CRI听力:Hearing and Language Rehab Centers Need Help

The number of hearing impaired chidren under the age of 12 in China has reached over 2 million. And the figure is increasing by 20-thousand every year.

However, all over the country there are only 40-thousand teachers teaching children with hearing problems.

Sun Flower Hearing and Language Rehabilitation Center is a private special education institution in West Beijing. It provides rehabilitation, instruction and consultation services to hearing impaired children under the age of 12.

Most of the children there are capable of reading and speaking after a period of rehabilitation.The duration ranges from months to years, depending on their impaired levels.

Director of the center, Wu Tan says children in the rehabilitation center are basically the same as healthy children except they might wear a pair of artificial cochlea, just like near-sighted children wearing glasses.

But the cochlea costs over 150-thousand yuan, which could be a great burden to ordinary families if there is no government subsidy.

"Hearing impaired children in Beijing can have free artificial cochlea with government refund. Many other provinces are also providing refund. However some children not included in the refund policy, for example, those with malformed cochlea or exceed the age limit, might have to pay by themselves."

It is also not easy for Wu to recall those earlier times of the center.

"At the beginning, we have difficulties in money and space. Since there is not much space, the number of children we can accept is limited."

After three years since its inception, Sun Flower has just moved into an 800-square meters' centre from the original room smaller of 50 square meters. There are now nearly 30 children educated by eight teachers in the center.And the center is recruiting more skilled teachers.

Wu says they have also received help from the local community. For example, volunteers and social workers come often to play with the children.

"The children hope that they can be the same as other people. Volunteers' visit can also expand children's horizons, which is quite helpful in their future development. And most importantly they feel warm when kind-hearted people come and see them."

With support from the community, Wu says she is confident that more and more hearing impaired children can enjoy a better life.

For CRI, I'm Cao Yuwei.