'I'm the only deaf one at school' - 7 months following 1 in 1,000 children broadcast nationally on MBS 'Jounetsu Tairiku'
Certified NPO Silent Voice, which tackles the structural isolation of deaf children, will be featured on the national TV program 'Jounetsu Tairiku' on April 12, 2026.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 6, 2026 at 19:28
- 🔍 Collected: April 6, 2026 at 11:00
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 21, 2026 at 01:33 (350h 33m after Collected)
About 1 in 1,000 children are born deaf or hard of hearing. However, there are almost no places nationwide where they can learn in a communication environment suited to them and spend time with peers in similar circumstances, leaving many children to spend their time in their local communities as the 'only deaf child.' The certified NPO Silent Voice (Chuo-ku, Osaka, Representative Director: Tomoya Onaka) is an organization working to resolve this structural isolation. A documentary covering about 7 months will be broadcast on the MBS/TBS nationwide network 'Jounetsu Tairiku' on Sunday, April 12, 2026, from 23:25 to 23:55.
■ Broadcast Overview
Program name: Jounetsu Tairiku (MBS/TBS network nationwide)
Broadcast date and time: Sunday, April 12, 2026, 23:25-23:55
Missed broadcast delivery: Planned for free delivery on TVer for 1 week after broadcast
Program official website: https://www.mbs.jp/jounetsu/
■ The Silently Spreading Isolation of Deaf Children
Deaf and hard-of-hearing children are born at a rate of 1 to 2 per 1,000. However, there are only about 3,500 children of compulsory education age attending schools for the deaf nationwide. Most attend regular local schools, going through school life without friends in the classroom who can use sign language, and without meeting adults with whom they can discuss their future dreams in sign language.
Enrollment at schools for the deaf, which had been a lifeline, has also decreased to one-third, from a peak of about 20,000 to about 6,500. In 21 of the 47 prefectures, there is only one school for the deaf in the prefecture. It takes an hour and a half one way to commute, parents bear the burden of transportation, and there is neither the physical strength to attend a cram school after school nor any cram school that provides information support in sign language. This situation is quietly spreading across the country.
Furthermore, the Child Welfare Act defines after-school day services as being conducted by 'having children attend a facility,' and commuting is a major prerequisite for compensation. Even if there is a need, specialized support bases cannot be established in underpopulated areas. Children living in areas where support does not reach are structurally isolated.
■ What Certified NPO Silent Voice is Doing
Certified NPO Silent Voice approaches this structural isolation through two methods.
The first is the in-person classroom 'Deaf Academy.' It is an after-school day service specializing in deaf and hard-of-hearing children operated in Osaka, creating a place where children can learn in an environment where they 'understand' 100% by fully utilizing sign language and visual information. Emphasizing experience and discussion over classroom lectures, the children themselves have launched and realized projects such as 'I want to make an introductory video on YouTube' and 'I want to move a robot with programming.'
■ Broadcast Overview
Program name: Jounetsu Tairiku (MBS/TBS network nationwide)
Broadcast date and time: Sunday, April 12, 2026, 23:25-23:55
Missed broadcast delivery: Planned for free delivery on TVer for 1 week after broadcast
Program official website: https://www.mbs.jp/jounetsu/
■ The Silently Spreading Isolation of Deaf Children
Deaf and hard-of-hearing children are born at a rate of 1 to 2 per 1,000. However, there are only about 3,500 children of compulsory education age attending schools for the deaf nationwide. Most attend regular local schools, going through school life without friends in the classroom who can use sign language, and without meeting adults with whom they can discuss their future dreams in sign language.
Enrollment at schools for the deaf, which had been a lifeline, has also decreased to one-third, from a peak of about 20,000 to about 6,500. In 21 of the 47 prefectures, there is only one school for the deaf in the prefecture. It takes an hour and a half one way to commute, parents bear the burden of transportation, and there is neither the physical strength to attend a cram school after school nor any cram school that provides information support in sign language. This situation is quietly spreading across the country.
Furthermore, the Child Welfare Act defines after-school day services as being conducted by 'having children attend a facility,' and commuting is a major prerequisite for compensation. Even if there is a need, specialized support bases cannot be established in underpopulated areas. Children living in areas where support does not reach are structurally isolated.
■ What Certified NPO Silent Voice is Doing
Certified NPO Silent Voice approaches this structural isolation through two methods.
The first is the in-person classroom 'Deaf Academy.' It is an after-school day service specializing in deaf and hard-of-hearing children operated in Osaka, creating a place where children can learn in an environment where they 'understand' 100% by fully utilizing sign language and visual information. Emphasizing experience and discussion over classroom lectures, the children themselves have launched and realized projects such as 'I want to make an introductory video on YouTube' and 'I want to move a robot with programming.'