Learning at school can be a challenge at the best of times. But for children with hearing impairments who can’t hear the teacher and can’t talk to classmates, every day is a struggle.
This is the reality for Lena (name changed to protect her privacy), a partially deaf 7-year-old first grader from a town near , the capital of .
Lena doesn’t use sign language and attends a school that doesn’t offer proper support for children with hearing impairments.
Lena relies on gestures and writing to understand what is going on, but this isn’t ideal in a class with over 25 pupils where things move quickly.
Assistance needed
“The psychologists told me she is far behind in class; she needs assistance,” Lena’s father, Faik T., told DW.
Lena’s family initially thought she was just a quiet child. Now, they believe she was born deaf.
“When Lena was two, a relative noticed she didn’t respond to her name. ‘I think she’s deaf,’ the relative said,” recalls Faik.
At first, he didn’t believe it. “We called her name while she slept, hoping she’d react. But she never moved. That’s when we knew,” he says.
Not long after, they brought her to a variety of doctors. She has been receiving therapy for several years now.
A difficult journey
Their journey has not been easy: Along the way the family has encountered all sorts of difficulties, including unhelpful private doctors, costly treatments and repeated misdiagnoses.
“One procedure costs €25,000 ($27,800). First they said she is not deaf; then they said she is. I decided not to go through with it,” says Faik.
Faik learned that his daughter was able to hear 10% in one ear and 13% in the other. After countless consultations and therapy, Lena’s hearing has improved.
“She now hears 60% in one ear, and 40% in the other, but the doctor said she still needs a hearing aid,” says Faik.
Faik sees a significant improvement in his daughter. Nevertheless, during a brief exchange with DW, she mainly communicated through gestures and sounds, her eyes scanning the room, waiting to be understood. Her father completed most of her answers.
Misconceptions about sign language
According to the NGO Kosovar Association of the Deaf (KAD), very few deaf people in Kosovo can lip-read. Most find sign language to be the most effective form of communication.
However, because not many people in Kosovo use sign language, writing, gestures and technology are often used instead. But as helpful as these things are, they do not replace the need for a structured language.
Arta (name changed to protect her privacy) is 11 years of age and in fifth grade. Like Lena, she is partially deaf and does not speak.
During an exchange with DW, Arta used a pen and paper to communicate, writing brief answers and saying that her favorite subjects are Mathematics and Art and that she is taking programming courses at a digital school.
“No, she doesn’t know sign language, and I don’t want her to,” her mother, Mimoza J, told DW.
There is a misconception among many parents in Kosovo that learning sign language will make their children “too comfortable” and hinder their efforts to learn spoken language.
But a study by Boston University and Wellesley College found that learning sign language doesn’t hinder spoken vocabulary development. Exposure to spoken language ensures that learning sign language won’t delay or prevent speech.
Stigma and denial
“A lack of information and stigmatization are among the main challenges preventing parents from accepting the use of sign language,” the KAD told DW.
Psychologist Atifete Syla emphasizes the crucial role of sign language in communication and emotional development.
“As social beings, communication is the foundation of our relationships. Limited hearing complicates interactions with peers,” she says. “Sign language bridges this gap, fostering communication among all children.”
Challenges on the labor market
According to 2011 data from the Kosovo Statistical Agency — the most recent data available — there are an estimated 5,000 deaf people and 4,500 people with hearing impairments in the country.
In the long term, people with hearing and speech face a higher risk of exclusion from the labor market. Because sign language is not part of the school curriculum in Kosovo, the chances of discrimination remain high.
People with hearing disabilities “struggle to integrate into the job market because infrastructure doesn’t support their needs. The social pressure in workplaces that lack proper accommodations further enhances these challenges,” sociologist Flake Ymeri told DW.
More importantly, the psychological effects of exclusion from a young age can lead to anxiety, low self-confidence, isolation and frustration.
Sign language in Kosovo
The KAD reports that Kosovo has 16 certified sign language interpreters working in public institutions. Three are employed in the system: two at the Mother Teresa Learning and Counseling Resource Center in Prizren and one at the Elena Gjika School in Pristina.
According to information provided by the Ministry of Education, 56 children with hearing impairments attend the Mother Teresa Learning and Counseling Resource Center.
The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities requires states to ensure equal education opportunities for students with disabilities.
Sign language is not taught in schools in Kosovo, nor is it used as a language of instruction there. In a statement to DW, the Ministry of Education of Kosovo pointed out that the process of integrating sign language is challenging and takes time.
Over the past 15 years, efforts have been made to improve education for deaf students, including the passing of the Law on Pre-University Education and the Administrative Instruction on Resource Centers.
Although the KAD has worked with the Ministry of Education to train a number of instructors, a concrete plan to include sign language in the curriculum is still lacking.
Teaching material available
Verim Selmani, a traveling teacher for the Mother Teresa Learning and Counseling Resource Center, says the center has supported 120 students and continues to break down communication barriers, particularly in rural areas.
“We have accredited a four-level sign language program that is currently training teachers and students within the resource center. In future, it will be available for anyone outside the institution,” he told DW.
The KAD has created material for teaching sign language, including the first Kosovo Sign Language Dictionary in 2012 and a teaching DVD. The dictionary, which includes over 3,500 signs, and 1,000 sentences, is available online.
But although all of this constitutes progress, there is still a long way to go — especially in terms of support from the state. For now, Lena and Arta will continue to attend class, doing what they can until Kosovo takes concrete action to ensure that sign language is an integral part of the country’s education system.
Edited by: Aingeal Flanagan
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