Celebrating a Successful Partnership Bangladesh: Deaf Child Worldwide and CDD
Published Date: 18 Nov 2024Reflecting on a Transformative Partnership for Deaf Children in Bangladesh
Our partnership with the Centre for Disability in Development (CDD) has made a profound impact on the lives of deaf children in Bangladesh. Through initiatives like the pre-primary and primary schools and Community Resource Centres established by CDD, hundreds of children have gained essential language and communication skills. These centres have been a safe space for deaf children, providing tailored education that meets their unique needs and equipping them with foundational skills in language and literacy. Since the program's inception, over 400 deaf children, 130 parents, and 3,400 peers have directly benefited from our collaborative efforts.
One of the most notable accomplishments has been CDD's success in advocating for the inclusion of deaf children within the broader educational system within Bangladesh. CDD has influenced key government departments to consider the integration of deaf children into mainstream schools and to extend vital benefits to support their development. The Department for Primary Education’s permission for CDD to assist 20 schools in establishing model programs for deaf child inclusion is a testament to this and a result of our partnership together. These model schools are already demonstrating the potential for a more inclusive education system across Bangladesh.
CDD’s selection to join the National Working Group on Bangla Sign Language standardisation and its participation in the Bangladesh Early Childhood Development Network underscore the organisation’s expertise and dedication to supporting the deaf community. These roles position CDD to lead significant developments in early language access for deaf children and to help shape policies that will affect generations to come.
Shampa Nath, Head of East Asia for Deaf Child Worldwide said, “This journey would not have been possible without the hard work, resilience, and dedication of the entire team. Our collaboration has been a transformative experience, and it has been an honour to work alongside such passionate advocates.”
As our formal partnership comes to an end, the work undertaken will enable CDD to achieve new milestones in advancing the rights and inclusion of deaf children. We look forward to watching CDD’s continued success and witnessing the next wave of positive change they will bring to many lives.