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10/09/2015  |   1:45 PM - 3:00 PM   |  SAC Auditorium

Challenges and Considerations fro Supporting Deaf Education in Nicaragua

Challenges and Considerations for Supporting Deaf Education in Rural Nicaragua Mayflower Medical Outreach, Inc. Mayflower Medical Outreach (MMO) began working in rural Nicaragua in 1999. Our mission statement identifies hearing health care, audiological services and deaf education as principal areas of interest during 16 years of active development in Nicaragua. The Albergue Mayflower was founded in 2008 as a project to identify deaf children in rural areas of Nicaragua and offer them opportunities for full time housing and education. Working closely with local NGO’s, the Albergue was built to house 30 children. Additional housing was added to the facility to accommodate older teens in the program. Education is provided both by the Ministry of Education in a school for special needs children (mornings) as well as through the Albergue, where 6 teachers and assistants work with the children in the afternoons. This presentation discusses challenges and considerations which MMO has faced providing deaf education within the context of political, educational, cultural and economic conditions in Nicaragua. In particular, we have identified these key areas: • Working within the public education system • Vocational training and job opportunities • Age of students when entering school and language acquisition limitations • Presence and history of native sign language • Strength of deaf community within the region • Misconceptions about deafness and capabilities of hearing aids • Parent trust and involvement • Meeting developmental needs of students within cultural expectations • Lack of trained professionals i.e. interpreters, deaf ed teachers • Identification of students in rural communities • Establishing advocacy • Adaptive housing and appropriate staff • Funding an international residential program – who pays for room and board? • Developing local businesses to create a sustainable program • Communication and collaboration among deaf schools within the country.

• Considerations of cultural, educational and economic history is critical to achieve operational success.
• Learning the building blocks of building a deaf community of support and education.

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Mark Falk (POC,Primary Presenter), Mayflower Medical Outreach, Inc, markdfalkmmo@gmail.com;
I have been working in the oil and gas industry for 35 years, currently employed by Chesapeake energy as Director of Geophysics. Dr. James Saunders and I began Mayflower Medical Outreach in 1998 as a project growing out of a medical mission through Mayflower Congregational Church. Dr. Saunders was impressed with the occurrence of hearing loss in the rural areas of Nicaragua and this program was started as means to understand and serve that community. Mayflower Medical Outreach has grown considerably, with volunteers and doctors from 10 states supporting regular mission brigades and hearing health care support. we work closely with the Nicaragua Ministry of Health and have built several ENT/Audiology Clinics in rural areas. We have also built and continue to support a boarding school for deaf children.