Christmas is an exciting time for children, but for deaf and hard of hearing kids, it can also be very stressful and tiring due to being surrounded by more people and more noise. Here are some of the adjustments you can do to make Christmas deaf friendly:
- Use tablecloths to minimise the sound of cutlery and glasses banging on the table.
- Keep table centre-pieces low so as not to inhibit visibility.
- When eating at a restaurant or café, ask for a table in a quiet and well-lit area.
- Round tables are better for deaf people to see everyone’s faces.
- Encourage family members to learn or practice some signs that they can use with your child.
- Remind family members of deaf awareness tips such as speaking one at a time and not covering their mouth or eating when talking.
- Keep background noise, like music, to a minimum.
- Allow your child to have some quiet downtime if needed.
- Organise for captions to be turned on if the family is watching tv.
For the full list of adjustments that can help, click on the link provided.
There are even some tips for dealing with visits to Santa as beards are not very deaf-friendly!
Download the Real Life Tips infographic.
More information:
- Making Christmas deaf friendly | NDCS UK
