Attitudes hearing impaired children face from hearing people : a case study from Wollega, Ethiopia

Abstract

The aim of this research is to find out what kind of attitudes that hearing impaired children face from hearing people, and how these attitudes influence the hearing impaired child’s life. This is a qualitative research project with interview as the instrument of collecting data. The interviews were conducted in Wollega, Ethiopia with four different informant groups: Children with hearing impairment (CWHI), their parents (Parents CWHI), Children with hearing (CWH), and their parents (Parents CWH). Altogether there were 24 informants: 10 children and 14 parents. All the interviews were transcribed, coded and analysed with the NVivo8 computer program and guided by Kvale’s model (1996:189) “Six Steps of Analysis”. The theoretical framework in this research was made from Bronfenbrenner (1979) and his socio-ecological approach and different researches made in the areas of attitudes, hearing impairment, sign language and communication. In line with this; attitude as a concept is defined to be both positive and negative emotional reactions that are formed or caused by all the above-mentioned areas with strong attachments to beliefs and values in the religious and cultural setting in which a child grows up. Attitudes influence a person’s self-esteem and how one looks upon oneself. The negative attitudes that the informants in this research talked about were: despise, dislike, hate, feeling sorry and pity. The informants also said that many hearing people are rude, mean, screaming insulting words, isolating and neglecting the hearing impaired child. They also face some positive attitudes, but the hearing impaired children in the study face more negative than positive attitudes from hearing people. Cultural beliefs and norms are influential factors in the shaping of negative attitudes towards hearing impaired children to the extent of believing hearing impairment to be the expression of punishment from God for a past sin committed by a family member. In Ethiopia many people lack formal education and that also influences their attitudes towards hearing impaired children. Lack of good communication between the hearing impaired children and their family and friends is also pointed out as another factor for the negative attitudes they face daily as they interact with hearing people at home or school. On the other hand good communication will have a positive influence to build up self-esteem in hearing impaired children. Nongovernmental organisations, churches and government have contributed to an improvement of attitudes. Conclusions and recommendations are given about how to make the life of hearing impaired children better and easier. These changes should take place in the hearing impaired children’s family, school, peer groups and society.