Certified NPO Tokyo Friends of the Blind and Deaf
We have started a “consultation” and “interaction” project to support deaf-blind children and their families!
～Reception for consultations will begin on June 12th, and the “Communication Square for Deafblind Children and Their Families” will be held for the first time on the 15th～
……
The Tokyo Metropolitan Deafblind Support Center (Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo) will begin a support project for deafblind children from June 2024. The main contents are “consultation support” and “social gathering” for deaf-blind children and their families. “Consultation Support” will be held every Wednesday from June 12th, and “Community Meetings” will be held on the third Saturday of every month from June 15th. The first “exchange meeting” will be held on June 15th, and we are currently accepting applications for participation.
Until now, there was no place for regular counseling or interaction for deaf-blind children and their families in Tokyo, and such opportunities were extremely limited nationwide. Although this is still a small initiative, it is a “big step” toward enriching the upbringing and learning of deafblind children, and we look forward to future developments.
[Image 1: https://prtimes.jp/i/133172/5/resize/d133172-5-06e76c3c410ec3ceaea6-0.jpg&s3=133172-5-0eb4080577dfcc927bc887206f641cbd-724×1024.jpg] Consultation support
(1) Consultation content
We welcome inquiries about any concerns or questions you may have regarding communication, etc.
We provide consultation for deafblind children and their parents, as well as educational, therapeutic, and childcare institutions, who have the following concerns and concerns:
・I was told that I can hardly see or hear, but how should I raise my child? ・I don’t know how to think about school selection and I’m worried… ・I want to communicate more and I want to be able to do it! Such (2) Consultation method
We accept consultations by telephone, in-person visits, email, and visits. 1) Telephone call/visit
Telephone calls and visits are available every Wednesday from 9:30 to 17:00. If you would like to call, please call the Tokyo Metropolitan Deafblind Support Center (03-6228-1282).
If you are visiting us, please let us know in advance and then come to the Tokyo Blind and Deaf Support Center.
2) Email
We accept consultations via email at any time.
If you send your consultation details through the Tokyo Metropolitan Deafblind Support Center’s web form, we will get back to you. http://www.tokyo-db.or.jp/use/deafblind-children/
3) Visit
Counselors visit the places where deaf-blind children live, nursing facilities, educational institutions, etc. and provide consultations. Please contact us by phone or web form.
Exchange meeting
(1) Contents
We hold an exchange meeting “Communication Square for Deafblind Children and Their Families” every month (as a general rule, on the third Saturday of each month).
In the “Community Plaza,” children who are deafblind gather, engage in activities, and interact. We have teaching materials that you can touch and operate, listen to sounds and have fun with, and play equipment that allows you to move your body and have fun, so please look for what you like. In addition, the “Community Plaza” is a place for parents raising children with deafblindness to talk and exchange information. This will be an opportunity for you to talk about your daily worries and problems, and to hear about your experiences raising children.
(2) How to apply
Please access the application form from the Tokyo Metropolitan Deafblind Support Center website and fill out the necessary
information.
http://www.tokyo-db.or.jp/use/deafblind-children/
(3) Future event schedule
It will be held from 10:00 to 12:00 on Saturday, June 15th and Saturday, July 20th.
The venue will be the Tokyo Metropolitan Deafblind Support Center (4 Iwato-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo), and the content will be “viewing and interacting with the center.”
[Image 2: https://prtimes.jp/i/133172/5/resize/d133172-5-3dad04f6a8096b6ba60d-2.jpg&s3=133172-5-6b7391dca040ee49ad5d31e8e784ef11-3900×2936.jpg] Person in charge
Persons in charge of consultations and social gatherings in support projects for deafblind children are staff members of the Tokyo Metropolitan Deafblind Support Center, former director of the University of Tsukuba School for the Visually Impaired, a specially appointed researcher at the National Institute of Special Needs Education, and a member of the National Research Institute for Special Needs Education. My name is Yuko Hoshi and I am the executive director of the Deafblind Education Research Association. For many years, Hoshi has been involved in supporting the education of deaf-blind children as a teacher, as well as providing educational consultation for deaf-blind children throughout the country through visits.
Hoshi says, “We want to create a place where deafblind children and their families can feel free to drop by, chat, play, and smile.” About “Deafblind Children” and “Tokyo Deafblind Support Center” What is a “blind and deaf child”?
A “deafblind child” refers to a child who has both visual and hearing impairments. Although the actual number of deafblind children is unknown, a national survey revealed that there are 315 deafblind preschoolers enrolled in special needs schools nationwide. In addition to visual and hearing disabilities, many children also have other physical and intellectual disabilities. To support the development of communication skills, specialized learning opportunities from an early stage are necessary.
What is “Tokyo Blind and Deaf Support Center”?
The Tokyo Metropolitan Deafblind Support Center is a comprehensive support base for deafblind children and people located in Shinjuku, Tokyo. In addition to dispatching interpreters and caregivers who support communication and mobility for deaf-blind children and people, we also carry out projects such as counseling support, training, promotion of social participation, and human resource development. The Tokyo Support Center for the Blind and Deaf is commissioned by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and operated by the Tokyo Friends of the Blind and Deaf, a certified NPO.
Website: http://www.tokyo-db.or.jp/about/business/tokyo/
Contact information
Certified NPO Tokyo Friends of the Blind and Deaf
Phone number: 03-6228-1282
Email address: tokyo-db@tokyo-db.or.jp
More details about this release:
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