Some 1,000 students from across the country have already benefitted from activities held to observe deaf awareness week, a ‘Support Group for Deaf Person’ press release said yesterday.

Deaf Awareness Week 2008  began on September 21 and is held under the theme “see our hands” and saw some 63 volunteers which included teachers travelling to various schools – 31 so far – to conduct workshops.

This is a vast increase compared to 2007 when there were only six schools and four teachers.
At workshops participants are able to experience firsthand what it is like to be a deaf person in a hearing world, the release said. They are held so that people can become familiar with various forms of sign language and learn tips for communicating with deaf and hard of hearing people.

The workshops are facilitated by teachers who are currently involved in a sign language training programme initiated through a partnership between the Ministry of Education and the Guyana Community Based Rehabilitation Programme.
The release added that a larger number of organisations have participated in the deaf awareness activities.
Meanwhile a concert featuring performances by the deaf will be held at the St. Stanislaus College on Brickdam today.