As Ireland’s newborn hearing tests roll out nationally, India has initiatives that show how low-cost services are viable, even if resources are limited.
Newborn hearing testing is rolling out in India, where the initiative in the city of Kochi received national attention. Since 2003, over 62,000 babies have been tested in 34 hospitals, with 92 found to have hearing issues.
Read: State is all ears to city’s hearing screening model
Spoken-language is being taught in India, despite limited resources. One notable teacher has worked for 19 years as audiologist, speech and language therapist and importantly, as a mentor.
Read: Deafness – an inconvenience, not a handicap
India created a low-cost cochlear implant via a defense-ministry initiative, based on estimates that about a million people need a cochlear implant.
Read: Indian scientists develop low-cost hearing device
Proof that when citizens are motivated, low-cost services can be delivered.
Further Reading
- South Africa’s Solid Model For Inclusive Education
- SMS Texting Supports Inclusive Education In Africa
