Welcome to your spring/summer edition of the Sensory Inclusion Newsletter!

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Spring/summer edition of the Sensory Inclusion Service newsletter

A big thank you to the team as always for putting together such a great mix of information about resources, events and features, celebrating what is possible for our children and young people. I always particularly enjoy reading the stories about our own children and young people,

This time we have a fantastic focus on the ‘super signers’ from our Little Stars group; all the children featured in the ‘celebrations’ section, and of course Menna Fitzpatrick’s ongoing success at the recent winter Paralympics.

We also say goodbye this term to a highly valued and much-loved member of the team, Lynn Quinn. Lynn is retiring after 24 years as a specialist teaching assistant with the service. Her input to so many young children has been wonderful and she has made such a difference to so many children and families. One of the things she has done regularly is to support at our Little Stars group for many years, which we run each week for pre-school deaf children and their families. I know that she will be very much missed by the children and families who attend the group. We wish Lynn all the very best for a very happy and health retirement, and we hope that there are lots of fun times ahead for her.

- Deborah Hiom - Team Manager 

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What's on - visual impairment

VICTA Parent Voice - Episode one of our new podcast is now live!

The first episode - Strong, Connected and Empowered: The Key Role of Parents, is available to listen to right now. In this episode, Charlotte is joined by Julie-Ann, mum to Dexter and long-time friend of VICTA, as they chat through the challenges, joys, and everyday adventures of raising a child with sight loss. 

What’s Coming Up for RSBC’s Connecting Families... 

RSBC What’s On Guide 

• Tuesday 19 May – (Zoom) Connecting Families Primary Years: Accessible Tech
• Wednesday 20 May - (Zoom) 'Moving On Up' online: Transitioning to Secondary School
• Wednesday 20 May - (Zoom) Connecting Families Secondary Years: Moving from DLA to PIP
• Monday 25 May - Adventurous 4 day residential trip with RSBC to National Outdoor Centre for under 16's (Plas y Brenin - National Outdoor Centre)

What's on - hearing impairment

Deaf Awareness Week 2026 - 4-10 May

Theme: Right to understand — Together, we break barriers. The week promotes improved communication, reduced social isolation and wider recognition of British Sign Language (BSL).

East Cheshire Deaf Children's Society

Come and join them for a family day out on Sunday 5th July 2026 at 12pm - 4 pm at The Children’s Adventure Farm Trust, Altrincham WA14 3RE.

The event will start with a picnic together at 12, before exploring all that the farm has to offer.

All family and friends are welcome. If you are able to come along, please let Amanda know on 07793200385, Or email chair@ecdcs.co.uk

Useful info and handy tips - visual impairment

Tips for tying shoelaces!

• Practice tying laces around the thigh first and then transfer to the foot.
• Use thick laces and ones that have plastic tips on the end.
• Use tactile markers at the end of the laces to help your child identify them.
• Tie two different coloured laces together to help your child distinguish each side of the lace.
• Demonstrate and let your child feel the movement for example ‘loop’ and let your child feel the loop.
• Break the task down into stages and celebrate the wins and attempts.
• Remember slip on, Velcro and zip up shoes work just as well!

Useful info and handy tips - hearing impairment

The National Deaf Children’s Society is working in partnership with Family Fund to deliver a nationwide programme to support families raising deaf children aged 0 to 11, or who are still in primary school. The programme will fund specialist equipment, assistive technology, and British Sign Language (BSL) learning, helping children with hearing loss to communicate more effectively and take part fully in everyday family life, education, and play.

You may be eligible to apply if:

• You are the main carer applying on behalf of a child who is deaf.
• You live in the United Kingdom.
• You are applying for a child aged 0 to 11, or a child who is still in primary education.

Family Fund will assess eligibility based on the information provided in your application, along with supporting evidence from a relevant professional (audiologist, teacher of the deaf) or a child’s EHCP.

We will also need to understand the impact of the child’s hearing loss on their communication and confirm ongoing support or involvement from medical or education professionals.

Discover more on the National Deaf Children's Society website.

