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READING ROOM: Let Me Hear Your World Through My Eyes - Features news
Life for people with disabilities has never been easy. Fortunately, more and more mechanisms are being developed in order to help them integrate into society and overcome the difficulties they face in everyday life.
A lot of things have been done for the deaf and hard-of-hearing people since the first public school for deaf children was founded in Paris in 1755: medical care, social integration, development of better means of education to name a few. However, it is impossible not to acknowledge the fact that life is still full of many difficulties for the hearing impaired. A lot of obstacles stand in their way, but with the help of society and the state these problems can be overcome. Here are two of the most important groups of problems,that the hearing impaired face.
Obstacle 1: Communicating with a world you cannot hear
There is a common misconception that sign language is not a real language, but a “translation” of a given speech into a series of gestures. It is very important to note that sign language does not mean “pantomime”: a sign is not necessarily related in a visual way to what it refers to.
A sign is comprised of different elements: the shape that the hand of the “speaker” forms, the orientation of the palm and the place of articulation, the movement made and some non-manual markers, such as facial expressions.
Another thing that needs to be clarified is that every country has its own sign language with its own alphabet, which do not necessarily correspond to the oral language. Good examples are the sign languages used in the US and in the UK. The difference between them is fundamental and cannot be compared to the slight differences in spoken American and British English.
Sometimes within a country more than one sign language can be used. On rare occasions, the prevalence of deaf people can be high enough for the sign language to be taken up by the entire local community. In such cases it is possible for a local dialect to develop, which differs from the sign language used in the country as a whole.
There is also a variation of sign language called home sign, or kitchen sign. When a deaf child is born to a family of hearing parents, they face the need to find a way to communicate with their child. Thus, a “homemade” system of signs and gestures develops itself naturally. This makes the access to special education for these children a bit harder, since the signs they have invented themselves may differ drastically from the ones in which a lesson is conducted.
In order to facilitate communication between deaf people from different communities and countries, World Federation of the Deaf created an international language, called Gestuno or International Sign. A lot of people prefer to stick to their own country’s sign language, and it is interesting that years ago at international conferences for deaf people, translators from one sign language to another were always present. Nowadays, Gestuno is commonly used at international events for the hearing impaired, such as Deaflympics and meetings of World Federation of the Deaf.
Although Gestuno is internationally acknowledged and there are a lot of dictionaries (with the gestures photographed), Bulgaria remains one of the few countries that still does not have a qualified lecturer who can teach the International Sign to deaf and hard-of-hearing students. Bulgaria is also curiously stubborn in its stance that Gestuno is an artificial language, similar to what is Esperanto for the hearing.
As for the sign language we use: there are two alphabets. In the first one, only one hand is used to convey the message, primarily by kids. The second alphabet involves both hands and is used by the adult hearing impaired. For people who are born deaf, Bulgarian sign language is the first language and oral Bulgarian the second. This means that reading texts in “normal” Bulgarian is harder for deaf students since it refers to a vocal system to which they are not accustomed. Different methods have been developed to improve reading skills, but lecturers who teach deaf students must be aware it is still a challenge. Lip-reading also does not help much when a lot of new and unknown terms are used. Providing the student with a written version of the lecture before hand, using Power Point presentations and speaking slowly in a place in the room where the speaker’s face is clearly visible are some of the ways to facilitate the better education of deaf students. Unlike the US, for instance, where a whole university (Gallaudet) for the hearing impaired was founded, in Bulgaria the three special educational facilities that cater to deaf students are all focused on kindergarden to high school education.
Obstacle 2: When the state itself is deaf to the problems
Although there are quite a few initiatives and laws with impressive names like Law for Equal Opportunities of People with Disabilities and Their Integration, a National Strategy for Equal Opportunities, Strategies for Creating Inclusive Programmes of Study, etc, not enough real actions have been taken to improve the conditions of people in Bulgaria with disabilities, and the hearing impaired in particular.
The National Health Insurance Fund provides monies only for hearing-aid devices and to be more exact: for ones of quite low quality: ones not technically capable to differentiate speech from background noise. This sometimes makes hearing something worse than not hearing it, explains Katina, a singer who supports the initiative Da chouem sveta (Let’s Hear the World), backed by the Union of the Deaf in Bulgaria.
Digital devices are more technically advanced and, therefore, more expensive. It is impossible for most hearing impaired persons to buy them, especially since many are unemployed. Their cost of a little more than 1000 leva is quite high, not to mention the fact that the device must be changed every three years. It is good to hear of initiatives such as Da chouem sveta, but noble people cannot always compensate for the lack of state support: the Law for the State Budget for 2007 cuts down on the money given to people with disabilities by about 20 per cent.
