Background

Disabled people and those with special needs are far more likely to live in poverty than people without additional needs. They do not have equal access to healthcare, education, or employment. There is far less representation of people with disabilities in politics or participation in decision making or in wider society.

In childhood, children with disabilities are less likely than non-disabled children to attend primary, secondary school or tertiary education. They are more likely to be illiterate and innumerate. When they are in school, it can be hard for children with disabilities to keep up with their peers educationally and socially. Children are frequently segregated so mainstream children and those with additional needs miss opportunities to learn how to interact with each other. Stigma, discrimination and negative perceptions about disability, coupled with a lack of knowledge and skills on how to include children with disabilities, create further inequalities and attitudes that continue into adulthood.   

For example, we know that people who are deaf, particularly those who have no or unclear speech, are frequently considered to be less intelligent. Children with hearing impairments can struggle in school because teachers are turned towards the board, or background noise in the classroom means they can’t hear instructions or distinguish individual voices. When you cannot hear what is going on, it is hard to keep up and it seems like you are not able to understand. Hearing impairment is no indicator of intelligence.

There are simple things you can do to ensure a deaf person is included in any conversation:

• Turn your face towards them so they can see your lips
• Speak clearly, emphasising your lip movements
• Turn down the music or background noise
• Take a little more time to ensure you explain clearly what is going on
• Carry a notebook and pen to write things down

No special equipment or resources are needed!