A six-year-old girl from Worcestershire was finally able to partake in trick-or-treating for the first time this year after her neighbors learned sign language.
Ada Hawkes was diagnosed as profoundly deaf when she was just 18 months old and uses British Sign Language (BSL) to speak with others.
Previously, she wasn’t able to enjoy the experience of Halloween, especially since the darkness, costumes, and masks can create barriers for communication — but these walls were broken down for Ada this year.
Neighbors of a deaf girl learned sign language so she could go trick-or-treating during Halloween this year
It all started with Ada’s mother.
Tilly collaborated with Cadbury Fingers and the National Deaf Children’s Society as a way to encourage neighbors to learn basic BSL phrases for Halloween and foster a more inclusive environment for those who have hearing impairments.
As a result, 60% of the households started to learn BSL and received packages to learn phrases such as “trick or treat” and “you look spooky.” As said in Daily Record, those who participated had signs displayed by their windows, and expert sign language instructors even visited to support their learning.
Tilly said this was an “incredibly special” experience for her little girl.
“People open doors and they speak, and she won’t understand any of that,” she explained. “And it can be stressful, and she’s left out, so we’ve avoided it basically.
“We haven’t wanted to put her in a position that we know would be stressful and isolating.”
She added, “The fact that our street now knows a little BSL, we’re really looking forward to taking her out trick-or-treating for the first time. Having her neighbours communicate with her in BSL is going to be so exciting.”
This initiative aligns with a greater mission to break down barriers for more children and help spread awareness
Susan Daniels, Chief Executive at the National Deaf Children’s Society emphasized how important this step towards inclusion is.
“Together, we aim to raise awareness about the communication barriers deaf children and young people can face, encouraging more people to be deaf aware, as well as learn some basic signs,” she said.
“We want to see a more inclusive world so that every deaf child can be part of the conversation.”
Anastasia Lutskovskaya, a senior brand manager at Cadbury Fingers, added, “Just knowing even basic BSL can make a deaf person feel more included in moments of celebration and sharing.”
Indeed, recent research taken among 2,000 adults revealed that 59% have never used BSL and 67% would label it a challenge to communicate with a deaf person — with a whopping 71% saying they wouldn’t feel comfortable saying hello.
Another survey of 400 deaf participants discovered approximately 25% have never gone trick-or-treating with 43% saying they felt as if they were missing out.
The neighbors were praised by commentors for making Ada’s first trick-or-treating experience one to remember