There are not even a reliable or regular statistics of people with disabilities in Bulgaria, let alone for the hearing impaired in particular. In Poland, for example, people with disabilities number 22 per cent of the total population; the average rate in Europe is between 18 and 20 per cent. According to different official sources in Bulgaria, the number varies between six and 14 per cent, which is, to say the least, unrealistic.
Those who do not only hear, but also listen
Despite all the above-mentioned problems, there are also positive things being done. As it was mentioned, performers pay attention to the problems of people with hearing disabilities, raising money through their art. A lot of talented young people refuse to deny their dreams and become part of dance troups such as Gestim (see the interview). In Sofia, a project called New Ways of Rehabilitation for Hard-of-Hearing Children was launched. The performance by kids with hearing impairment of this scale and nature is the second of its kind in Europe. Ten years ago, Silvia Genova started it in Vienna and now, under her patronage, it has come to talented Bulgarian children, too.
An important partner of the event is the Association of Parents of Children with Hearing Impairment ( the Bulgarian acronym being ARDUS), founded in 1992. The association works in close assistance with FEPEDA: the European Federation of Parents of Hearing Impaired Children. The federation introduced a European charter for co-operation between parents and professionals in the field of education of children with hearing impairment. It also backs the SIGNAEUROPA, an EU project focused on young people who are deaf or hard-of-hearing. Inspired by its European partner, the Bulgarian ARDUS actively works for improving living conditions and education of the hearing impaired.
Another important step is the National Programme for Neonatal Screening 2006-2010. The earlier a hearing problem is detected, the bigger the chance for effective medical treatment. Before 2006, it was almost impossible to find out about a possible hearing impairment before the age of one. Each year, about 65 children are born deaf. Routine screenings in previous years couldn’t reveal hearing problems earlier than the 12th to 20th month after the birth. Now under the new programme, babies undergo special examination within 48 hours after birth. Those who have an inclination for hearing impairment will be monitored until the age of four.
Neonatal screening is mandatory for all EU countries, the US and Canada and is strongly advised by the World Health Organization.
Alot of organisations keep fighting for hearing impaired persons to have a better and fully integrated life. However, without the proper administrative and legislative basis provided by the state, this task is quite hard to achieve. Until then: goodwill initiatives, a civic mindset and tolerance are the best messages we can convey without using words.
Life for people with disabilities has never been easy. Fortunately, more and more mechanisms are being developed in order to help them integrate into society and overcome the difficulties they face in everyday life.
A lot of things have been done for the deaf and hard-of-hearing people since the first public school for deaf children was founded in Paris in 1755: medical care, social integration, development of better means of education to name a few. However, it is impossible not to acknowledge the fact that life is still full of many difficulties for the hearing impaired. A lot of obstacles stand in their way, but with the help of society and the state these problems can be overcome. Here are two of the most important groups of problems,that the hearing impaired face.
Obstacle 1: Communicating with a world you cannot hear
There is a common misconception that sign language is not a real language, but a “translation” of a given speech into a series of gestures. It is very important to note that sign language does not mean “pantomime”: a sign is not necessarily related in a visual way to what it refers to.
A sign is comprised of different elements: the shape that the hand of the “speaker” forms, the orientation of the palm and the place of articulation, the movement made and some non-manual markers, such as facial expressions.
Another thing that needs to be clarified is that every country has its own sign language with its own alphabet, which do not necessarily correspond to the oral language. Good examples are the sign languages used in the US and in the UK. The difference between them is fundamental and cannot be compared to the slight differences in spoken American and British English.
Sometimes within a country more than one sign language can be used. On rare occasions, the prevalence of deaf people can be high enough for the sign language to be taken up by the entire local community. In such cases it is possible for a local dialect to develop, which differs from the sign language used in the country as a whole.
There is also a variation of sign language called home sign, or kitchen sign. When a deaf child is born to a family of hearing parents, they face the need to find a way to communicate with their child. Thus, a “homemade” system of signs and gestures develops itself naturally. This makes the access to special education for these children a bit harder, since the signs they have invented themselves may differ drastically from the ones in which a lesson is conducted.
In order to facilitate communication between deaf people from different communities and countries, World Federation of the Deaf created an international language, called Gestuno or International Sign. A lot of people prefer to stick to their own country’s sign language, and it is interesting that years ago at international conferences for deaf people, translators from one sign language to another were always present. Nowadays, Gestuno is commonly used at international events for the hearing impaired, such as Deaflympics and meetings of World Federation of the Deaf.
