Disability is not Inability

Rural school gives hope to deaf and blind children

The institution at Kabanet in Baringo trains the pupils to live useful lives;

Source: story by Kiptanui Cherono Saturday Nation October 6th 2007

Eight-year-old Wanjeri who is from Murang’a district is deaf and partially sighted Before she was brought to Kabarnet School for the Deaf and Blind in baringo district, it was evident that Wanjeri had been confined to a house as her skin had turned whitish red.
And, according to her teachers at the school, she had a phobia for bring light and sunshine, an indication that she had been held in a dark place for a long time.

When she was brought to the school in February, this year, Wanjeri could not walk and cried most of the time, says her handler.
Luckily, she can now walk, with some support. Her skin has also started changing to it natural colour after being exposed to sunlight on a daily basis.

Peter Ngugi, a 10-year-old from Kiambu many have suffered a similar fate. He is also deaf and partially blind. Ngugi’s trainer says he is frightened when touched. “We do not know what has led to this situation,” his teacher says.

The school headteacher, Mr Charles Chebet, regrets that there are many deaf and blind children locked up at home yet they should be at a school like others. He says parents hide the children to for fear of stigmatization.

“Parents wrongly believe that deaf and blind children cannot do anything on their own and refuse to train them on simple activities such as using the toilet, brushing teeth, bathing and washing, he says. “When these children are brought to the school we are forced to start training them from scratch on these simple activities.”
Mr Chebet adds that many deaf and blind children are taking to the wrong institutions.

“A lot of useful time is wasted for these learn when they are placed in mental institutions before the actual challenges they face are identified and referred to us.” Kabarnet School is the only national institution that trains blind and deaf children. Children suspected to be in this condition say the headteacher, are assessed at centers across the country before being referred to the school.

When they arrive, they are assessed by an academic panel and placed in groups according to their abilities, to facilitate training.
The life of deaf and blind learners is difficult because of their lack of vision and hearing, which leads to isolation by the others. It is for this reason that their training differs from that of colleagues who are only deaf or blind.

To make their training effective and ease communication, say Mr Chebet, the children are taught sign language through touching. This method makes the learner understand better, he adds.
The learners are also trained using objects of reference in place of activities like using a cup to reflect taking tea, say the school head.

He explains that there are four categories of pupils at his school. “We have learners who are totally deaf and partially sighted, those who are partially sighted and partially deaf and others who are totally deaf and totally blind,” he says. Learners, who have additional challenges such as mental and physiotherapy.

When they arrive, they are assessed by an academic panel and placed in groups according to their abilities, to facilitate their training

Deaf and blind student Haroun Kataka (left) in a woodwork class with instructor Willy Nyambuto undergoes occupational therapy at the institution. Also deaf and blind, he could not walk when he was brought to the institution.

For some of these learners it take up to 10 years to be independent, says Mr Chebet, adding that the syllabus for such an institution is adapted to fit the situational programme. “We design activities as per the child’s strengths and weaknesses,” he adds.

The headteacher say that in an effort to enhance the training, the institution reviews its activities annually. “We now want to move towards specialization where we blind on the likes of the learners and encourage them to pursue activities they like most, such that when they graduate from here, they can continue with the same activities at their home, thus making them more independent”.

Mr Chebet points out that normal people should appreciate the fact that deaf and blind people have the potential to a living the institution has the capacity to train 60 learners; it only has 27 currently, making it grossly under-utilised. The headteacher blames the poor enrolment on lack of sensitization.

The institution has 24 teachers as well as house-mothers and fathers who takes care of the children. And although it was initially funded by the Cristobel Blinden mission, a German Christian organization that sponsors the blind and the deaf/blind, it currently has no sponsor.
The donor cut off support following a dispute between the new school administration and the board of governors.

Mr Chebet says the school runs on a thin budget and depends on it its dairy cattle and poultry. “Although we have some money one in bank, the row with the board has affected its utilization, he claims.
Occasionally, he adds, the teachers dig into their pockets to ensure the children are fed and given transport home during holidays. Mr Chebet accuses the ministry of Education of lacking what he calls special consideration for the school over funds. (KNA).

Source: story by Kiptanui Cherono Saturday Nation October 6th 2007

DISABILITYKENYA