Many parents who consider cochlear implants for their children, sometimes wonder what all the fuss is about. Mainly, why some members of the deaf community can oppose implants, and the impact of an implant on a child’s identity. But what happens when children ask for implants – as they can do? Two Brothers Request Cochlear
Gallaudet University in Washington DC is the world’s only campus where all programs and services are designed for deaf and hard of hearing students. This is no easy feat, as the university offers over 40 major degree courses toward Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science awards. Undergraduate students can self-direct their majors and choose
Deaf people do not live in a silent world without sound, as is often assumed. Music is present in everyone’s life and is enjoyed by all, no matter how they hear it. For some, the sound, tune and lyrics vary in volume and clarity, but rhythm pervades whether it is heard or felt (vibration or change
IDK held an information session on mainstream education on March 4th, in Dublin. The event, for parents and educators seeking insights to educational options for deaf and hard of hearing children, was both informative and reassuring. In particular, no attempt was made to enforce a specific opinion and opportunities existed for different opinions to be heard.
To learn Irish, or not? This issue was debated at the IDK seminar last Friday. Some deaf students learn Irish, others don’t. It depends on several factors like subject choice and not least, the oral & aural element of exams. Students in Ireland typically learn Irish to qualify for university. This is why deaf students
IDK is extremely grateful to everyone who contributed their knowledge, experience and services to our Mainstreaming event in Dublin on Friday, March 4th. All feedback, ideas and discussions are now being followed up. Some presentations from the day: The IDK Story – Caroline Carswell, founder of Irish Deaf Kids The Visiting Teacher Service – Claire
Parents’ responses are still being received by the team here, after the recent Derek Mooney radio interview with parent Eithne Carroll and Liam O’Dwyer of the CIDP. >> Listen to the podcast (RTE1, 2011). This email response is from Orla Sexton, a parent in Cork. Dear Derek, I refer to your recent interview with Eithne
In late 2010, a group of Transition Year students from Greenhill, Drogheda, decided to enter the 2011 Young Social Innovators (YSI) competition. Their project is about deafness, so they contacted IDK for initial information. The YSI competition is held every March at the RDS in Dublin, to encourage students to use their skills and talents to create a
IDK’s February 19th life-skills workshop for deaf/hard-of-hearing teens, was a chance to catch up with attendees from the first workshop (October 2010). Very satisfactorily, at least two attendees reported progress with big issues they’d been struggling with. After the first workshop, they felt empowered to look at their issues differently, and to try a different approach.
Two parents share an email they sent to Derek Mooney, after he recently spoke on-air with the mother of a deaf child about her difficulty getting supports for her son. We feel the Visiting Teacher (VT) service is often forgotten and we only hear of the deaf children who are attending specialist schools, not the