Miss-Delectable
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Work Promotes Communication (from This Is Local London)
BEFORE the 1980s it was generally thought deaf children in schools should learn to lip read and talk instead of learning sign language.
Jane Thomas, speech therapist at Greenwich Teaching Primary Care Trust (GTPCT), said deaf people found this disrespectful to their culture because they were being taught to use a language they could not relate to as they could not hear it.
As a result of being denied a more effective means of communication, many developed mental health problems, including depression.
British Sign Language became encouraged within schools but was only officially recognised as a language in its own right by the Government in 2003.
continued...
Jane and fellow speech therapist Katie Martin are trying to undo the damage.
With the help of the 30 deaf children, from Lewisham and Greenwich, they created Life and Deaf - a poetry project based on the importance of communication.
The therapists, both from GTPCT, encouraged the youngsters, aged between 11 and 19, to explore their experiences through poetry by seeing language as a tool of expression where grammatical rules could be broken.
Jane explained: "One of the key factors of good mental health is communication and we hoped by showing them not to be afraid of expression we would give them a voice in the greater community.
"We wanted them to be able to express themselves freely and as they wrote their poems we did not say you have got this wrong or that wrong.
"We simply encouraged them to record their experiences of being deaf and poetry is an excellent way to do this because all of the rules go out of the window.
"What we now have is a collection of work which is honest and from the heart."
Once the poems were written they were translated into sign language and the children were filmed signing their creations.
They also produced illustrations to go with their work - which included images of hearing aids being thrown away.
Thomas Tallis student Emilie Pace-Soler wrote a poem called Unknown Darkness. It describes her early communication difficulties, how she overcame her loneliness and became proud of being deaf.
The 15-year-old, from Plumstead, said: "I'm pleased to have taken part in the project, it shows how important it is to be able to sign and we can express ourselves.
"If I could not sign, what would being deaf be about? It would be very dull. It allows me to mix with the deaf community and be heard."
Fellow Thomas Tallis pupil Doua Sulieman, 12, from Lewisham, said: "This has really given me the chance to talk about my feelings and shows what it's like to grow up as a deaf child."
The works have been produced as a book and accompanying DVD which will be distributed nationally to promote the benefits of communication and encourage others to learn to sign.
Katie, a GTPCT therapist for three years, added: "To have brought the project this far is amazing. We hope the children have been encouraged to communicate and realise people want to hear their views.
"Hopefully the book will make others feel the same."
Life and Deaf will be launched at 6pm, October 2, at the Stephen Lawrence Gallery, Greenwich University, where the children will sign a selection of their poems.
NETWORK OF SUPPORT
Learn to Sign Week, organised by the British Deaf Association (BDA), runs between October 2 and October 9.
British Sign Language is used by 250,000 deaf people in the UK and an estimated 698,000 people are severely or profoundly deaf.
Like any language, learning to sign takes time. Basics can be learnt in two years but it takes between seven and nine years to become a translator.
The Life and Deaf project, costing £10,000, was supported and sponsored by groups including the BDA, Greenwich Primary Care Trust and Greenwich Deaf Youth Club, Stephen Lawrence Gallery and the Thomas Tallis Arts College.
For information on Life and Deaf, call 07748 104 051. For information on the BDA visit signcommunity.org.uk
BEFORE the 1980s it was generally thought deaf children in schools should learn to lip read and talk instead of learning sign language.
Jane Thomas, speech therapist at Greenwich Teaching Primary Care Trust (GTPCT), said deaf people found this disrespectful to their culture because they were being taught to use a language they could not relate to as they could not hear it.
As a result of being denied a more effective means of communication, many developed mental health problems, including depression.
British Sign Language became encouraged within schools but was only officially recognised as a language in its own right by the Government in 2003.
continued...
Jane and fellow speech therapist Katie Martin are trying to undo the damage.
With the help of the 30 deaf children, from Lewisham and Greenwich, they created Life and Deaf - a poetry project based on the importance of communication.
The therapists, both from GTPCT, encouraged the youngsters, aged between 11 and 19, to explore their experiences through poetry by seeing language as a tool of expression where grammatical rules could be broken.
Jane explained: "One of the key factors of good mental health is communication and we hoped by showing them not to be afraid of expression we would give them a voice in the greater community.
"We wanted them to be able to express themselves freely and as they wrote their poems we did not say you have got this wrong or that wrong.
"We simply encouraged them to record their experiences of being deaf and poetry is an excellent way to do this because all of the rules go out of the window.
"What we now have is a collection of work which is honest and from the heart."
Once the poems were written they were translated into sign language and the children were filmed signing their creations.
They also produced illustrations to go with their work - which included images of hearing aids being thrown away.
Thomas Tallis student Emilie Pace-Soler wrote a poem called Unknown Darkness. It describes her early communication difficulties, how she overcame her loneliness and became proud of being deaf.
The 15-year-old, from Plumstead, said: "I'm pleased to have taken part in the project, it shows how important it is to be able to sign and we can express ourselves.
"If I could not sign, what would being deaf be about? It would be very dull. It allows me to mix with the deaf community and be heard."
Fellow Thomas Tallis pupil Doua Sulieman, 12, from Lewisham, said: "This has really given me the chance to talk about my feelings and shows what it's like to grow up as a deaf child."
The works have been produced as a book and accompanying DVD which will be distributed nationally to promote the benefits of communication and encourage others to learn to sign.
Katie, a GTPCT therapist for three years, added: "To have brought the project this far is amazing. We hope the children have been encouraged to communicate and realise people want to hear their views.
"Hopefully the book will make others feel the same."
Life and Deaf will be launched at 6pm, October 2, at the Stephen Lawrence Gallery, Greenwich University, where the children will sign a selection of their poems.
NETWORK OF SUPPORT
Learn to Sign Week, organised by the British Deaf Association (BDA), runs between October 2 and October 9.
British Sign Language is used by 250,000 deaf people in the UK and an estimated 698,000 people are severely or profoundly deaf.
Like any language, learning to sign takes time. Basics can be learnt in two years but it takes between seven and nine years to become a translator.
The Life and Deaf project, costing £10,000, was supported and sponsored by groups including the BDA, Greenwich Primary Care Trust and Greenwich Deaf Youth Club, Stephen Lawrence Gallery and the Thomas Tallis Arts College.
For information on Life and Deaf, call 07748 104 051. For information on the BDA visit signcommunity.org.uk