Top communication tips

• Encourage good listening conditions by reducing background noise wherever possible.
• Support spoken language by facing the child directly and ensuring your mouth is visible.
• Use clear, natural speech rather than raising your voice.
• Check understanding regularly and repeat or rephrase if needed.
• Provide visual cues, gestures, and written support to reinforce key information.
• Ensure hearing aids, cochlear implants or bone‑conducting devices are worn consistently and checked daily.
• Position the child where they have the best access to sound and visual information.
• Use subtitles, visual timers, and BSL or Sign Supported English (as appropriate) to aid communication.
• Offer short breaks during listening‑based activities to reduce listening fatigue.

Encourage children to share what helps them and to advocate for their own communication needs.

Planning for the future - visual impairment

Step On Up – RSBC’s Online Group for Young People in Year 11

Are you in Year 11 and starting to think about life beyond Year 11 or feeling anxious about upcoming exams? ​Join RSBC’s Step On Up online group!

This online group is designed to help young people feel confident and prepared. This friendly space gives young people the chance to chat with others, explore future pathways together, and get practical tips from our family practitioners. 

Sessions: Fortnightly on Wednesdays at 5pm 
Register for upcoming sessions:  13 May, 27 May, plus more.

Planning for the future - hearing impairment

Please see below some useful links for planning for the future, for those with hearing impairments.

• Post-16 education options for deaf learners in England.
• Further Education options for deaf students in England
• Deaf-friendly higher education in England
• Apprenticeships for deaf young people in England
• Employment and career information for deaf young people

Events - past activities - visual impairment

VICTA ‘See it our way’

In February, VICTA launched a new bi-monthly podcast series to highlight day to challenges, shared experiences and topics that matter for those with a visual impairment.

Events - past activities - hearing impairment

International Cochlear Implant Day – 25 February

2026 was celebrated globally to highlight the life‑changing impact of cochlear implants for people with severe–profound hearing loss. Social media campaigns (#InternationalCochlearImplantDay) featured personal stories, including Jack Holland’s account of his hearing journey.

Past Pupil Menna Fitzpatrick – Most Decorated Winter Paralympian!

Menna Fitzpatrick is a British visually impaired para‑alpine skier and the most decorated Winter Paralympian in UK history. Menna was born in Macclesfield in 1998, she has no sight in her left eye and around five percent vision in her right. She learned to ski at age five and debuted internationally for Great Britain in 2012. Menna has earned multiple Paralympic medals, including slalom gold, two silver medals and one bronze medal at Pyeong Chang 2018 and further silver and bronze medals at Beijing 2022, bringing her total to six medals.

She has also secured numerous World Championship titles and World Cup podiums, skiing with guides Jennifer Kehoe and later Katie Guest.

Menna suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury in December 2025 yet still managed to qualify for the 2026 Winter Paralympic Games in Milano Cortina, a wonderful triumph in itself! Menna did not add to her record‑breaking Paralympic medal total, but she delivered strong top‑6 finishes in all her races and demonstrated extraordinary resilience after multiple injuries. She has expressed interest in aiming for the 2030 Paralympics – what an amazing role model for our pupils!

Spotlight on Lindow Primary: Deaf Resource Base

We’d like to say a huge thank you to Tesco Handforth Dean for their incredibly generous donation of £1000 towards our sensory garden. Their support will make a real difference, helping us create a calming and inclusive space for everyone to enjoy, where the children can experience first-hand, growing their own food to cook with in school. We’re so grateful for their kindness and community spirit. Sharon Brown, Teacher of the Deaf, Lindow Primary

We’d like to say a huge thank you to Tesco Handforth Dean for their incredibly generous donation of £1000 towards our sensory garden.

Their support will make a real difference, helping us create a calming and inclusive space for everyone to enjoy, where the children can experience first-hand, growing their own food to cook with in school. We’re so grateful for their kindness and community spirit.

Sharon Brown, Teacher of the Deaf, Lindow Primary 

Little Stars

Our ‘Little Stars’ group for Children in the Early Years with hearing loss and their families is supported and funded by the ‘East Cheshire Deaf Children’s Society’ (ECDCS). As a thank you to them we have been learning some new Signed songs and are doing a sponsored Sign on the 20th May to raise money for them. Well Done ‘Little Stars’ and their grown-ups, they’re stars too!

