Neighbours of a deaf girl have rallied so she can trick or treat for the first time

Neighbours of a local deaf girl in Worcester have rallied so she can trick or treat for the first time. Ada Hawkes, now aged six, was diagnosed as being profoundly deaf at just 18 months old. She always wanted to participate in the tradition on the 31st of October with her mother Tilly, but the pair have been wary about barriers to communication as British Sign Language (BSL) is Ada’s first language. Trick or treating can also pose obstacles for the deaf community because of the darkness and mask-wearing, which makes lip reading and communication more difficult. Cadbury Fingers and the National Deaf Children’s Society has partnered with Tilly to encourage their community to learn BSL ahead of Halloween and be as inclusive as possible for those who are hard of hearing. So far, they have encouraged 60 per cent of the households in her neighbourhood to learn BSL and help Ada have her first trick or treating experience. All residents received a package to learn Halloween themed BSL phrases – such as ‘trick or treat’ and ‘you look spooky’. Those participating have displayed in their window that they are learning BSL, with expert sign-linguists visiting residents to support their progress ahead of spooky season.