Social Development
1. INTRODUCTION
Representatives of the National Institute for the Deaf (NID) presented a Promotion and Awareness Workshop to the employees of the George Municipality on 20 April 2010. ±25 Employees attended the workshop.
The goal of the workshop was to sensitize the organisation regarding the needs of persons with hearing loss and deafness.
2. SUMMARY OF WORKSHOP
Hennie Krog facilitated the workshop and provided background information on the NID and its working.
André van Deventer did a presentation on living with deaf- and blindness and the challenges that they deal with daily. He shared some of his own experiences and explained certain uses of appliances that can be used to enhance your hearing ability. Society’s reaction to persons with disability is often uninformed and Mr. van Deventer elaborated on the myths with regards to persons living with deaf- and blindness.
Niel Laufs explained the definitions of various categories of deafness and loss of hearing. He shared his diagnosis of deafness with the employees and explained the variation of sound frequencies to which people with deafness/loss of hearing might respond to, depending on their impairment. Mr. Laufs highlighted that not every person with deafness is able to read lips or use sign language.
Madeleen Heyns touched every employee’s heart when she shared her experience when she became deaf and what the challenges are that she has to deal with.
Phillip Dobson shared his testimonial from being born with deafness. His sense of humour captured the attention of the employees. He emphasized that although there is local legislation and conventions of the United Nations, it does not mean that hearing people change their attitudes towards hearing impaired persons.
Representatives of the National Institute for the Deaf (NID) presented a Promotion and Awareness Workshop to the employees of the George Municipality on 20 April 2010. ±25 Employees attended the workshop.
The goal of the workshop was to sensitize the organisation regarding the needs of persons with hearing loss and deafness.
2. SUMMARY OF WORKSHOP
Hennie Krog facilitated the workshop and provided background information on the NID and its working.
André van Deventer did a presentation on living with deaf- and blindness and the challenges that they deal with daily. He shared some of his own experiences and explained certain uses of appliances that can be used to enhance your hearing ability. Society’s reaction to persons with disability is often uninformed and Mr. van Deventer elaborated on the myths with regards to persons living with deaf- and blindness.
Niel Laufs explained the definitions of various categories of deafness and loss of hearing. He shared his diagnosis of deafness with the employees and explained the variation of sound frequencies to which people with deafness/loss of hearing might respond to, depending on their impairment. Mr. Laufs highlighted that not every person with deafness is able to read lips or use sign language.
Madeleen Heyns touched every employee’s heart when she shared her experience when she became deaf and what the challenges are that she has to deal with.
Phillip Dobson shared his testimonial from being born with deafness. His sense of humour captured the attention of the employees. He emphasized that although there is local legislation and conventions of the United Nations, it does not mean that hearing people change their attitudes towards hearing impaired persons.