Increasing Public Awareness

JAD Board Chairman, Mr. Christopher Williams, encouraged Deaf persons to be significant contributors to the development of the society.  This, he said, could only be achieved through increased public awareness to the importance of early identification and intervention strategies for the educational development of children ages 0 – 8 years.

He noted that the Hearing Awareness Campaign would be targeting parents, teachers, health care providers and the wider public, to increase their awareness of the need for early identification and intervention programmes.

Mrs. Karen McDonald-Gayle, Programmes Manager, was also present at the Launch to bring greetings on behalf of the Environmental Foundation of Jamaica.  The EFJ is a long-standing funding partner of the Jamaica Association for the Deaf, and a major project partner for the current Hearing Awareness campaign.

Mrs. McDonald-Gayle pointed to the important link between early childhood education and the need to include knowledge and awareness on disabilities; and in this particular instance, that of deafness and the importance of practicing good hearing healthcare and early screening.  She noted that the EFJ has helped with research and with the training of staff to assist in the process of increasing public awareness as well as capacity for recognizing early warning signs of children with hearing problems and for taking appropriate action.

Among the audience were representatives from The Ministry of Education Special Education Unit, The Early Childhood Commission, CVSS, Mico Care Centre, Jamaica Council for Persons with Disabilities, Combined Disabilities Association, and Society for the Blind.