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TheStar.com - Fresh Air Fund - A celebration of silence
Hearing and deaf family members come together to brush up on sign language and have fun
At Silent Voice Canada Sign Language Summer Program, facial expressions, body language and hands say it all.
And as with kids everywhere, there's lots to talk about at camp, where American Sign Language speaks louder than words.
Operating for 33 years, the Sign Language Summer Program doesn't focus on hearing loss. It's a "celebration of identity," and gives deaf kids a chance to be with their peers, communicating "in their natural language" just like other kids, says Maureen Haan, executive director at Silent Voice Canada.
One of the aims of the not-for-profit organization is to break down communication barriers for the deaf to community services.
The agency offers a variety of services for deaf children, adults and families in ASL. Among them is a program that matches families with a native signer to introduce them to ASL. There's also a Saturday recreation program and tax clinics.
The summer day camp is the jewel in the crown and one of the largest and most popular programs at Silent Voice.
It's also among 103 day and residential camps to receive support from the Fresh Air Fund, which this summer aims to send 25,000 underprivileged, sick and disabled kids to camp.
It's no different or more difficult running a camp for deaf kids than for those that can hear, says Haan, who adds the program director in Brampton is deaf while the one in Toronto is hearing.
The counsellors and most of the campers are deaf.
Those that can hear are either siblings or children of deaf parents. They're at camp to brush up on their American Sign Language – and have fun, of course.
"The whole environment is about deafness, ASL and identity," said Haan.
"At our camp, there are no communication barriers."
All the activities are in ASL and though some are modified to meet the needs of campers, they're the same as those offered at a regular day camp,. including sports, organized games, arts and crafts, swimming, scavenger hunts and outings.
Every Friday, the High Park and Brampton camps get together at Sunnyside for a picnic, games and a good old splash in the pool. It gives campers a chance to meet up with school buddies.
"During the year, many of the children go to the provincial school in Milton, take classes in Toronto at the Metro Toronto School for the Deaf or are in integrated programs with interpreters," explained Haan. They come from across the GTA and don't always have a chance to see each other during the summer, she said. Camp makes it happen.
Brothers and sisters who can hear are encouraged to come to camp because it gives them opportunities they may not always have.
"They have the freedom of just being kids, too, and not having to act as interpreters for their deaf brothers, sisters or parents," said Haan.
"At camp, they don't have to take care of their deaf brother or sister. And they also experience a new culture."
But deafness isn't the only barrier for many of the children. About 59 per cent of campers last year lived under the poverty line. The Fresh Air Fund ensures these kids are able to attend camp and have some respite from their daily challenges by helping subsidize camp fees.
"Without our camp, many of these children would be isolated in the community," said Haan. Though other day camps may have a counsellor who knows how to sign, "a regular camp can't provide peer to peer interaction," she said.
"Our camp also provides a program that is completely barrier free. And that's very important, because deaf children and their families hit barriers on a regular basis in their daily lives."
Hearing and deaf family members come together to brush up on sign language and have fun
At Silent Voice Canada Sign Language Summer Program, facial expressions, body language and hands say it all.
And as with kids everywhere, there's lots to talk about at camp, where American Sign Language speaks louder than words.
Operating for 33 years, the Sign Language Summer Program doesn't focus on hearing loss. It's a "celebration of identity," and gives deaf kids a chance to be with their peers, communicating "in their natural language" just like other kids, says Maureen Haan, executive director at Silent Voice Canada.
One of the aims of the not-for-profit organization is to break down communication barriers for the deaf to community services.
The agency offers a variety of services for deaf children, adults and families in ASL. Among them is a program that matches families with a native signer to introduce them to ASL. There's also a Saturday recreation program and tax clinics.
The summer day camp is the jewel in the crown and one of the largest and most popular programs at Silent Voice.
It's also among 103 day and residential camps to receive support from the Fresh Air Fund, which this summer aims to send 25,000 underprivileged, sick and disabled kids to camp.
It's no different or more difficult running a camp for deaf kids than for those that can hear, says Haan, who adds the program director in Brampton is deaf while the one in Toronto is hearing.
The counsellors and most of the campers are deaf.
Those that can hear are either siblings or children of deaf parents. They're at camp to brush up on their American Sign Language – and have fun, of course.
"The whole environment is about deafness, ASL and identity," said Haan.
"At our camp, there are no communication barriers."
All the activities are in ASL and though some are modified to meet the needs of campers, they're the same as those offered at a regular day camp,. including sports, organized games, arts and crafts, swimming, scavenger hunts and outings.
Every Friday, the High Park and Brampton camps get together at Sunnyside for a picnic, games and a good old splash in the pool. It gives campers a chance to meet up with school buddies.
"During the year, many of the children go to the provincial school in Milton, take classes in Toronto at the Metro Toronto School for the Deaf or are in integrated programs with interpreters," explained Haan. They come from across the GTA and don't always have a chance to see each other during the summer, she said. Camp makes it happen.
Brothers and sisters who can hear are encouraged to come to camp because it gives them opportunities they may not always have.
"They have the freedom of just being kids, too, and not having to act as interpreters for their deaf brothers, sisters or parents," said Haan.
"At camp, they don't have to take care of their deaf brother or sister. And they also experience a new culture."
But deafness isn't the only barrier for many of the children. About 59 per cent of campers last year lived under the poverty line. The Fresh Air Fund ensures these kids are able to attend camp and have some respite from their daily challenges by helping subsidize camp fees.
"Without our camp, many of these children would be isolated in the community," said Haan. Though other day camps may have a counsellor who knows how to sign, "a regular camp can't provide peer to peer interaction," she said.
"Our camp also provides a program that is completely barrier free. And that's very important, because deaf children and their families hit barriers on a regular basis in their daily lives."