas and experiences to take place between those involved in Deaf issues and those involved in more general disability, education and development issues.

(c) Practitioners involved in the education of Deaf children need greater exposure to the wider issues involved in inclusive education and need to be familiar with international documents and legislation.

10.2 The Rights of Disabled Children, Brighton, October 1999

In the immediate future, Deaf issues and dilemmas regarding inclusion will be presented and discussed at the International Disability and Development Consortium (IDDC) one-day seminar entitled "The Rights of Disabled Children", Brighton, UK, October 5th 1999.

10.3 Initiatives’ Conference for Parents, Malawi. May 2000

Initiatives for Deaf Education in the Third World is organising a conference in Malawi for the leaders of 6 parents’ organisations in May 2000. There will be representatives from Kenya; Tanzania; Ethiopia; Uganda; Zimbabwe; and Malawi. The report of the seminar in Manchester, June 1999, will be made available to participants and, where possible, some of the ideas discussed.

10.4 International Special Education Congress (ISEC), Manchester, July 2000

A paper will be presented at the ISEC congress Manchester, in July 2000, on Inclusion and Deafness in the Southern context. The paper will be based on discussions held in the Manchester seminar and the ideas expressed in this report.

10.5 EENET Seminar on Inclusive Education, 2001

Deaf issues were discussed at the IDDC seminar on inclusive education which took place in Agra, India, in March 1998. A follow-up seminar has been proposed for 2001 which will be organised by EENET with IDDC’s support in a Southern location. A substantial part of this seminar will be devoted to a discussion of Deaf issues, and in particular, family involvement in the education of Deaf children. The impact of deafness on language development; the teaching and learning of Sign Language; and the meaning of inclusion for Deaf children will also be discussed. This will be led by Deaf people from the South, who have an understanding of educational issues, with parents of Deaf children. Their presence in the seminar will allow an exchange of ideas to take place.

Deafness : Inclusion and Deafness Report Contents

22/10/1999