Societal Perception of the Education of Hearing Impaired: A Case Study of Ashanti School for the Deaf in Jamasi Community

ABSTRACT

The study sought to find out the societal perception of the education of the hearing impaired in Ashanti School for the Deaf, in Jamasi community. Fifty teachers, thirty non-teaching , one hundred and sixty students and ten parents who have their wards in Ashanti School For The Deaf were selected through simple random sampling and stratified simple random sampling. The research design was a descriptive survey and questionnaire was used to obtain the data for the study. The study found out that, the society generally has negative perception towards the hearing impaired; where majority of people think educating hearing impaired was a waste of resource. Again, the study found out that the syllabus and textbooks designed for schools were not deaf friendly. It was realised that, pupils who were brought to school by their parents and siblings received more love and care from their parents than those who were brought to school by other guardians. Additionally, the study found out that, schools for the hearing impaired were inadequate. It is recommended that, education should be given to the general public particularly parents who have given birth to hearing impaired children on the need to give equal opportunities and attention to both their hearing impaired and hearing children as far as their education is concerned. It is again recommended that, the government and the stakeholders in education should revise the syllabus to make it more friendly to the hearing impaired. Finally, the school authorities, P.T.A and all stakeholders should come up with programmes in the form of workshop, seminars, forum that would help the parents and the society at large to learn the sign language.