PROMOTING INCLUSIVE EDUCATION FOR DEAF CHILDRENIN JOSEPH KANG’ETHE PRIMARY SCHOOL. By Farida Asindua By Farida Asindua Disability project manager HI Nairobi, Kenya

Founded in 1982, Handicap International is specialized in acting on behalf of disabled people and particularly vulnerable groups. Although programmes were traditionally directed towards the rehabilitation of the physically and mentally disabled persons, they now incorporate the social, economic, physical, and psychological rehabilitation of vulnerable groups irrespective of their cause and nature. These programmes aim at assisting people whose vulnerability has been brought about by disease, deficiencies, accidents and violence as well as any physical, sensorial, mental or psychological alterations.

Background of the project area Kibera is one of the largest slums in Nairobi with a population of over 700,000.The slum is generally characterized by squalid living conditions, poor sanitation, lack of affordable medical care and congested households with the low-income earners being the majority in the area. According to the World Bank report 2000, in every six absolutely poor Kenyans, one is a person with disability.

Project Background In 2003, the Kenyan MOEST introduced free Primary education. As a result, many more children receive education, a fact clearly demonstrated by the dramatic increase in school enrolment figures. Education for all is high on the agenda for Kenya in an attempt to achieve the second millennium goal of Universal Primary Education and in an overall drive to alleviate poverty.

Even though the Kenyan government has declared free primary education, the deaf children do not get the opportunity to attend because of lack of specialised teachers proficient in sign language Kibera and its environ does not have an integrated unit for the deaf, unlike other disabilities that have units in the government schools.

Rational for the project Through HI partnership with NFSS working in Kibera slums with children with disabilities, it became apparent that there was need to effectively address the educational needs for children with disabilities.

Due to lack of personnel and expertise, NFSS kept together the deaf children with the mentally challenged, a situation that ends up delaying development of deaf children in terms of activities of daily living, interaction and social norms of the community.

Therefore the main aim of this project is to enhance community integration of the deaf by empowering deaf children and their families to discuss issues affecting them and advocating for their rights as equal community members and more important to promote the inclusive education for children with disabilities in the regular schools

Project Goal To contribute towards universal primary education through access to inclusive primary education for children with disabilities

Awareness and sensitization of the school environment on deafness Engage the deaf children in sporting activity Training of parents, family members, teachers and guardians on Kenyan sign language Exchange visits for the children to other institutions for the deaf

Training of the teachers and support staff in the Kenyan sign language Sensitizing and training of the school committee in inclusive education and issues pertaining to disability. Training of the teachers in mainstreaming the Deaf children in the regular school learning activities Exposure visits for teachers in the unit to other projects that are carrying out education for children with disabilities

Conduct a medical camp to treat ear infections and identify more persons with deafness Conduct community awareness sessions Home visits to follow up on the progress of children in school and general observation within the home environment Reinforce the parents group to advocate for the rights of PWDs and equal opportunity in the community

b Joseph Kange’the was established in 1950 and is the only school in the area catering for Deaf children in the slum area. The school is also one of the schools with the highest enrolment of children due to the free primary education. The teachers in the school are qualified and seconded by the Ministry of Education. There is a school committee comprising of parents representing the various classes.

A deaf unit was established and the school had a total 1,150 children and 20 teachers. Each class in the school has 2 streams from pre unit to class eight. Even with the doubling of the enrolment, the physical structures remained the same.

Students taking extra lessons

The teachers are utilizing the government approved curriculum to teach the Deaf children. Using a speech kit from KISE, the teachers are reinforcing voicing of the words as they are teaching the children. Official Kenyan sign language is taught to the children using the KIE syllabus. Using the teacher aid, learning among the individual children is also reinforced through one to one sessions with the children.

The deaf unit received a boost from UNICEF through KSDC and the provincial education office of 50 hearing aids and one screening audiometer. To facilitate the use of the hearing aids, the children were taken for diagnostic audiometric testing this was done in collaboration with the EARC officer and an ENT doctor from Kenyatta National Hospital. Six children were fitted with hearing aids to enhance their hearing.

Sporting activities like athletics, football, netball and other simple physical activities are encouraged to improve the social interaction amongst the children. This gave an opportunity to ten Deaf children who participated in the Provincial Deaf sporting event. This saw 6 children qualify for nationals which were held in Kisumu. Two of the children received trophies taking first and second position in tennoquite.

Feedback from the Deaf children in the regular classes revealed that they enjoyed their lessons so far in the mainstream classes and therefore sharing out with friends during free time. The other hearing children in the class are also very friendly and cooperative the Deaf children. Peers of the Deaf children can now communicate in sign language.

Interaction session

Conclusion The Deaf unit has been well accepted and continues to get support from the parents, teachers, the school management committee, city education and even TSC. Therefore assuring sustainability. Due to the increasing number of children every year, there is need to have future perspectives for the children to acquire quality education, and also pursue higher education.

Thank you