Deaf Awareness Training at JFS school

Another year of very satisfying Deaf Awareness Training was completed at JFS over four days on 4 June, 15 June, 25 June and 8 July 2009.

Jody Sacks, from JDA Family Services, organised the programme, enabling sixty Year 9 pupils aged 14 years to learn all about deaf people’s lives.  Here is Jody’s report:

On the first day, Antony Rabin described his life as a Deaf BSL user and explained the meaning of Deaf Culture and the importance of the Deaf Community.  The students were fascinated by Antony’s stories and BSL interpreters and couldn’t stop asking questions!

On the second day, Andrew Goodwin spoke of his profound deafness and his life experiences, communicating orally using both his hearing aids and his excellent lipreading skills.  Andrew has been associated with the JDA for many years through LIPSINC.  The students were inspired by his presentation and were astounded to learn through playing lipreading games that lipreading definitely isn’t as easy as it looks!

The third session introduced Rebecca Clements who communicates bilingually, and Gabbie Radnor who runs Hearing Connect and the Technology and Information Centre at the JDA.  They demonstrated all the latest equipment available for deaf people.  The children were enthralled by the use of flashing lights and vibration.  They were especially interested in the latest, sophisticated technology available for teenagers like slimline mobile phones and adaptations for I-Pods and MP3 players.

Our newest JDA recruit, Melody Moss, spoke to the students about her life as a bilingual hearing child of Deaf parents.  Melody is an ex-JFS student herself, and the children were most interested to gain an insight into her experiences as a teenager.

Katy Solomons explained that the JDA needs a great deal of money to run its services and encouraged the pupils to take part in fundraising projects to support the JDA.

Rebecca  Clements taught the students a signed version of the song ‘Any Dream Will Do’ from  ‘Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat’.  At the end, the sixty students who had done the training, presented the signed song at the final assembly to rapturous applause from the students and staff of JFS.

Photos