[스크랩] [미국수화뉴스]Families rally to keep UT Audiology Dept. from being closed

 

Families rally to keep UT Audiology Dept. from being closed

Posted: var wn_last_ed_date = getLEDate("Jun 13, 2008 6:27 PM EST"); document.write(wn_last_ed_date); June 14, 2008 07:27 AM

KNOXVILLE (WATE) -- Dozens of families, upset by the thought of losing the services of the University of Tennessee Department of Audiology and Speech Pathology, held a rally Friday.

The department is on the verge of closing due to budget cuts, and will likely be phased out in two years.

"He attended therapy three days a week, two hours a day. He came with no words and left with a vocabulary," says Kelli Ward, a concerned parent.

"We have a deaf child that we can treat as a normal hearing child because of these guys," says another parent, Nicole Underwood.

Although the Speech and Language Clinic has been saved by a 40-year-old real estate agreement, these parents fear the other hearing and speech clinics they depend on won't run at the same capacity, or at all, without the academic department.

Underwood's daughter relies on cochlear implants and therapy.

"We've been everywhere. We've traveled to Vanderbilt. It's a six hour driver there and back and families just can't do it," Underwood explains.

She says the department's clinics are the only providers of affordable, quality care in the area. In fact, 40 percent of the clinic clients rely on TennCare.

"We really hope that we're getting a message across to them and the rest of the public so they can fight for us, too," says rally organizer Denise Chesney.

Students at the rally say keeping the Speech and Language Clinic open is a step in the right direction. But still, nothing is set in stone.

UT officials are still looking at ways to fund the center, including seeking partnerships with other public or private entities.

Plus, the students say the department and the majority of its services are still on the chopping block for a phase-out.

"Without the department, this building can't stay running at the same capacity that it is. They couldn't possibly house the 2,500 patients being seen with this building alone," Erin Carini says.

"If the faculty is cut, and they'll eventually be leaving for other jobs, and we could lose our accreditation through our governing body ASHA," Natalie Murphy says.

The UT Board of Trustees will vote on whether to keep the department next Thursday.

UT officials wouldn't comment about Friday's rally.

 

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