UEW to start course in Audiology

Winneba (C/R) April 26, GNA-The Centre for Hearing and Speech Services of the University of Education, Winneba (UEW) with financial support from a Netherlands Educational Institution has embarked on a project to start training students in E-learning (internet) course in Audiology.

Ms. Nicholine Mostert, the International Programme Manager for Viataal, a resource Centre for people with sensory and communicative disabilities based in the Netherlands that is funding the project at an initial cost of 17, 000 Euros disclosed this at the opening of a two-day stakeholders workshop at Winneba.

Twenty-four participants form the various visually impaired and disability schools in the country and Deans and heads of department of the UEW are attending.

They are made up of Heads of the Akropong school of the blind, Wa school of the blind, Cape coast school of the Deaf and the Okumfoanokye Teaching hospital Audiology department. Ms. Nicoline said Viataal has a mission to support the physically challenged to acquire the highest possible skills and ability to live independently.

She expressed her outfit's preparedness to offer its continued resources for the Audiology Centre of the UEW to enable it to render effective services to students, staff and the University community at large.

Mr. Yaw Nyadu Offei, coordinator of Audiology Services of the University hoped that the project would enable teachers in regular classes to acquire more knowledge to effectively handle persons with hearing problems.

He said certificates would be awarded to students after successful completion of the course, adding that the Centre would be opened to those in the university community who wish to have knowledge in Audiology.

The Director for Special Education of the Ghana Education Service, who chaired the function commended the UEW for its continued effort at helping to move the Special Education from its old style of teaching into the computer world.

She urged stakeholders to champion the course of segregating special education programmes to enable its pupils have a total feel of the new world.

The Dean of Faculty of Educational Studies, Professor Mawutor Avoke, said audiology have not attracted the needed attention that it ought to and urged those in authority to help develop the sector. He said some of the learning problems in schools today are as result of the inability of pupils to hear what teachers say in class and therefore urged the teachers to pay much attention to students with disability problems. 26 April 07