...Across the world there are millions of us, but we’re sprinkled far and wide and we’re sometimes hard to find amongst the masses. It’s easy to think you are the only one – you might be the only one in your school or family. But Deaf people like you are out there, you just need to see us sparkling in the sand.
http://www.toylikeme.org/take-action/donate/
This is our message to the 45,000 d/Deaf children living in the UK. 90% of whom are born into hearing families and may never encounter positive adult role models or meet other deaf children like themselves.
Our fantastic ‘See it, Be it’, project aims to change this and reach d/Deaf children to show them 1000s of adults just like them, living happy and fulfilled lives and doing weird, wonderful and plain normal jobs?
But (as ever) to do this, we need some collective might! So to you, our big 70k strong family of ToyLikeMe supporters, can you help us bring this project to life and raise aspirations and self esteem in D/deaf children?
Read on for details of this mega important project that you can ignite!
http://www.toylikeme.org/take-action/donate/
We recently undertook a small schools project with Deaf children in Norwich called “See it, be it”. The project aimed to encourage aspiration in deaf children (and their parents and teachers) through a creative project to make books all about jobs held by deaf people (see the fab image attached!).
We collected images of 200 deaf adults with jobs from doctors to dentists, shop workers, bee keepers and business owners. We used these to show the children adult role models and talk about their aspirations for the future and a make books all about jobs held by deaf people to share with younger deaf children in the school.
Now we need help to take this project to the next level. We would like to create an interactive “See it, be it” exhibition to engage D/deaf children and their families at the Norfolk Deaf Festival in May 2019. The exhibition would take the form of giant images showing photos of 200 deaf people and their jobs along with illustrated magnetic pieces (spanner, stethescope, pot of honey etc) which have to be matched with the correct job. This engages families to look through all the types of jobs and discover there is a deaf paramedic working in London, a deaf Wrestler, and a deaf dog walker (woof!). There will also be a giant illustrated dress up figure which can be dressed with magnetic work outfits, clothing, hearing aids and CI (think giant dress-up dolls sticker book on a big fun scale). And lastly a dressing up box with work related outfits for little children to dress up in and an area for adults to post polaroid images of themselves and their jobs to grow the exhibition in real time at the festival.
We will first showcase the See it, Be it exhibition at the Norfolk Summer Deaf festival (attended by 2000 deaf people) and then later at selected schools and venues in Nofolk and York.
Here are a few quotes from children who attended our recent See it, be it workshop to show how needed this project is –
“When I got my hearing aids 1 year ago I thought I was the only deaf person in the world. Now I know there are lots more like me.”
Deaf child
"I didn't know so many deaf people could do jobs"
Deaf child
We are looking to raise a total of £5000. We have already raised £750, so if you can help us creep a little higher toward our target we will be super duper grateful! All donations, big or small will help.
Thank you!
http://www.toylikeme.org/take-action/donate/