September is Hearing Awareness Month in South Africa. To increase the public’s sensitivity towards the country’s 500 000 hearing impaired individuals, it is imperitive to promote early detection and prevention of communication disorders in babies and infants.
September is Hearing Awareness Month in South Africa. To increase the public’s sensitivity towards the country’s 500 000 hearing impaired individuals, it is imperitive to promote early detection and prevention of communication disorders in babies and infants.
According to the Deaf Federation of South Africa one in 10 babies in South Africa is born with some degree of hearing-loss.
There are a large number of people with this disorder but many continue to live healthy, normal lives.
Deaf South Africa’s project co-ordination, Michael Masalesa said the organisation has worked with the Forest Industries Education Training Authority (Fieta) and the Small Enterprise Development Agency (Seda) to train 10 people in East London in health and safety issues concering hearing impairments.
The statistics show that 75% of the South Africa deaf community is illiterate and 70% are unemployed. The stigma attached to hearing problems may make those affected feel inferior however, many engage in tasks that constitute as difficult for even normal individuals.
“The only kind of tasks that these people may find challenging but not impossible, are tasks that involve communication, such as a receptionist, or police work,” states Masalesa.
He emphasises the importance of government getting on board to encourage employment of at least one hearing impaired person within the company and the public should familiarise themselves with sign language.
