No.111 Family Thinking Symposium

On January 30, 2021, a symposium co-hosted by the Inagi City Association of the Hearing Impaired, IGB, SODA, and J-CODA was held at the Central Cultural Center Hall, and I was able to participate.
This time, thorough measures were taken to prevent COVID-19, and the venue was limited to 50 people, but it was simultaneously broadcast over the internet, with approximately 250 participants nationwide.

The Inagi City Association for the Hearing Impaired holds lectures and courses every year, and in the fiscal year 2020, we decided to hold this symposium.
IGB (NPO Information Gap Buster) is a non-profit organization based in Tokyo and Kanagawa that supports individuals who experience difficulties in communication. We promote communication barrier-free initiatives that encourage all people with various physical and mental characteristics and ways of thinking to support each other in deepening mutual understanding.
SODA (Siblings of Deaf) is a support group for those who have siblings with hearing impairments. In families, parents' attention tends to be focused on the child with disabilities, and it seems that there are not a few cases where the healthy siblings feel lonely or have unique concerns about how to support the family.
J-CODA (Japan-Children of Deaf Adults) is a support group for children who have parents with hearing impairments. We hold regular events and study sessions as a place for CODAs to share their experiences.
On the day of the event, in the first part, we had speeches from Senator Eriko Imai, Kentaro Maruta from SODA, and Dai Igarashi from J-CODA, followed by an exchange of opinions with participants in the second part.
Eriko Imai is a member of the singing unit SPEED and currently serves as a senator, but she participated as a parent of a child with hearing impairment. She is also proficient in sign language.

After listening to the three speakers, I realized that even from the perspective of parents, siblings, or children who are not themselves hearing-impaired, there are experiences of discrimination and unseen struggles, highlighting the need for a deeper understanding of disabilities.
The Inagi City Association of Hearing Impaired Persons held this symposium with the aim of alleviating the psychological burden on caregivers (those who provide care) in families with hearing-impaired children, considering the background that this issue has become a social problem. Various family members gathered to share their concerns.
Unlike the usual events, this was a large-scale event targeting a wide area, and I believe there were significant challenges in terms of venue setup and budget, especially with the premise of internet broadcasting. However, with strong cooperation from supporters, it was successfully completed, which is the most important thing. I express my gratitude and respect to all those involved.
The city intends to consider and support the new issue of communication problems in families with hearing-impaired children in collaboration with the Association of Hearing Impaired Persons in the future.