For deaf awareness…

Participants at yesterday’s training session.

The training is one of many being conducted by the Support Group for Deaf Persons, a sub-group of the Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR) programme, in observance of Deaf Awareness Week.

CBR is one of the organisations which offers support to the disability movement and helps persons with disabilities to access education and other resources for life improvement; develop their skills to become economically independent; see

a change in the perception of others who once viewed their disability in a negative light and earn respect in the community.

Activities for this week have also been supported by Voluntary Services Overseas (VSO) under the theme ‘Talking Hands, Hearing Eyes’.

VSO volunteer, Mrs. Kate Stevens, who is one of the trainers and works with Special Needs Education at the National Centre for Educational Resource Development (NCERD), said the ongoing exercise is important.

She said it is about understanding people in the street, in this case deaf people who are part of society and deserve the same respect as others.

“Deaf persons have rights, too and Police officers are the ones who serve the people, so, to support them, they must understand them,” Stevens said.

Importance
Another facilitator, Mr. Monty Chester, who teaches sign language, added that making law enforcement personnel aware is of importance.

“Deaf persons are just like any other citizens and they, too, use the services of the Police Force. So there is a need for the Police to be able to understand sign language,” he said.

One more facilitator, Mrs. Denise Walcott pointed out that deaf persons communicate in different ways but, regardless, they are all unique.

They have skills and can contribute to the development of a country, if given the chance and that is why the Police must be trained as it promotes awareness that they can fulfill their potential, she said.

Director of the Support Group for Deaf Persons, Mr. Leon Walcott said this initiative is a breakthrough that represents the willingness of the GPF to understand more about an important set of people in society.

?Many deaf persons are not comfortable amongst others who do not understand them and the Police are critical to society. So this training will help to diminish the communication barrier,” he posited.

Walcott said, deaf persons may not understand certain legal concepts and, for example, if some of them congregate at a street corner, which is illegal, but are asked to remove, they may consider that discrimination.

But, using sign language, the Police will be in a position to explain what a deaf person may not comprehend, he said.

Walcott said, since October last year, the Support Group has been assisting the GPF with investigations into sexual assaults involving deaf persons.

Rally
Deaf Awareness Week began Monday and, to mark it, there was a rally in the auditorium of Critchlow Labour College, Woolford Avenue, also in Georgetown, where those targeted, their relatives, friends and teachers participated in an interactive session/lecture on HIV/AIDS, organised by Community Support Development Services Inc. and United States Agency for International Development (USAID), at which participants were given pointers on how to advocate for their cause.

On Tuesday, sign language teachers accompanied by deaf pupils from the David Rose and Diamond Special Needs Schools visited Covent Garden and Soesdyke Secondary Schools, Marian Academy, Central High School and Guyana Education Trust College;

Wednesday saw the delivery of lectures at Craig, Eccles, Mon Repos and Stella Maris Primary Schools, Friendship Secondary School and South Road Nursery School.

Yesterday workshops were taking place at Grove and South Ruimveldt Park Primary Schools and Prospect Nursery school and sign language sessions were hosted at the Audiological, Speech Therapy and Physiotherapy Departments of Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH).