Halloween is a time of spooky costumes, decorations, and trick or treating for most children, but for the deaf community, it can present some challenges. Research has shown that 79% of deaf children feel like they miss out on the fun of Halloween, with nearly half skipping the festivities altogether due to fear of not being understood.
The darkness, mask-wearing, and lack of British Sign Language (BSL) use on Halloween make communication even more difficult for deaf children. To address this issue, Cadbury Fingers and the National Deaf Children’s Society have created the UK’s first BSL-inclusive street in Worcester. This initiative aims to make Halloween celebrations more inclusive for deaf children by teaching neighbours BSL phrases like ‘trick or treat’ and ‘you look spooky’.
The research also revealed that 60% of the population find it challenging to communicate with deaf individuals, with only 8% feeling confident in their ability to greet someone in BSL. In an effort to bridge this communication gap, 33% of people have resorted to typing out messages on their phones or speaking slowly to help deaf individuals lip-read.
For those interested in learning more about BSL, a series of Halloween expressions are available online at www.signwithfingers.cadbury.co.uk. The website aims to make it easier for people to engage with the deaf community and create more inclusive experiences for everyone.
Influencer Learning.Adas.Language, a mother to a profoundly deaf child named Ada, has been instrumental in driving change in her street to make it more BSL-friendly. Ada and her mother recently embarked on Ada’s first trick or treating experience, which was captured in a new film. The film encourages others to learn BSL and visit the Sign with Fingers website to enhance their communication skills.
Tilly, Ada’s mother, expressed her excitement about taking Ada trick or treating for the first time, now that their street is more BSL-aware. She highlighted the importance of inclusive communication in making deaf individuals feel more included in special moments like Halloween.
Anastasia Lutskovskaya from Cadbury Fingers emphasised the significance of learning even basic BSL to create more inclusive experiences for deaf individuals during Halloween and beyond. By providing Halloween-themed BSL phrases on their website, Cadbury Fingers aims to encourage more people to engage with the deaf community.
Susan Daniels, Chief Executive at the National Deaf Children’s Society, expressed pride in partnering with Cadbury Fingers for the ‘Sign with Fingers Big & Small’ campaign. This collaboration aims to raise awareness about communication barriers faced by deaf children and promote deaf awareness and basic sign language skills. The ultimate goal is to create a more inclusive world where every deaf child can fully participate in conversations and celebrations.
