today MARCH 23, 2011  free NEWSWeekly  www.flanderstoday.EU

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Hippity hop Spreekt u Engels? Bring me an angel West Flanders’ hop shoots Language politics in the SonicAngel gets fans p16 Flemish periphery financing musicians p9 p6 #172 Signs of the times While sign languages work to get recognition from the EU, Flanders’ cochlear implants become standard for children

De n z i l Wa l t o n

ast autumn, the This got us thinking that sign Declaration on Sign language might just be as hot a Languages in the European topic as spoken language. What UnionL was signed by all 36 we discovered took us all the representatives on behalf of 160 way back to the beginning – delegates of deaf communities what first happens when a deaf at a special conference to baby is born in Flanders. initiate legislation for the In 1998 Flemish agency Kind deaf and hard-of-hearing. The & Gezin (Child & Family) document declares that the sign introduced a neonatal hearing languages of every member screening programme – the first state are native languages and region in Europe to implement that minimum standards for such a scheme. Previously, adequate services for the deaf hearing problems in many throughout Europe should be children went undetected until implemented. they went to school for the Next month in Brussels, first time. Every newborn in meanwhile, the Flemish deaf Flanders now gets a visit from a community will celebrate the care worker from Kind & Gezin, recognition of Flemish Sign who conducts an automated Language by the Flemish hearing test. Virtually all government five years ago with countries in western Europe a major three-day event in and most states in the US have parliament. now followed Flanders’ lead. ➟continued on page 5 sends F-16s to Libya Reactors to undergo stress tests Belgium is sending a minesweeper, Each F-16 will be equipped with two six F-16 fighters and about 230 medium range AIM-120 Amraam Nuclear power plant closure hangs in the balance military personnel as part of the air-to-air missiles and two short- international action being taken range AIM-9 Sidewinders. Since Al a n Ho p e against the Gaddafi regime in the aircraft on exercise have only Libya. missiles equipped with guidance uclear reactors in Belgium that fail a become known how the tests, which are not Belgium already has eight F-16s on systems, warheads and other parts NEuropean stress test will be closed down, obligatory, will be carried out and by whom. exercise in Greece, and, according will be delivered by C-130. The federal energy minister Paul Magnette has “Belgium will also argue for as many member to the Air Force, six of those would minesweeper Narcis is also in the promised. Meanwhile last week, “a small states as possible to submit their nuclear go into action as Flanders Today Mediterranean, with its crew of 32. incident” was reported at the nuclear power plants to the tests,” he said. went to press. The personnel detail The duration of the mission is plant at Doel in Antwerp province. Magnette pledged the results of the tests will include about a dozen pilots as not known, but federal defence The European Union has called for the tests would be made public, and any reactor that well as support staff, whose numbers minister Pieter De Crem warned at following the earthquake-related crisis at the failed would have to close. Belgium has seven will depend on the base at which the the weekend that it “could last a Fukushima plant in Japan and a decision by nuclear reactors, four at Doel and three at jets are stationed and whether other long time” and cause “very many German chancellor Angela Merkel to shut Tihange in Liège province. “But I should be nations are also present to share casualties”. down seven older reactors in Germany for an surprised if all seven reactors failed,” said technical responsibilities. The detail Meanwhile, about 1,500 people in indeterminate time. Two are unlikely ever to Magnette. “When they were built, the rules will be supplied from air bases in Brussels took part last weekend in open again. were very strict.” Kleine Brogel, Limburg province, a march in support of the “Arabic As Flanders Today went to press, Magnette and Florennes, Namur province. spring” – the series of popular was due to discuss the issue with his fellow The planes themselves come from uprisings in the Arab world, including EU energy ministers. Only then would it Limburg. Libya. ➟continued on page 3 FLANDERS TODAY Feature MARCH 23, 2011 Signs of the times There are as many sign languages as there are spoken languages

