1. Children are generally fascinated by finger spelling and tend to be keen to show off what they can do. It leads naturally to talk about body language and communication, and to disability awareness. It can also help consolidate spelling. Staff should remember, though, that finger spelling is not the same as British Sign Language (BSL). This is a full-blown language of space and movement using the hands, body, face and head.
2. Be cautious about sessions that focus on how awful it must be to be Deaf. That is not how Deaf children experience their lives. The Deaf community likens being Deaf to being a member of a minority language group, rather than primarily being defined as having a disability. That's why the convention has evolved of printing Deaf with a capital initial letter. It indicates that, in terms of public policy, it should be looked at more like being a Welsh or Punjabi speaker.
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