Vancouver Congress 2010 Update III – Press Release

Good morning everyone,

I checked the International Congress on the Education of the Deaf (ICED) website here, and they posted three new links which included a press release, introduction, and Statement of Principle and Accord for the Future.

Click the image to read the pdf file of Press Release

Also, please go and check the introduction letter which explains the organizational structure of ICED, and how is it different from 1880’s.

The Congress and/or its organizing committee is not an official arm of any larger organization and as such, cannot make policy or pass binding resolutions. Thus, ICED is quite different from many other congresses. It is not a forum for policy development or the imposition of views on the field and it speaks for no one, not even the participants at each congress. In fact, no “resolutions” have been passed at any Congresses in recent history and the organizational structure of today is quite different from that of the Milan Congress in 1880.

Which brings me to the question, should we need an organization or a government who can make policy or pass binding resolutions on education of the Deaf Children?

In summary, I applaud the conference organizers and community advocates working together to make this historical moment to “spit at the demon of Milan 1880”. With this statement, we have support from a professional international organization which consists hundreds of representatives from different countries, including World Federation of the Deaf’s declaration of Human Rights for Deaf Children. See link here to learn bit more about Deaf People and Human Rights.

The best possible step is to bring these documents, declarations, and statements to Center of Disease Control and EHDI. We also need a peer reviewed paper discussing about these documents, have them published and distribute to the key policy makers who have a tremendous influence on the education of Deaf Children.

So, the more I think about this, it makes so much sense to me that detecting hearing loss at the early age is not limited to the medical issue, it is truly an educational issue. It is not about helping Deaf babies to “hear” again, it is about giving Deaf babies the right to the language.

That is our mantra.

Best,
Amy Cohen Efron