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If the screening shows hearing and arranges sounds picked up by successfully installed in babies as problems, the parents are referred the microphone young as six months. Of course, to a specialised audiological ◆ a transmitter and receiver/ such early intervention would assessment centre or university stimulator, which receive signals not have been possible without clinic, where additional testing from the speech processor and the universal hearing screening is completed within four weeks. converts them into electric programme. These centres work closely with impulses The results are impressive. the five early intervention teams in ◆ an electrode array, which is a Around 60% of all deaf babies Flanders (one per province), which group of electrodes that collects given a cochlear implant can be inform parents about hearing the impulses from the stimulator sent to a normal, hearing school problems and the communication and sends them to different by the time they are six years old. and therapy options. regions of the auditory nerve The reason is that the implant Early screening is vital because it An implant does not restore stimulates the auditory nerves as gives health workers the chance normal hearing. Instead, it gives a early as possible – when the brain to implement early onset of deaf person a useful representation is the most receptive. intervention. In this area too, of sounds in the environment and “It’s a successful combination of Flanders is a pioneer, particularly helps him or her to understand early screening within weeks of in the area of cochlear implants. speech. birth, cochlear implantation in the “About 200,000 people worldwide next six months if possible, and the Helping to hear are wearing cochlear implants,” provision of excellent support of A cochlear implant is a small, says Leo De Raeve, Director of the the parents,” adds De Raeve. “This complex electronic device that Independent Information Centre involves helping parents to use helps provide sound to a person on Cochlea Implants (ONICI) the implant properly and advising who is deaf or severely hard of in Zonhoven, just north of them how to communicate most hearing. An external portion Hasselt. “In the last three years in effectively with their child.” sits behind the ear, and a second Flanders, 95% of all children born When the child enters mainstream portion is surgically placed under deaf received a cochlear implant education six years later, his or her the skin. A cochlear implant has: – nearly three-quarters of them language ability is either average ◆ a microphone, which picks up before they were 18 months old.” or only slightly below average.

sound from the environment The average age of implantation is Without implantation, many of © Courtesy of Fevlado ◆ a speech processor, which selects 14 months, but implants have been these children would not be able The Federation of Flemish Deaf Organisations (Fevlado) is spearheading a three-day event next month to communicate with hearing in celebration of the recognition of Flemish Sign Language by the Flemish Parliament five years ago children or teachers. (www.fevlado.be) Since February 2010, medical surprise to find that cochlear to French Sign Language). Breaking new ground in Flanders insurance companies in Flanders implantation has its critics. On An attempt was made to create an also reimburse the second implant one side of the fence are those – International Sign Language, but (that is, in the child’s other ear) – particularly the hearing parents this has never been well received. previously, only the first implant of a deaf child – who support Therefore, there is no universal was covered. Most countries, cochlear implants because they sign language. in fact, reimburse just one believe that they allow children Even in a region as small as implant, but after Flanders began to function successfully in society. Flanders, there are two main covering the second, Sweden, On the other side is a sizeable sign languages (Flemish Sign the UK, Austria, portion of the deaf community Language and French-Belgian and some areas of Germany are who believe that deafness is a Sign Language) as well as a now introducing legislation that cultural identity, not a disability. multitude of dialectical variants. allows the second implant to be “With deaf children of deaf parents, So the chance that a deaf person reimbursed. we say that their first language is in Hasselt can understand what It’s highly advantageous for sign language, and we emphasise a deaf person in Knokke-Heist parents, as the total cost of a the need for the child to learn that is signing is, unfortunately, very cochlear implantation is about important language – even after small. €22,500. After reimbursement, the receiving an implant,” explains De This dichotomy is also linked cost to parents winds up at only Raeve. “But in situations where with the absence in Flanders of about €500, part of which covers the parents are hearing and don’t a special academically oriented the child’s stay in hospital. know sign language, the cochlear college or university for the deaf, implant is a huge advantage both at which sign language could be Going to school to the child and the parents.” further developed. In fact, there

