A series of events will be staged all over Moldova on September 19-25 to mark the International Day of the Deaf. For the first time, there will be held a car race and an awareness-raising event to inform the people about the problems faced by the persons with hearing impairments, IPN reports.
InfoNet Alliance executive director Victor Koroli told a news conference that the hearing-impaired persons on September 21 will be able to see Valeriu Jereghi’s movie “Arrivederci” in sign language interpretation. After the screening, a video clip entitled “Impossible is temporary” will be launched. This will be broadcast in public transport in Chisinau and Balti municipalities. There will also be staged a simultaneously chess session. In a discussion on an online platform on September 22, an expert in medicine will explain the hearing impairments from medical perspective, the causes that lead to deafness, why early detection is important, etc. An expert in pedagogy will speak about the social inclusion of children with hearing impairments in schools.
“A tourist march of the hearing-impairments persons will be mounted on September 23. The event has a special component as the marchers will stop in important towns to submit requests for information of public interest about the problems they face to the local public authorities. When the answers are collected, we will know how prepared the authorities are to ensure the safety of persons with disabilities in case of natural disasters, for example,” stated Victor Koroli.
The head of the Association of the Deaf of Moldova Ruslan Lopatiuc said that half of the participants in the car race come from the country’s districts. “The goal of the event is to tell society that the persons with hearing impairments can also drive and need to be respected in traffic as there are witnessed cases of discrimination. The event’s slogan “We are” is designed to promote a non-discriminatory attitude, accessibility and inclusion,” he stated.
The Association’s first deputy head Natalia Babici noted that by the awareness-raising event, the persons with disabilities want to highlight their rights not to be discriminated and to have access to information. “We do not ask for bribe. We ask equality, accessibility and inclusion. We want to have access to education, training. We have the same abilities, but our right is infringed by the Ministry of Education,” she said.
In the same connection, Natalia Babici said an order by the Ministry of Education says all the special institutions intended for children with hearing impairments will be closed. But the general schools do not provide the conditions needed for teaching such children. On September 25, there will be mounted an exhibition of wooden works made by persons with disabilities and a festive event that will involve Ukrainian artists with hearing impairments.
