A group of families in Bolton are campaigning for free sign language lessons. Some parents who have deaf children who wear a hearing aid are fighting to get unrestricted sign language lessons in the city to improve communication. Bolton’s Ear 4 Kids is an organisation that brings together deaf children and their mums and dads and it is lobbying for free classes because a complete course can cost per family thousands of pounds; money which many families just do not have.
The chairwoman of the group, Jane Jones, says that children are becoming more reliant on their hearing aids because they do not have the opportunity to learn sign language. By not having the option of an alternative, it is limiting the kids in how they can communicate. And in circumstances where children cannot wear their hearing aids, they are left with an inability to interact. Money should not be a barrier to communication skills.
The parents group has applied for several grants to run classes for families to attend and the organisation is hoping that they will start in early 2012. Children’s’ hearing benefits early inspection and during the festive period, make sure to protect little one’s hearing when loud fireworks are set off. Ears are very sensitive to loud noise exposure and sudden sounds from fireworks can damage hearing.
Have fun opening presents and eating lots of scrumptious food this Christmas time and if you are considering celebrating the New Year with fireworks, wear ear protectors like ear plugs and ear muffs as a safety precaution. Once hearing is damaged, it cannot be repaired so take the preventive measures now. Mild hearing loss may not appear that serious but if left misdiagnosed, it can harm speech and language development in young children and have an impact on communication skills.