Publikation in EURO-CIU June 2023
Mothers with children or whole families leave their home country for very different reasons. Some simply because they hope for a better life, some because they are fleeing reprisals or even war. What they all have in common is a more-or-less long phase of feeling foreign in the new country.
A lack of knowledge of the language of the new “home country” makes integration difficult.
Ignorance of the local conditions and the responsible institutions for support have a particularly negative effect when help is required for children with hearing impairments or even children with multiple disabilities.
For a year now we have been seeing more and more such families in Germany, but also in Austria, Poland and Switzerland. They come from Moldova, Afghanistan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Russia and especially from Ukraine.
The most common problems for families with hearing impaired children or for people with hearing aids or cochlear implants are broken parts of the hearing devices, a required upgrade, an appointment with a hearing care professional (acoustician), at a clinic’s ENT department or with a therapist.
There are many volunteers who want to help, but often they lack expertise. We, the Lehnhardt Foundation, have a small online advice centre that can make a significant difference. After a request, we organize a quick contact to ENT doctors (fortunately, we have two on our board with Doz. Dr. Astrid Magele and Prof. Dr. Tino Just), to paediatric acousticians, experts in early intervention, CIC centres (fortunately, we have Yvonne Seebens from CIC in Friedberg on our board) kindergartens and schools.
Sometimes we also help with translation over the phone or online with filling out forms.
If children with older speech processor models that are no longer supported in Germany have to wait weeks for spare parts, we can help with products from our donation pool. With the help of professionally trained acousticians, we ensure that the parts are fully functional. They all do this work for free.
Rehabilitation or aftercare must also be organized. For example, we were able to help a young woman who has had a CI for a year. She couldn’t understand the translation on the phone. Liubov Wolowik (also on the board) translated for her in writing in WhatsApp and, after all the necessary examinations, she was able to start rehabilitation.
Another project is planned: a sign language course (German) for adults who only know Russian sign language.
We would like to thank all organizations, therapists, acousticians, employees at CI centres and doctors who are very flexible and put a lot of effort into helping the affected families.
We all have a common goal: Hearing-impaired children and adults with hearing aids should have the opportunity to be fully integrated socially and this without unnecessary journeys, loss of time and frustration!