A pupil and one of the participants pose for a photo during the launch of the hard-of-hearing report in Kampala recently. A study conducted across four districts indicates that there are insufficient resources and interventions to support education for hard-of-hearing pupils across Uganda. PHOTO/COURTESY
Hard of hearing refers to people with hearing loss ranging from mild to severe. People who are hard of hearing usually communicate through spoken language and can benefit from hearing aids, cochlear implants, and other assistive devices as well as captioning
The educational landscape for learners with disabilities remains a challenge in much of Uganda.
A study by the Uganda Federation of Hard of Hearing (UFHOH) tells the story of a challenging education system that makes it difficult for hard-of-hearing learners obtain a befitting education.
The study, conducted across four districts, paints a picture of systemic failures, characterised by insufficient resources, and a general lack of interventions.
Spearheaded by UFHOH executive director Mastulah Nalubwama and programme manager Moses Serwadda, the study brings to light the struggles faced by hard-of-hearing learners, which underscores the need for policy reforms, resource allocation, and training of educators.
The findings across Nebbi, Bududa, Luweero, and Kyenjojo districts, where 776 hard-of-hearing learners, 52 school heads, and 11 key informants were interviewed, indicate that the education system is not adequately equipped to support hard-of-hearing learners.
“We were shocked by the extent of the lack of support for these learners. Hard-of-hearing learners’ population in mainstream schools is … only 1.72 percent, yet, even with this small proportion, the challenges they face are enormous,” says Nalubwama.
For instance, she says, there is lack of assistive devices and specialized teachers, with only 0.9 percent of hard-of-hearing learners accessing hearing aids or cochlear implants, while 99.1 percent cope by lip reading, bilingual communication, or sitting in front rows of classrooms to get a clear understanding from teachers.
The study further notes that majority of respondents - ranging from school staff to key informants – admit that they were not aware of the needs and challenges faced by hard-of-hearing learners, while others say they had never heard of the term hard-of-hearing.
Hard-of-hearing applies to people with hearing loss ranging from mild to severe.
They usually have trouble hearing soft sounds and following conversations, but might also have trouble hearing loud voices, especially when the defect is severe.
The challenges
According to the study, more than 60 percent of hard-of-hearing learners experience some form of discrimination or prejudice, with peers, teachers, and even family members often playing a role in perpetuating the stigma.
Beyond this, is the lack of specialised teachers in over 50 percent of the schools surveyed, while those that have teachers lack formal training, while others have not received refresher training in over a decade.
Therefore, as a result, such learners perform poorly and drop out of school due to a low understanding of the material taught, resulting from the inability to hear, and the absence of essential learning resources, such as textbooks, hearing aids, and specialized teaching materials.
Despite these setbacks, however, the study revealed that many hard-of-hearing learners remain active participants in co-curricular activities, with 88 percent of surveyed learners actively engaged in sports, music, drama, and debate.
This, therefore, calls for interventions from different stakeholders to support provision of resources, such as hearing aids, cochlear implants, and sign language instructors, among others.
However, Serwadda says more research should be conducted for a better understanding of the hard-to-hearing ecosystem.
“We need to understand why [some districts such as Nebbi] have a high concentration of hard-to-hearing learners and address the underlying health issues,” he says, but also calls for a comprehensive review of the curriculum to ensure that it is inclusive, regardless of learners’ hearing ability and enhance public awareness to reduce stigma.
Looking to the future
Whereas Uganda has made progress in addressing the challenges of hard-to-hearing learners, it is crucial to address systemic barriers.
According to Nalubwama, whereas the findings of their study provide hope, they also offer “a call to action for stakeholders to ensure that no child, regardless of their abilities, is left behind”.
Therefore, she says, with the right interventions, policies, and resources, Uganda can move towards a more inclusive education system where hard-of-hearing learners thrive.
A 2013 report by the Initiative for Social and Economic Rights found that majority of special needs education teachers cannot effectively handle hard-of-hearing learners while at the same time, government had not facilitated regular schools to give quality education to hard-of-hearing learners.
It has also been a challenge when it comes to differentiating between deaf and hard-of-hearing learners.
Thus, Nalubwama argues that there is need to push for policy reforms that promote educational equity and make a distinction between deaf and hard-to-hearing learners. Deaf and hard-to-hearing learners, she says, are distinct and must have a different examination process, starting from the time of registration to sitting and release of results.
“We need this distinction … it will help to cater to their needs and ensure that they perform to the best of their abilities,” Nalubwama says.
However, she notes this cannot be achieved by a single institution, but rather by a multi-faceted approach, involving government and its agencies, international organisations, corporate and local communities.
On his part, Serwadda notes that whereas it is an engaging journey, some of the work to be done has been cut out with a study that provides a roadmap of how to address existing issues through collective efforts.
“The journey towards inclusive education is long, but we are committed to ensuring that every hard-to-hearing learner has the opportunity to succeed,” he says.
CAUSES OF HEARING LOSS AND DEAFNESS
Although these factors can be encoun-
tered at different periods across the life
span, individuals are most susceptible
to their effects during critical periods in
life.
Prenatal period
• Genetic factors including heredita-
ry and non-hereditary hearing loss
• Intrauterine infections – such as ru-
bella and cytomegalovirus infection.
Perinatal period
• Birth asphyxia (a lack of oxygen at
the time of birth
• Hyperbilirubinemia (severe jaun-
dice in the neonatal period)
• Low-birth weight
• Other perinatal morbidities and
their management
Childhood and adolescence
• Chronic ear infections (chronic sup-
purative otitis media)
• Collection of fluid in the ear (chronic
nonsuppurative otitis media)
• Meningitis and other infections.
Adulthood and older age
• Chronic diseases
• Smoking
• Otosclerosis
• Age-related sensorineural degene-
ration
• Sudden sensorineural hearing loss.
Factors across the life span
• Cerumen impaction (impacted ear
wax)
• Trauma to the ear or head
• Loud noise/loud sounds
• ototoxic medicines
• Work related ototoxic chemicals
• Nutritional deficiencies
• Viral infections and other ear condi-
