2019.03.01
Source: https://udn.com/news/story/7314/3464284
Press release for the publication of the book titled, Sounds of Hope- from Silence to the Hearing World, was held in Taipei on November 3rd, 2018. teenagers with hearing loss, Yu-En Li and Rong-Ci Wu as well as parents of Bo-Lin Wu, also a youth with hearing loss, shared their life stories. The press release was very touching and moving with laughter.
Yu-En was used to feel inferior even depressed because of her hearing loss. However, she has been able to change her perception and become confident and cheerful. “Self-doubt has been part of me. I acknowledge it and learn how to live with it with confidence”, said Yu-En. Rong-Ci was not limited by hearing loss and eager to demonstrate her merits through sharing. Her classmates have been nice to her and she is very willing to treat others nicely in return.
Bo-Lin’s parents have come around from being pessimistic and disappointed to feeling optimistic about their child’s future. They set up a Facebook fan page, “Go! Little fighter!” for their son to record Bo-Lin’s growth and encourage other families who also gave birth to children with hearing loss .
In addition to these youth and their family members, the host of this event was Hou-Ting Wu, who is with severe hearing loss. He used to compete for eligibility of Deaflympics national team, and now works at an insurance company. This occupation choice breaks the stereotype towards people with hearing loss because it requires lots of oral skills. Hou-Ting demonstrates what a hard-working youth with hearing loss can achieve.
For 22 years, Children’s Hearing Foundation (CHF) has been helping children with hearing loss through professional auditory-verbal approach with the vision of “All children with hearing loss in Taiwan will be able to listen and speak.” With CHF’s effort, more than 4000 children can find their way back to the hearing world, and their families benefit as well. Children who received help during the early years are now growing up and blossoming. They attended same schools with their hearing peers and many of them perform so well that they make people around them proud.
The book, Sounds of Hope- from Silence to the Hearing World, illustrates the growth of children with hearing loss and how CHF plays an important role during the process.
