CHAPTER ONE

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

 Background of the Study

It was largely believed by the Africans that children with disabilities were not physically fit to defend themselves or be independent. This believe influenced the mentality of many people in the society and as a sequence, those were disabled were looked upon as useless, incapable and inhuman. They were seen as idiots, witches, wizards and even spirits. In some African countries, some were killed and some thrown by the river side to die. Some of these disabilities included, hearing impairment, visual impairment, physical disabilities, autism, mental retardation, speech and language disorders just to name a few.

With the coming of western missionaries to Africa , the atmosphere and the societal perception of persons with disability began changing for the better. The missionaries provided shelter, food and clothing for this disabled persons.

Also, the passing of international laws in countries like the USA and United Kingdom also improved the work of the missionaries in Africa. They provided many educational and social services in Africa. The missionaries are the reason for the historical development of special education in Cameroon and Africa at large. Though education in Cameroon started informally in families and in village settings, some parents and some skilled persons had to teach practical skills like cooking, hunting and weaving of baskets and others. The children were taught some self-help skills such as toileting, eating, bathing and dressing. The hearing impaired were taught the sign language and lip reading skills. The visually impaired were directed on how to walk without falling.

After the 1970s, the ministry of health was in charge of persons with disability. This shows that disability was viewed as a disease which could or could not be cured. In 1972, two centers were opened in Yaounde to educate some children with disability. These centers were; School for the Hearing Impaired and Special School for Mentally Retarded. These centers were administered by some religious groups and parents of children who are disabled. In 1975, with the creation of the ministry of social affairs, the government started giving attention to persons with disability. Today, many countries are in favour of the education and well-being of persons with special needs and their attitudes have greatly changed.

But the hard reality is that every society is still affected by the early assumptions that persons with disabilities are less than humans and they are not eligible to opportunities which are available to other people as a matter of right (Justin Dart, Disability Rights Activist) , 1992, quoted in Demos, 2002. Through out history , persons with hearing impairment and other disabilities have been treated so differently from those who fit societal norms. Some of this treatment given to the disabled were,

• They were killed or abandoned in the woods in Ancient Greece
• kept as jesters for nobility in the Roman Empire courts.
• Drowned and burned during the Spanish inguisition
• restrained from public areas
• Victimise with inhuman treatment
• Stigmatised as criminals
• Viewed as sickly
• Inappropriatly labelled
• Marginalised
• Discriminated upon
• Isolated
• Restricted from participation
• Viewed as curses, witches and wizards.

Statement of the Problem

Societal perception either negative or positive towards children with hearing impairment has a great effect on their psychological development as a whole. This will include intellectual, emotional, cognitive and social development.

General Objectives

The general objectives of this study will be

1. To bring out the societal perceptions towards the hearing impaired both negative and positive.
2. To also justify how these perceptions have an effect on the psychological development of the hearing impaired
3. Society has to develop positive perceptions toward persons with hearing impairment

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