Empowerment strategies and entrepreneurship skill acquisition among hearing impaired school leavers in South-East and South South zone of Nigeria

The study investigated the strategies for sustaining livelihood among hearing impaired school leavers in southeast-south south geo-political zone. To achieve the objective of the study two research questions and hypotheses were formulated. The researcher’s constructed 15 items statement instrument named “Relationship of Selected Empowerment Strategies and Sustaining Livelihood of Persons with Hearing Impaired School Leavers (Rsesslpwhisl)” The instrument was faced and content validated by experts in measurement and evaluation, special education and guidance and counseling. The corrections and inputs of the foregoing experts improved the status of the instrument a great deal. The sample of the study was 47 hearing impaired school leavers. The data collected were statistically analyses using Pearson product moment correlation analysis at 0.5 level of significant. The result showed that there exist positive significance relationship between financial support and entrepreneurship training and sustaining livelihood among persons with hearing impairment. Based on the finding of the study, conclusion was drawn that creating individual empowerment strategies through entrepreneurship training and financial assistance would enhance sustaining means of livelihood among individuals with hearing impairment and would in turn render positive impact not only in their live but also on the economy of the immediate society and the nations at large where everybody contributes his /her quota disability status notwithstanding. Recommendation were made which include Government, NGO, communities, and volunteers renewed aspiration of having skilled person s in various vocational or entrepreneur skill centre in Local Government Areas and states opened specifically for persons with hearing impairment.