Partners in Education: Issues and Trends from the 21st International Congress on the Education of the Deaf

ICED 2010: Implications for the Future

211 ICED2010 ImplicationsfortheFuture Donald F. Moores and Janet R. Jamieson The ICED 2010 witnessed several major developments that have significant implications for the educational future of deaf and hard of hearing individuals . We mention a few of what we consider the most salient here. Members of the 2010 ICED Organizing Committee began planning in 2005 at the 20th International Congress on Education of the Deaf in Maastricht, the Netherlands, with the goal of building upon the foundation provided by the Maastricht congress and other recent conferences under the umbrella theme “Partners in Education.” The goal was to facilitate the development of true partnerships among people who may have diverse backgrounds, interests, and perspectives but share the common goal of improving the education and ameliorating the condition of deaf and hard of hearing individuals around the world and who would come to meet in an atmosphere of mutual respect. From all indications, ICED 2010 achieved that goal. The 1880 Congress of Milan, with its resolutions in support of oral-only education and its rejection of signs, whether alone or in coordination with speech,hadadevastatingeffectontheeducationofDeafchildrenandseverely limited the opportunities for Deaf professionals for 130 years. Although the situation has improved in the past 30 years, restrictions remain, and Deaf professionals in many areas have little opportunity to participate meaningfully 212 Donald F. Moores and Janet R. Jamieson in educational decision making or implementation. Surprisingly, there has been no successful effort since 1880 to reject the Milan resolutions and their demeaning implications. The Statement of Principles developed by the 2010 ICED Organizing Committee and the British Columbia Deaf Community, which rejected the Milan resolutions, was a major milestone achieved by Deaf and hearing partners. Similarly, the Accord for the Future, promulgated by the ICED 2010 Organizing Committee, the British Columbia Deaf Community , the Canadian Association of the Deaf, and the World Federation of the Deaf, called upon all nations of the world to recognize and allow all deaf citizens to be proud, confident, productive, creative, and enabling citizens in their respective countries. The documents, collectively known as “A New Era: Deaf Participation and Collaboration,” will be recognized as a major statement with the potential to have an impact around the globe. Another legacy of ICED 2010 arose from the partnerships that formed between congress attendees from developing countries and other, more resource-rich countries. Representatives from all continents, both hearing and deaf, attended ICED and participated in the various additional activities arranged for persons from developing nations. The ICED 2010 saw the establishment of the International Association of Teachers of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (IATDHH), whose overall goal is to identify needs in the provision of educational services to students who are deaf or hard of hearing in developing countries and to find the best resources to meet those needs through a partnership within the IATDHH membership, with the spirit of enabling on-site educators to acquire needed materials and/or develop skills. In particular, the IATDHH will identify and coordinate existing resources and partnerships; develop a website for information sharing; and identify funding sources to assist with needed support for travel or materials. This exciting and ambitious endeavor has the potential to transform the lives of young deaf and hard of hearing children in some of the neediest parts of the world. One specific recommendation emanating from ICED 2010 shows promise of transforming future ICED congresses. It was pointed out that there already are many international conferences for researchers but none for teachers of the deaf and hard of hearing. It was recommended that future ICED congresses encourage both practicing teachers and researchers from around the world to attend so that ICED can become a forum for teachers to net- ICED 2010 213 work, discuss, and highlight the best educational practices and remain an international venue for discussion among researchers. Overall, high enthusiasm and widespread participation of congress attendees characterized the ICED, and relevant information was disseminated in more than 300 presentations. The involvement and interaction of researchers and educators of the deaf and hard of hearing, as well as stakeholders such as parents, interpreters, and affiliated professionals, gave rise to partnerships (such as IDTDHH) that are committed to better understanding and more effectively enacting best practices in the education of deaf and hard of hearing persons around the world. “Partners in Education” was indeed a fitting theme for ICED 2010. In light of a continuation of research on...