The hands that say 'I love you'

LIKE thousands of other children, Sophie and Chloe Morley will be wishing mum Lisa a Happy Mother’s Day this Sunday morning.
The only difference is that Sophie, seven, and Chloe, four, will be using British Sign Language (BSL) to tell her how much they love her.
Lisa, who has been deaf since birth, lives with her hearing partner Steve and their daughters.
Despite having perfect hearing, Sophie and Chloe now use BSL as their first language.
Lisa (pictured) said: “Sophie and Chloe use BSL with me at home. When they began school, they were taught to read using the phonics method, which uses a mixture of sounds and signs. I went into the school and they explained the system to me, which means I am now able to be involved with my children’s reading as they are able to read to me using the phonics method and BSL.”
Lisa is a BSL trainer/assessor at charity group Deafness Support Network (DSN), which has offices in Wilson Patten Street, Warrington, and provides a wide range of services and support for the growing number of people off all ages affected by hearing loss.
She said: “Some people will ask my daughters to interpret for them if they want to talk to me, instead of talking to me directly. I usually have to intervene to stop that from happening. We may be deaf but we don’t want to be ignored.
“Talk to deaf people face to face, speak slightly slower and don’t exaggerate lip movements. If someone is trying to communicate with a hard of hearing person, it is better to use a slightly deeper tone of voice, as long as they don’t shout.
“If they still don’t understand it is fine to write it down, there is nothing wrong with doing that.”
There are benefits to being a deaf parent though, as Lisa explains: “If the children are playing boisterously, screaming and shouting I can’t hear them and don’t get a headache, unlike my partner!”
Lisa has worked for DSN for 12 years and is a qualified BSL tutor. DSN offers a range of services for the deaf, deafened and hard of hearing, including its Family Tactics service which provides tailored support in the homes of families where a child or adult is deaf or hard of hearing.
More details of DSN can be obtained at www.dsnonline.co.uk or by phoning 0808 208 2440 (Voice)/ 01606 350823 (Textphone).