Transcript

I began my education in a mainstream school. It was totally disorientating. Many break downs in communication and so many barriers. Hearing pupils mixed in their friendship groups but not with me, and I was alone and left out. Following an assessment of my educational needs, it was decided that this school was unsuitable and so I was transferred to Exeter (Royal School for the Deaf). Wow! I couldn’t believe it! Children were using sign language, what was this language..!? - BSL (British Sign Language). It was new to me. Not a language I used. I watched carefully and learned and gradually adapted and joined in! I was included and mixed fully with everyone else. However, around this time my Mother and Father divorced. My Mother took custody of me and we emigrated to Spain. Spanish Sign Language is different from BSL so I had to start all over again. Of course, I did my best and once again I learnt a new language and went on from there.

Now my Job is both Visual Designer and Trainer in the UK for Deafax. This involves designing specialist resources and delivering training to deaf children from 11 years of age upwards, and youths and adults. There is such variety in these groups so I generally design resources that are 70% visual and 30% English.

When I look back over my life, things were old fashioned and opportunities limited when I was growing up. Progress means there are new technologies on the market that can help so much. Parents of deaf children are so much more aware about what is available too. There are much better opportunities these days compared with the old days!