© Kris D’hooge Despite being in mainstream is no such institution in the whole Born deaf to a Flemish hearing bar examination in Brussels and education, children with cochlear Sign language(s) of Europe. The only university family in the late 1960s, Helga became a certified lawyer. implants still need support, as they However, when it comes to specifically designed for deaf and Stevens spent the first half of her Two years later, Stevens (pictured) can face issues, especially when sign language, nothing is clear hard-of-hearing students in the childhood in KIDS Hasselt before became a project coordinator for they are the only deaf or hard-of- and simple. If you are under world is Gallaudet University in moving to a mainstream school – the European Union of the Deaf hearing child in their class. the impression that there is Washington, DC. Heilig-Grafinstituut in Sint-Truiden. (EUD) and later its president. In “We give them comprehensive one global sign language that The advantage of such a She then spent a year in the US as July 2007, the Flemish Parliament counselling to help them look allows deaf people everywhere specialised institution is that all an exchange student and visited appointed Helga Stevens to the after their device and to learn to communicate with each other, deaf students from the US (and Gallaudet University, the world’s Senate as a Community Senator. how to react when a classmate nothing could be farther from the elsewhere) can come together to only university designed for deaf She is the only deaf person laughs at them or tries to remove truth. study at a high academic level. It’s their microphone,” says De Raeve. There are as many sign languages therefore a wonderful learning and hard-of-hearing students. who has entered the parliament “It’s also important that hard-of- in the world as there are spoken opportunity and a place to build There Stevens met a deaf chambers and also served as hearing children meet similar languages. Unlike spoken English, on your sign language. This is one attorney who inspired her to Senator. Consequently, Stevens children and even adults who sign languages used in English- of the reasons why American Sign pursue her dream of becoming has raised significantly the profile wear these devices so they realise speaking countries aren’t similar to Language is at such an advanced a lawyer. Returning to Belgium, of the deaf community in Flanders, they are not the only child with a each other. Someone using British level in all academic subjects, from she enrolled in law school at the and all discussions in parliament hearing problem.” Sign Language, for example, would civil engineering to art history, Catholic University of Leuven. are now signed. The field of deaf education has not be able to communicate with and computer science to modern In 1994, Stevens passed the ➟➟ www.helgastevens.be been riddled with controversy someone using American Sign languages. for hundreds of years, so it’s no Language (which is much closer ➟continued on page 6 5 Carb

Business Spreading its wings Flanders’ SonicAngel takes its music investment plan on the road

Ma r c Ma e s

ropelled by the success of the its How it works first signing – last year's Belgian SonicAngel replaces the current music Eurovision entry Tom Dice – online industry business model with a new musicP platform SonicAngel is going combination of music and technology in abroad, setting up joint ventures and which fans invest in musicians they believe companies in western Europe and the US. in. Known as “fanfunding”, SonicAngel SonicAngel was launched one year ago by makes music listeners stockholders in their two Flemings, who combined the best of favourite bands and artists, plus supports both their worlds: musician and producer specific project financing and corporate Maurice Engelen (otherwise known as financing. Praga Khan) and internet entrepreneur “The name SonicAngel stands for music, Bart Becks. innovation, and angel investors,” says Becks’ background is like a how-to of Becks. “Plus, Maurice’s surname is Engelen.” business: He started his career with FNAC (Engelen is the Dutch word for “angels”.) in Paris, became CEO of Belgacom, Becks and Engelen screened hundreds switched to SBS Media Group, where he of internet music companies to see what was named Senior VP of New Media, worked and what didn’t. The conclusion and was at the cradle of Netlog, Flanders’ was that fan empowerment continues © Fred Guerdin/REPORTERS answer to Facebook. to grow and could serve as a basis for a SonicAngels Bart Becks (left) and Maurice Engelen (aka Praga Khan) He was introduced to Engelen about new business model, with fans helping 10 years ago. “We worked together to to discover, finance and even release the They asked, they received on the internet, for which we developed produce the first-ever streaming concert music of their favourite artists. Business has moved very fast for our own tools.” in Belgium – Praga Khan’s performance In a parallel move, the two persuaded SonicAngel – after they signed Tom Dice On 1 March, SonicAngel launched as a fully in the Ancienne Belgique, which was sponsors such as AB-Inbev, Sony Ericsson (whose supporters received back 260% fledged company in the US. Corporate and streamed via Skynet,” Becks explains. and ING bank to give financial support of their €10 investments in his album strategic partners in Belgium, supporting “We were specialised in our own domains to the project. “We produced tailor-made Teardrop), the idea was to launch about the idea of exporting the concept, paved but wanted to cross over: Maurice was programmes for the sponsors where we 12 artists in the first year. Less than a the way with American parent companies interested in innovating within the music go along with their business philosophy,” year later, their artist roster lists 16 artists and affiliates, like Anheuser-Busch and business, and music was never far away explains Becks. “The goal is to give new and bands, 12 of them fully financed for Hewlett Packard. from what I did.” talent an opportunity, and many companies amounts between €12,500 and €45,000. “The fan base idea has much more potential It finally came together when Engelen was bear the same concern.” “The concept is really catching on with the in the US, with so many artists,” says on the jury of X-Factor, a Flemish TV talent Partner companies have access to fans as we gave ourselves until mid-June to Becks. “So we plan to start up a number search. “Tom Dice, one of the finalists, was SonicAngel artists and their music for finance the whole roster,” enthuses Becks. of sub-labels there to categorise different not given a recording contract,” Engelen marketing, promotion and concerts, such Backed by the success in the home music styles.” The first will be Electroland, says. “That’s when we decided to go ahead as the AB-Inbev club tour, summer concerts market, SonicAngel is now launching for techno and dance artists. with SonicAngel, combining my long- for ING or free SonicAngel downloads on internationally, via strategic partnerships The launch of SonicAngel in the States time experience in the ‘traditional’ music Sony Ericsson phones. in Germany, France and the Netherlands. includes a one-month tour that kicked off industry, with a thorough knowledge of Corporate interest has been so successful, “A thorough knowledge of the market is 2 March at the Los Angeles Nokia theatre, promotion, distribution, publishing and that SonicAngel recently launched the FAB crucial, so we prefer to work with local featuring Engelen’s Praga Khan spin-off media deals, and Bart’s expert knowledge division (Fans, Artists & Brands) “that partners, who have an eye for emerging band Lords of Acid and Radical G. of new media like Facebook and Twitter – finds new partners to see how we can work talent, ” explains Engelen. “We supply the the direct communication between artists together, with all respect for the artists,” platform for their artists, traditional talent ➟➟ www.sonicangel.com and fans.” says Becks. scouting and monitoring what’s moving

