Alarm raised on abuse of deaf people in CV

Volunteers working for the welfare of the hearing impaired sounded the alarm over unreported cases of sexual, physical and mental abuse among the handicapped in Central Visayas.

Iouline Intano, coordinator of the Gualandi Volunteers Service Program, said that of a thousand hearing-impaired students in Central Visayas they have visited, they got 42 disclosures from those who experienced different kinds of abuse because of their condition.

Intano said that she was shocked that there were children who experienced abuse.

“We were shocked that this situation is happening. Gamay ra kaayo ang deaf community diri sa Cebu but cases of abuse in the deaf community is big,” she added.

As of July, Intano said they recorded six cases in Central Visayas, wherein two cases of sexual abuse in Cebu are being tried in court while a perpetrator was convicted for physical abuse.

Gualandi Volunteers Service Program is a program under the Gualandi Mission for the Deaf which specializes in deaf advocacy, deaf human rights, and education for the deaf.

The program which started last 2011 aims to train hearing impaired students and how to protect themselves.

“We visit the students, train and teach them of their rights as individuals despite their disabilities,” Intano said at the Kapihan sa PIA (Philippine Information Agency).

Intano said, that in order to address this concern, they have made initial partnerships with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), the local governments, Cebu City Police Office, and non-government organizations.

She said that with their partnership, they have encouraged different sectors to learn sign language to enable them to understand and communicate with the hearing impaired.

Janice Aparri, volunteer of the Cebu Association of Deaf (CAD), said in sign language, that operatives of the Women and Children’s Protection Desk at the Cebu City Police Office are currently undergoing training to learn sign language.

“Communication is very important and one way to learn the language is through this training,” she expressed through sign language.

However, Intano said that the “hearing community” in Cebu still lacks the awareness.

“There are people who show their respect to the community, but there are also some people who discriminate against them (deaf),” Intano said.