Although Gestuno is internationally acknowledged and there are a lot of dictionaries (with the gestures photographed), Bulgaria remains one of the few countries that still does not have a qualified lecturer who can teach the International Sign to deaf and hard-of-hearing students. Bulgaria is also curiously stubborn in its stance that Gestuno is an artificial language, similar to what is Esperanto for the hearing.
As for the sign language we use: there are two alphabets. In the first one, only one hand is used to convey the message, primarily by kids. The second alphabet involves both hands and is used by the adult hearing impaired. For people who are born deaf, Bulgarian sign language is the first language and oral Bulgarian the second. This means that reading texts in “normal” Bulgarian is harder for deaf students since it refers to a vocal system to which they are not accustomed. Different methods have been developed to improve reading skills, but lecturers who teach deaf students must be aware it is still a challenge. Lip-reading also does not help much when a lot of new and unknown terms are used. Providing the student with a written version of the lecture before hand, using Power Point presentations and speaking slowly in a place in the room where the speaker’s face is clearly visible are some of the ways to facilitate the better education of deaf students. Unlike the US, for instance, where a whole university (Gallaudet) for the hearing impaired was founded, in Bulgaria the three special educational facilities that cater to deaf students are all focused on kindergarden to high school education.
Obstacle 2: When the state itself is deaf to the problems
Although there are quite a few initiatives and laws with impressive names like Law for Equal Opportunities of People with Disabilities and Their Integration, a National Strategy for Equal Opportunities, Strategies for Creating Inclusive Programmes of Study, etc, not enough real actions have been taken to improve the conditions of people in Bulgaria with disabilities, and the hearing impaired in particular.
The National Health Insurance Fund provides monies only for hearing-aid devices and to be more exact: for ones of quite low quality: ones not technically capable to differentiate speech from background noise. This sometimes makes hearing something worse than not hearing it, explains Katina, a singer who supports the initiative Da chouem sveta (Let’s Hear the World), backed by the Union of the Deaf in Bulgaria.
Digital devices are more technically advanced and, therefore, more expensive. It is impossible for most hearing impaired persons to buy them, especially since many are unemployed. Their cost of a little more than 1000 leva is quite high, not to mention the fact that the device must be changed every three years. It is good to hear of initiatives such as Da chouem sveta, but noble people cannot always compensate for the lack of state support: the Law for the State Budget for 2007 cuts down on the money given to people with disabilities by about 20 per cent.
There are not even a reliable or regular statistics of people with disabilities in Bulgaria, let alone for the hearing impaired in particular. In Poland, for example, people with disabilities number 22 per cent of the total population; the average rate in Europe is between 18 and 20 per cent. According to different official sources in Bulgaria, the number varies between six and 14 per cent, which is, to say the least, unrealistic.
Those who do not only hear, but also listen
Despite all the above-mentioned problems, there are also positive things being done. As it was mentioned, performers pay attention to the problems of people with hearing disabilities, raising money through their art. A lot of talented young people refuse to deny their dreams and become part of dance troups such as Gestim (see the interview). In Sofia, a project called New Ways of Rehabilitation for Hard-of-Hearing Children was launched. The performance by kids with hearing impairment of this scale and nature is the second of its kind in Europe. Ten years ago, Silvia Genova started it in Vienna and now, under her patronage, it has come to talented Bulgarian children, too.
An important partner of the event is the Association of Parents of Children with Hearing Impairment ( the Bulgarian acronym being ARDUS), founded in 1992. The association works in close assistance with FEPEDA: the European Federation of Parents of Hearing Impaired Children. The federation introduced a European charter for co-operation between parents and professionals in the field of education of children with hearing impairment. It also backs the SIGNAEUROPA, an EU project focused on young people who are deaf or hard-of-hearing. Inspired by its European partner, the Bulgarian ARDUS actively works for improving living conditions and education of the hearing impaired.
Another important step is the National Programme for Neonatal Screening 2006-2010. The earlier a hearing problem is detected, the bigger the chance for effective medical treatment. Before 2006, it was almost impossible to find out about a possible hearing impairment before the age of one. Each year, about 65 children are born deaf. Routine screenings in previous years couldn’t reveal hearing problems earlier than the 12th to 20th month after the birth. Now under the new programme, babies undergo special examination within 48 hours after birth. Those who have an inclination for hearing impairment will be monitored until the age of four.
Neonatal screening is mandatory for all EU countries, the US and Canada and is strongly advised by the World Health Organization.
Alot of organisations keep fighting for hearing impaired persons to have a better and fully integrated life. However, without the proper administrative and legislative basis provided by the state, this task is quite hard to achieve. Until then: goodwill initiatives, a civic mindset and tolerance are the best messages we can convey without using words.