00:00From classrooms to lecture halls, access to education remains a challenge for many deaf and hearing impaired students in Trinidad
00:08and Tobago.
00:09UTT and the Trinidad and Tobago Association for the Hearing Impaired are joining forces to change that.
00:15The two bodies have signed a three-year memorandum of understanding aimed at expanding educational opportunities and strengthening support systems
00:23for the deaf community.
00:25Under the agreement, the organizations will collaborate on sign language interpretation services, student support initiatives and specialized training programs for
00:35educators working with deaf and hearing impaired students.
00:39President of the Trinidad and Tobago Association for the Hearing Impaired, Nicholas Cumberbatch, says the issue became even more evident
00:47during a joint select committee discussion on the education sector.
00:51When I was listening to a joint select committee chaired by, I think, Dr. Paul Richards, and he was talking
01:03to people from the Ministry of Education,
01:07and he was asking them, how many deaf and blind children do you have registered in the early, in the
01:19ECCE centers?
01:22And it was really embarrassing. I mean, I was shocked.
01:28He couldn't, they couldn't answer because there were none.
01:32Cumberbatch says the lack of data reflects a deeper issue.
01:36The shortage of trained professionals equipped to support deaf education, especially at the early childhood level.
01:44And in talking to our education committee, we realized a problem, a problem in the country,
01:53of lack of lack of people who can teach deaf education, and in particular for preschool children.
02:02Acting president of UTT, Professor Maraj, says the university is also exploring how technology and artificial intelligence can improve accessibility
02:12in education.
02:13AI-enabled tools such as real-time captioning, transcription, and adaptive learning support can significantly improve accessibility for deaf and
02:29hard of hearing students and adults.
02:31He says these innovations can help create a more inclusive learning environment in Trinidad and Tobago.
02:37These developments present real opportunities for us to strengthen accessibility and create more responsive learning environments here in Trinidad and
02:49Tobago.
02:50The agreement represents another step towards ensuring no student is left behind because of a disability.
02:57Charlotte Kisto, TV6 News.
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