No.111 Kangaeru Symposium for the whole family

On January 30, 2021, I participated in a symposium co-sponsored by the Inagi City Deaf Association, IGB, SODA Association, and J-CODA at the Central Cultural Center Hall.
This time, the venue was limited to 50 people in order to take all possible measures to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus infection, but it was broadcast simultaneously via the Internet, and about 250 people participated nationwide.

The Inagi City Hearing Impaired Association holds lectures and courses every year, and we have decided to hold this symposium in 2020.
IGB (NPO Information Gap Buster) is a non-profit organization based in Tokyo and Kanagawa that supports people who have difficulty communicating. We promote barrier-free communication in which all people with various mental and physical characteristics and ways of thinking support each other to deepen mutual understanding.
SODA, an abbreviation for Siblings of Deaf, is a support group for people with hearing-impaired siblings. At home, parents tend to focus on children with disabilities, and siblings of able-bodied children often feel lonely and have unique worries about how to support them as a family.
J-CODA is an abbreviation for Japan-Children of Deaf Adults, and is a support organization for children with hearing-impaired parents. We hold regular events and study sessions as a place for coders to talk with each other.
In the first part of the day, we received lectures from Eriko Imai, a member of the House of Councilors, Kentaro Maruta of the SODA Association, and Dai Igarashi of J-CODA, and in the second part, we exchanged opinions with the participants.
Eriko Imai is a member of the singing unit SPEED and a current member of the House of Councilors, but she is participating as a parent whose eldest son is hearing impaired. He is also fluent in sign language.

After listening to the lectures of these three people, I learned that even those who are not directly affected by hearing-impaired people, such as parents, siblings, and children, have faced discrimination and endured untold hardships. I felt that more understanding was needed.
Inagi City Association for the Hearing Impaired, in light of the background that the psychological burden on carers who support communication in families with hearing-impaired children has become a social issue, The symposium was held with the aim of alleviating psychological burdens by bringing people together and sharing their concerns.
Unlike the previous year's event, it was a large event targeting a wide area, and I think we had a lot of trouble setting up the venue and budgeting for internet distribution, but with the help of some encouraging collaborators, we were able to finish it successfully. It was great to be able to do that. I would like to express my gratitude and respect to everyone involved.
The City would like to work with the Hearing Impaired Association to consider and provide support regarding the new issue of communication problems in families with hearing-impaired children.