More than 2,600 people have signed a petition calling for free British Sign Language (BSL) lessons for parents of deaf children in Wales. According to estimates, there are at least 2,329 deaf children in Wales, with 90% of them born to hearing parents.
Mother-of-two Amanda Webb, whose son was diagnosed as deaf when he was a newborn, said: “It’s heart-breaking, because all you want to do is talk to your child.” Webb is a member of the South East Wales Deaf Children’s Society, which means she feels like she is part of a community and better supported.
Catherine Davies, who adopted her deaf daughter 31 years ago, also started a petition. “Things really haven’t changed in 30 years, and it’s quite shocking,” said Davies, who recalls being told not to sign to her child. Despite this, she learnt BSL and became a specialised teacher of the deaf.
Dr Julia Terry from Swansea University has researched the impact of the lack of communication between deaf children and their parents. “We know that the impact on deaf children’s mental health is considerable,” she said. “For a deaf child who cannot communicate in their own family, they will often be left out and quite isolated.”
The Welsh government said that BSL provision for adults was based on demand across Wales and that funding is provided to further education colleges, but the colleges themselves decided what curriculum they offered and learner fees
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