Overcome dual disability

Author: Huang Jianan Shen Jiaying
Publisher:
Publishing Date: Not available
Features: In 1988, the World Federation of the Blind reported that there were approximately 47 million blind people worldwide, with an estimated 10 million dual sensory impaired individuals. Based on a 1987 sample survey of disabled people in China, it was estimated that as of April 1, 1987, there were about 2.18 million blind and deaf people in 29 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities in mainland China, of whom approximately 140,000 were under the age of 60. This is a significant group. They face special difficulties and are in extreme isolation and suffering, urgently needing people to extend a helping hand. Among the surveyed dual sensory impaired individuals, although the number of children was small, the loss of hearing affects language development, so most of them are blind, deaf, and mute. Based on the experience of deaf education, many deaf children who had learned to speak but later lost their hearing, due to the lack of a good language environment, gradually lost their language skills and completely lost the ability to speak after about two years, becoming deaf and mute. The language regression of blind and deaf children is even more severe. Some who became blind and deaf in their teens also completely lost their language skills and became blind, deaf, and mute. It is therefore crucial to create communication conditions for blind and deaf children to preserve their spoken language and reduce the severity of their disabilities...