Overview of efforts

Social background

In recent years, improvements have been made in the medical care of and intervention in hearing-impaired children during their infancy; however, the medical care and intervention after they reach school age are not sufficient, and even if they have problems in school, they often do not receive appropriate support and guidance. There are many people with hearing disabilities who are under inappropriate employment conditions. Adults and older people with hearing disabilities often do not wear hearing aids and tend to be left out of social life. Furthermore, COVID-19 measures (wearing masks, installing acrylic panels, social distancing, etc.) have worsened the communication situation for the hearing impaired.
 

Purposes of the activities

The goal is to create a social infrastructure that ensures fairness for hearing-impaired children and adults so that they are not left behind in acquiring information, having communication and leading a social life.
 

Overview of activities

We established an inter-professional work (IPW) system involving multiple professions, including intervention and education, medical care, government and businesses. First, we implemented an inter-professional education (IPE) program and then planned multifaceted measures for all age groups, including (1) support for school-age children, (2) support and utilization of university students, (3) educator training and retraining, (4) employment support, and (5) communication support for adults and older people. We have started various activities, including sharing information among multiple professions inside and outside the university, preparing and distributing instruction manuals, disseminating information to educators and the general public, and providing guidance to workers. Furthermore, with the objective of preventing social isolation and loneliness and building a social network through inter-professional collaboration for hearing-impaired people, Okayama University and OHK signed a collaborative agreement on October 27, 2021 to disseminate information.
 

Expected effects

By providing not only support and guidance to hearing-impaired people but also offering education to supporters and accurate information to the general public, it is expected that a social infrastructure in which heaing-impaired peole children and adults with hearing disabilities can easily live with others able-bodied people will be formed. We also focus on encouraging hearing-impaired children and adults to make the most of their specialties and aim to help them participate in and contribute to society so that they can lead a positive and fulfilling life.