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The Bellingham Herald / Local / Diversity film features deaf kids
After helping kids understand their Lummi and Hispanic neighbors, local filmmakers Bea Moss and Sandra Matheson are now focusing on the deaf community with their children’s show.
The latest episode of “Grandma’s House,” a half-hour television program created by Moss, is in the final stages of production.
Moss and co-producer Matheson screened the episode for a handful of friends and wellwishers at the Laurel Grange Saturday.
Moss said the diversity-promoting program, which is on its third episode, has a simple motto:
“We are the same, we are different and we can be friends.”
The characters in the latest episode, played by children from Whatcom County and across the state, are able to overcome communication barriers with deaf and hard-ofhearing children by learning basic sign language and embracing their differences.
Moss said though they were filming for a television show, the elementary kids bonded together naturally while making the episode.
“If kids can’t hear or talk to children that have their hearing, it’s very hard for them to mingle,” Moss said. “By the end of the first day (of filming), they were playing together and teaching the other kids sign language.”
Moss’s Unity Productions, a nonprofit organization, has filmed previous episodes on the American Indian and Hispanic communities.
The next episode will focus on helping kids understand humans’ relationship with animals, including those used for service and therapy, Matheson said.
Donations by Wal-Mart, the city of Bellingham and other local businesses help fund the production of the program.
Moss and Matheson are in the process of finding outlets such as schools or libraries that will show the episode.
Comcast Channel 26 will likely broadcast the episode sometime in April and the producers hope to get the program onto televisions across the state or even a nationwide network.
After helping kids understand their Lummi and Hispanic neighbors, local filmmakers Bea Moss and Sandra Matheson are now focusing on the deaf community with their children’s show.
The latest episode of “Grandma’s House,” a half-hour television program created by Moss, is in the final stages of production.
Moss and co-producer Matheson screened the episode for a handful of friends and wellwishers at the Laurel Grange Saturday.
Moss said the diversity-promoting program, which is on its third episode, has a simple motto:
“We are the same, we are different and we can be friends.”
The characters in the latest episode, played by children from Whatcom County and across the state, are able to overcome communication barriers with deaf and hard-ofhearing children by learning basic sign language and embracing their differences.
Moss said though they were filming for a television show, the elementary kids bonded together naturally while making the episode.
“If kids can’t hear or talk to children that have their hearing, it’s very hard for them to mingle,” Moss said. “By the end of the first day (of filming), they were playing together and teaching the other kids sign language.”
Moss’s Unity Productions, a nonprofit organization, has filmed previous episodes on the American Indian and Hispanic communities.
The next episode will focus on helping kids understand humans’ relationship with animals, including those used for service and therapy, Matheson said.
Donations by Wal-Mart, the city of Bellingham and other local businesses help fund the production of the program.
Moss and Matheson are in the process of finding outlets such as schools or libraries that will show the episode.
Comcast Channel 26 will likely broadcast the episode sometime in April and the producers hope to get the program onto televisions across the state or even a nationwide network.
