Description
Provision of basic services to deaf children and their families is not ensured in Lithuania which violates their right to health care and increases vulnerability of this group, including higher risk of discrimination due to inevitable siocial and educational underachievement. Children denied of early services lag behind in development and delayed rehabilitation is far less effective. Project aims to initiate policy and legislative changes necessary for timely provision of health and social services to newly diagnosed deaf children and their families and advocate for establishment of primary diagnosis-aid model. This shall be achieved by development of the model, conducting analysis of relevant legislation and preparation of recommendations which shall be then advocated through round-table meetings with decision-makers and national conference “National Newborn Hearing Check and Family Support”. The involved NGOs shall also be strengthened through advocacy trainings and preparation of strategic programmatic plans. Target groups: NGOs representing deaf and hearing-impaired children, decision-makers, health care workers.
Summary of project results
In Lithuania, families with deaf children get no complex primary support after early hearing diagnosis. It often leads to discrimination deaf children, retardation of the child development and poor integration in the future. In 2014 universal screening of newborns started, therefore support to families with newly diagnosed children became especially urgent. Also, NGO representing deaf children lacks advocacy capacities. Project aims at reducing discrimination of deaf children in Lithuania by introducing primary support corresponding the standards in Europe, while utilizing best practice of Norway. Project promoter has implemeted a set of activities to achieve this goal. Project promoted active citizenship and volunteering – 50 citizens actively participated in project activities including 5 volunteers who regularly contributed to the implementation of activities. In addition to that 10 new families joined the organization during project implementation. Project increased involvement of PAGAVA in policy and decision-making processes at regional and national level: round table meeting to discuss the need of primary family support after the child is diagnosed deaf and the conference “Universal newborn screening and support to the family” were organized with participation of parents of deaf children and representatives of the parliament and ministries of Education, Health and Social Security and Labour. Primary support model to families with deaf children was developed based on Norwegian and other EU countries' experience. Petition to reduce discrimination of deaf children was written and was signed by more than 1400 persons. Official letters were sent to state authorities with demand to ensure primary support to families with deaf children. Family support model was presented to state authorities, meetings with parliamentary committees were held to discuss implementation of primary family support. Booklet "Your child has a hearing loss” published by PAGAVA will be an important source of information for parents of children diagnosed with deafness. Outputs of the project promoted activities of NGO, increased its visibility as well as helped establishing new contacts and improving partnership with authorities. Project also strengthened the capacity of PAGAVA through support of administrative capacity building and strategic operational planning: advocacy and representation trainings were and 2 year strategic plan of the organization was developed.
Summary of bilateral results