‘My special place,’ an anonymous essay by a 10 year old child who has deaf parents

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My Special Place

Being in a deaf world is my special place. When I’m at home or it’s the weekend, I’m in the deaf world. But when I’m at school or at a friend’s house, I have to swap worlds and go into the hearing world.

So being in the deaf world is quite important to me and there are many reasons why.

First of all I’d like to tell you what I mean when I say deaf people, I mean my parents and family, friends, community and lots of other people.

I do get asked a lot of questions like ‘How do you speak to your mum?’ I say I use sign language, or they ask “What job does your mum have?”

I find sign language special. My sister set up a sign language club at her school and lots of people were very keen to learn a bit.

I also find that having deaf parents is special to me because people start to understand what it’s like by me telling them.

They also start to have the confidence to actually just normally speak to my parents without hesitating.

If I hear something bang on the floor then I use my ears to find out where it’s coming from but for my parents, it’s different – they feel the vibrations of the banging to find out where it’s coming from.

Lots of people think deaf people are very silent and quiet but they are still full of life and energy in their hands when they use BSL (British Sign Language).

I know people may think that my parents have never heard me speak but when I think about it, I don’t really mind because I live in a happy family and I know no better life and that’s why being in a deaf world is really special to me.

Written by a CODA aged 10

The child’s teacher wrote in reply: Absolutely. I don’t believe that any of us can fully appreciate how special the deaf world is to you. You have written very sensitively and with lots of information. 2HP’s. Well done!!