Disability is not Inability

:: Dr. Albert Henn:- His heart for the Deaf Community...

The Liverpool VCT Care and Treatment is the strategic partner in training and supervision and general management of the Deaf voluntary counselling and Testing programme. The Liverpool Deaf VCT Programme has had some great years when Dr. henn was at the helm in Liverpool VCT.

The open-end integration of the Deaf programme into mainstream as championed by Dr Henn has had various positive impact in a project that expresses the future of disability-firendly service delivery. He believed in the potentials possible behind the primitive signs. He knew that lack of voice is a surmountable barrier that can be overcome.

This was shown by his drive to ensure the programme was integrated into all LVCT strategic drives with the deepness and training equal to other sectors. The spectacular changes in the deaf VCT staff in terms provision of their mandate is competitive and in many cases beats that of the non deaf sites... Expansion of the deaf VCT programme: The programme was expanded in all fronts under his watch. Dr. Henn ensured that higher outreach opportunities, better training, opened training and service delivery.

Internal organisational integration of the deaf staff, wider training opportunities etc.

A Mourning Tribute By a deaf Staff who loved you Daktari

Expansion of the deaf VCT programme: The programme was expanded in all fronts under his watch. Dr. Henn ensured that higher outreach opportunities, better training, opened training and service delivery. Internal organisational integration of the deaf staff, wider training opportunities etc.

Expanded outreach programmes: We also saw the expansion of outreach programmes within better collaborations with various community orghanisations. This is important especially considering the deaf have low hospital partcipation rates. Very few deaf people use hospitals and stakeholders appreciate the role deaf VCT has had in mobilising the community to use hospitals. Health personnel also have learnt alot from the services.

LVCT is also involved in a number of activities to build the health signs and therefore counselling standrards. It has engaged Stakeholders in various areas including on-going development of a manual for sexuality and Health in sign language. The widespread engagement is one of the major management changes Dr. Henn was known for in LVCT by the disability community...

increased access to treatment and care: This is one of the greatest new doors that the organisation has opened for the deaf community under the watch of Dr Henn. Access to treatment from STI's, widely common and untreated among the deaf is one area that has significantly improved with LVCT.

With wider number of deaf people knowing their HIV status and many hospitals not deaf friendly yet the leadership of the LVCT in ensuring that the deaf have access to post test support structures is critical. The repeat mobile VCT services to all areas every three months ensures a follow-up strategy that has began to bear fruit.

More resources are required within LVCT, partners and stakeholders to institutionalise trained deaf staff with linkages to support staructures at the grassroots level.

Continous training of the deaf staff; Capacity building is a challenge in many deaf organisations and LVCT has provided the environment in which the deaf can not only access training but also see the use of such training in better opportunites. The desire for higher training opportunites has never been higher than it is now. The need for linkages with Universities and Health institutions to subsidize the costs of sign language interpretation would significantly open these opportunities locally, than pursure irrelevant courses abroad.

Organisational integration of the deaf staff;
Wider integration as championed by Dr. henn was best expressed seen in his policy that all staff learn sign language. And He always found time to sit in class and learned much past basics. But the increase in quality communication between the deaf staff and the other staff had astonishing implications. Information flow on day-to-day operations of such a large organisation handling the lives of millions can be frustrating. The higher knowledge in sign language
smoothened much through improved communication between staff and clients.

Engagement of the deaf community in HIV/AIDs management
One of the most important impact of more training and organisational skills is the transfer of these into community relationships. The deaf community is known to love "politicising" everything. Many strategic partners have had to go through a period of "politics" before tranquility within productivity is established.

Dr. Henn push to engage rather than dictate was the necessary ingredient that convinced many community organisations move back into working with the Deaf programme. This combined with the humility approach of the deaf coordinator was important in convincing many organisations to come back and work with the project especially after a chaotic "political" period.

Dr. Henn saw the importance of giving an ear to the community leaders and organised the first National Deaf Conference. LVCT was ablle to hear and explain to the community leaders the role of VCT and the LVCT approach. Many were convinced afetr this and alot of collaboration has been seen since. And changed the face of community partcipation not only in accessing VCT but also in building and effective post test support structures.

Prudent management of challenges especially involving issues of the staff and community members. The role of concrete evidence based resolution of conflicts and misunderstandings was important lesson both to the community leaders and the staff.

VCT Staff are better trained and engages the community more...

Gauging by the emotional debate discussions among community members overtime, there was general realisation that LVCT management would definitely act on issues that compromised on the basic principles of quality service. However it would only accept evidence and would do anything to access the evidence. Many community leaders, analysts and stakeholders appreciated this as important in building the communities integration skills.

It is hoped that other startegic partners and the government as it improves disability-friendly services within the disability Act 2004 working within disability learned the lessons behind the success of the deaf vct programme. Thats the legacy Dr. Henn Left us...


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PICTURES SOURCE: FROM STANDARD ONLINE...

:: Dr. ALBERT HENN IN the Kenya Airways Plane Crash:

:: The Strategic Director Dr. Henn was...

:: Dr Henn's heart for the Deaf Community...

:: A Mourning Tribute By a deaf Staff who loved you Daktari

:: What the world said...

:: The KQ flight 507 Manifest...

:: Liverpool Deaf VCT Programme...

:: Liverpool VCT, Care & Treatment...