CHALLENGES FACED BY CHILDREN WITH HEARING IMPAIRMENT AND ITS IMPACT ON THEIR EDUCATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT

ABSTRACT

The study investigated the challenges faced by children with hearing impairment and its impact on their educational achievement in Oredo Local Government Area of Edo State. To achieve the purpose of the study, five research questions were raised and examined. The population for this study was made up of 5 hearing impaired schools in Oredo Local Government Area of Edo State with 201 hearing impaired students. The sample size for the study was made up of 100 hearing impaired students constituting 50% of the population. Data collected from the respondents was analyzed using descriptive statistics, precisely mean and standard deviation, while the hypotheses were tested for significance at an alpha level of 0.05 using inferential statistics, especially the independent sample t-test statistics. The findings from the study shows that limited access to resources constitute a significant challenge faced by children with hearing impairment in Oredo Local Government Area of Edo State. Based on the findings of the study, the researcher concluded that communication barrier, bullying and discrimination, lack of trained personnel, and lack of resources constituted challenges faced by children with hearing impairment which significantly impact on their educational achievement in Oredo Local Government Area of Edo State. The study recommended among others that government should develop and implement inclusive communication strategies within secondary schools to address the communication barriers faced by children with hearing impairments. This may include  utilizing visual aids, sign language interpreters, and captioning services to ensure all students have equal access to information.