01/11/2024
Six-year-old Ada Hawkes went trick-or-treating for the first time this year, and what made this Halloween so special was that over half of her Worcester neighborhood learned sign language to make the festivities more inclusive.
Ada was diagnosed as profoundly deaf at 18 months and British Sign Language(BSL) is her first language. Although she always wanted to participate in Halloween, her mother Tilly was hesitant due to the communication barriers.
With Halloween’s dark settings and common mask-wearing, it can be challenging for the deaf community to read lips and interact smoothly. This inspured Tilly to partner with Cadbury Fingers and the National Deaf Children’s Society and encourage others to learn basic BSL ahead of Halloween so that trick-or-treating can be inclusive for those who are hard of hearing.
60% of the households in her neighborhood learned BSL to help Ada. All residents received a package to learn Halloween themed BSL phrases like “Trick or treat” and “you look spooky.” Participants also displayed a sign on their window that they are learning BSL to support others to do so as well.
A recent survey showed that of 400 deaf individuals, one in four have never gone trick-or-treating. 43% felt they “missed out” as a result.
“We haven’t taken Ada trick-or-treating before because of concerns about communication barriers. Now that our street knows some BSL, we’re thrilled for her first trick-or-treating experience. Seeing her neighbors communicate with her in BSL will be incredibly special,” Tilly shared before Halloween.
Photos: Oliver Dixon
