Early Intervention and Preschool Programme
This is a programme for young children with deafness. Early identification, intervention and appropriate guidance to parents are the key factors behind a hearing impaired child’s development of language and communication skills.
This programme is based on utilizing the residual hearing of a deaf child through use of amplification device. In this programme, a child develops listening skills, learns language and develops oral communications skills. Over the years, the child is also introduced to literacy and numeracy. The objective of this programme is to prepare a deaf child for formal education and inclusion in the mainstream society.
We are now broadening our approach to encompass deaf children from diverse backgrounds to ensure development of language and communication skill, literacy and numeracy for every child that comes in contact with us.
Resource Centre
This centre complements the early intervention and preschool programme. Parents training course helps parents cope with their emotional needs, accept their child, understand parental role and learn about the possibilities of their child, their rights and entitlements. This course helps parents to renew their dream for their child.
Other activities of this centre revolve round children of different age groups.Mainstreamed children receive remedial language support. This support helps them cope with their education in general schools. Speech therapy is an area of intervention for this group of children which help them correct and improve their speech.
Sessions on grooming help children learn self awareness, build self confidence, develop socialization skills and presentation skills. Grooming workshops are held every week by professionals from different fields. Anwesha family formed a group of young adults who have embarked on their lives journey as adults. Anwesha is promoting their self advocacy group BONDHU.
Parents Network
A parents group has answers for parents in many ways. This was our realization after forming Anwesha. It made us think that if more parents groups were formed across the state it could change the quality of lives of many children with deafness and their families and change the subsequently deafness scenario of the state too.
As a result of continuous effort of few likeminded organizations, there are now a sizeable number of parents groups in different districts of West Bengal that have culminated in a state level federation under the name Pratidhwani WB, meaning echo. Pratidhwani wishes to emerge as a pressure group that can influence policy decisions affecting the lives of children and persons who are deaf and hard of hearing.
We dream that this echo will move beyond West Bengal and spread to the entire nation which will bring about positive changes in the quality of lives of children and persons who are deaf or hard of hearing.
Self Advocacy
Self advocacy is the best form of advocacy where people are empowered to talk for themselves and ask for their rights. The self advocacy group of young adults BONDHU was formed few years ago.
BONDHU is a group of vibrant youths who believe that they have right to enjoy a barrier free life and should be able to enjoy human rights on an equal basis with others. They dream for a society free of discriminations, for people with deafness and for everyone.
They are learning that they have the same personal, civil and political rights as everyone else. They are also learning that responsibilities come with rights and self advocacy is a way of life.
Community Sensitization
Community Sensitization is a key area for the organization right from the beginning, the focus being inclusion, inclusive education, awareness on deafness and rights of children and persons with deafness.
Awareness programmes are organized to sensitize students of schools and colleges, officials of different departments, institutions and members from different sections of the community.
Networking & Advocacy
We network with different institutes, organizations govt. departments and the office of the Commissioner Disabilities on different issues.
Our advocacy has brought about one big success. It is an order passed by the Education Dept. of WB accepting that students with hearing impairment will have one language option, a legal provision that was implemented in some states years ago.
We are a member of Disability Activists Forum WB, a network of disability organizations in the state. We are also member of Pratidhwani West Bengal – a network of Parents Associations of children and persons with hearing impairment.
We are also member of GPODHH – Global Coalition of Parents of children who are deaf or hard of hearing – http://www.fcei.at/gpod