➟ continued from page 5 “This contrasts with the situation the decline. “At KIDS Hasselt we are partial impairment in one ear to total in Flanders, where most of our deaf supporting about 20% more deaf and deafness. As yet, researchers don’t students are studying a vocation – hard-of-hearing children than 15 years know why being exposed to CMV in learning to be a baker, butcher, carpenter ago,” says De Raeve, who works part utero might cause hearing problems in etc,” says De Raeve. “However, there time at the school as a psychologist. babies but think that the virus damages are notable exceptions.” (see sidebar, “This is partly because of universal the cochlea. page 5) hearing assessment leading to more “Infection with CMV is very common, Flanders does have special schools for hearing problems being detected, but but it rarely causes symptoms – often the deaf – one per province. KIDS, the there is another possible reason for only a runny nose or a slight fever – Koninklijk Instituut voor Doven en the increasing prevalence of deafness. so most infected people are not aware Spraakgestoorden (Royal School for the Hearing loss in a child may be linked of their infection,” adds De Raeve. “It Deaf and Speech Impaired) in Hasselt, to a virus that the mother got while therefore largely goes undetected. But for instance, provides education, she was pregnant.” knowing how exactly CMV causes rehabilitation and counselling services That is the cytomegalovirus (CMV). hearing loss is important if a treatment for around 1,000 deaf and hard-of- It’s a common virus that normally is going to be developed.” hearing children aged three to 18. causes a harmless infection. However, In research into CMV, looking for This assistance is offered in residential, if a woman gets CMV while she’s the cause of deafness in general and semi-residential and outpatient form, pregnant, there is a 33% chance that it possible solutions involving gene delivered by a staff of more than 400. passes on to the baby. therapy and hearing cell regeneration, (On our cover is Xander, who goes to Research is still inconclusive but is Flanders is in the front line of European KIDS.) beginning to link hearing loss with research, with the Catholic University CMV. Studies indicate that about 9% of Leuven and Antwerp University Born deaf of all children who have some degree taking a leading role.  Despite vaccinations against rubella of hearing loss had CMV at birth. The “The cochlear implant is a huge advantage”: Leo De Raeve and meningitis, deafness is not on degree of hearing loss varies from ➟➟ www.onici.be

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