Sexual and Reproductive Health issues for Girl with Deafblindness pose challenges
Week long National Training about Awareness on Sexuality, Sexual & Reproductive Health
Need for Special Educators and Caregivers for person with disability
MENTOR’S ROLE FOR MOTHER
Recently in Ahmedabad, mother of a deaf and blind girl Debarati Choudhary shares her agony and challenges in educating her growing teen aged daughter about biological transformations. Mother with deafblind daughter needs to dedicate and sacrifice her life in caregiving of her girl, taking care of her all through the day. She has to be there right from raising the daughter, feeding her, bathing her, fixing up daily chores, taking special care during her menstruation cycle.
It becomes extremely incommunicable to talk on a audacious, odd, crucial and vital issue of sexuality, hormonal growth, familiarising her with Reproductive Health issue with a girl with disability of listening and vision. To prevent deaf blind girl from social, emotional and sexual abuse.
In context to Indian culture and Hindu mythology passing through a painful menstruation cycle has many embarrassing yet important aspects to be considered. Among confusion, pain, shyness, low energy, spacey, tired, dealing with sports or physical activities, maintaining hygienity, taking food at home and for self, even in school, college or at work place.
Issues of low blood or feel of lot of discharge, need to consult lady doctor or gynecologist, irregular painful periods. Parents and teachers often face challenges while dealing with sex and sexuality issues of their children and young adults with deafblindness due to its sensitivity. To make them aware on such odd topics which people avoid to discuss due to hesitation and shyness. Having Interpreter who is conversant with language and expression of deaf and blind people, all through out the communication is all the more important.
ISSUEs OF COMMUNICATION, AWARENESS
Persons with deafblindness use unique way of communication and it’s not easy for them to discuss the same with others.
Many a times it poses socially unacceptable behavioural issues and situation in their life. In our country often people are not comfortable to talk about sex and sexuality, due to which there are misconceptions & stigmas attached.
NGO SUPPORT AND FUND RAISING
Ahmedabad based NGO Non Governmental Organisation Sense India is organising a week long National Training on Understanding Sexuality, Sexual & Reproductive Health along with Child & Vulnerable Adult’s protection Policy, for Adults with deafblindness, Special Educators and Caregivers. NGO support and train persons with deafblindness on overall sexual and reproductive health. Presently, fund raising is done by NGO itself. Some aid from corporates with CSR aid the activity financially.
The purpose was to Understanding her body and changes from childhood to adulthood, body mapping, knowing body organs and their functions, their privacy and body boundaries. Understanding child and vulnerable adult protection and its policies. Understand the need of sex and sexuality education, sexual orientation, sexuality and gender, sexual & reproductive health , share the issues faced during teaching sex education to persons with deafblindness. Understand the basics of research methodologies and application of the research in the field of special education.
Lack of information at right age becomes difficult for them to understand their bodily changes and the reason behind it. This often brings the sexuality and reproductive health issues in them, and The training for deafblind adults focuses on helping them understand their body orientation and changes over the time.
GOVERNMENT INITIATIVE WELCOMED
NGO and parents strongly feel that Government should recognize the disability in fellow being and take initiative in raising Sense Skill development by providing amenities and full fledged support.
Need to setup Special Training Centres for DeafBlind people.
TRAINING A MUST
Parents, Special educators and Caregivers play a vital role in the lives of deafblind children and become an integral part of their daily learning opportunities. They are the most accessible person to children and adults with deafblindness and their understanding about the specific needs of children and young adults cannot be replaced by any other professionals. However many special educators face problem in planning early sex education, including how to assess; which area should be given importance; what goals and topics to take; etc. Many times parents and caregivers feel helpless to tackle the situation due to lack of information on unique behavioural needs, different modes of communication, developmental pattern, social, emotional growth of child and adults with deafblindness.
Research and Development in exploring new learning techniques and setting up modern classroom equipped for people with this disability is underway.
STATISTICS AND POPULATION
Population of people with Deafblindness disability is 0.04 % of total population. In Gujarat there are about 15,000 deafblind persons, who needs to undergo training.
MULTIPLE DISABILITY versus DEAFBLINDNESS
Deafblindness disability is generally classified among multiple disability. Hence out of support for multiple disabilities , again benefits to deafblindness further narrows down.