Celebrations - visual impairment

Cane training success for Nancy

Congratulations to Nancy who has recently completed long cane training and gave a talk to her class about her cane. Here’s what she had to say: "I learned to use my long cane to help me find stuff on the ground that I don’t see. I wanted to do a show and talk about my cane to show everyone how I use it. I showed them pop up, diagonal, scanning, and using it to find foil and different textures on the floor. My class knows that they mustn’t play with it because it’s not a toy. It’s much more than just a stick! Afterward my friends responded really nicely and said it was very interesting. My cane’s been really handy in the woods and at the Trafford Centre. I love my cane!" .

New school, big smile

Starting a new school is often difficult and making new friends is not always easy especially when you have a visual impairment, but Aarithan has done so well settling in at his new high school and has been described by staff as a popular boy in his new school. He was able to fully participate in the Year 7 residential at the beginning of the first term and was voted as the best dressed by his fellow peers.

Celebrations - hearing impairment

Super Science

Izzy chose to research cochlear implants for her school science project. She outlined what cochlear implants are, how they work and what it feels like to use them. She showcased her work at the school science fair in March. I think you will agree this is an amazing piece of work, Well Done Izzy!

School assembly

Emma delivered a marvellous deaf awareness assembly, shared a poem and answered questions. She spoke confidently about her hearing, and she answered the children’s questions exceptionally well. Her peers were curious and eager to learn more.

Questions and Answers from Emma’s Assembly

Q: What does it feel like to choose the colour of your hearing aids? A: It’s great, you get to choose a colour that matches your personality or style. I like being able to choose. I’ve had purple hearing aids before, and now I have cyan ones (a greenish blue).

Q: Did it hurt when you first put them in? A: I can’t really remember, I’ve had them for such a long time. They don’t hurt to wear now. They can be a bit fiddly to put in sometimes, but I’m used to them.

Q: What is it like to hear with them? A: They’re very helpful, they let me hear all sounds clearly. Without them, it’s a bit like needing glasses: everything becomes blurry. Some sounds are blurred or missing without my hearing aids.

Q: Can you go swimming? A: Yes, but I have to take my hearing aids out. When I swim, there are two teachers, one at the side of the pool and one in the water close by.

Our children and young people have their say!

Feedback from our pupils has highlighted how valuable they find sessions that help them explore their sensory needs, communication preferences, and self‑advocacy skills.

Pupils scored how confident they felt to explain their VI or HI needs to others. Pupils with a visual impairment scored on average 7.5/10 and pupils with a hearing impairment scored on average 8/10.

Support that helps outside school includes:

• Family members
• Ophthalmology staff
• Audiology staff
• Lipreading, BSL, clear positioning
• Friends, dance teachers, Brownie leaders
• Hearing aids, technology and communication‑friendly environments

Examples:

• “Sign language helps me understand.”
• “My cochlear Nucleus Smart App on my phone lets me check my processors battery life”
• “My parents are always supportive and tell people I am deaf.”
• “Family, when it is dark I struggle to see, they are close and around me to help.”

Inclusion and representation - visual impairment

Mr Dot – Clarke Reynolds was brought up in Portsmouth with a passion for art. He was diagnosed with deteriorating eyesight from a young age due to rod cone dystrophy. Art allowed him to express his emotions and identity, and through his vision loss he could reinvent how art could be experienced, not just seen. Mr Dot has brought braille art into the gallery. His mission is to include inclusive spaces, to educate and inspire through his use of colour and narrative. Mr Dot is a patron for VICTA charity where he champions competitions in art and storytelling.

Learn with ESS

After attending a working group for Post 16 I had the pleasure of listening to Azeem Amir from Learn with ESS Disability Awareness and Team Cohesion Program | Learn With ESS and wanted to flag up the work of this great business enterprise of a young man with a visual impairment.

Inclusion and representation - hearing impairment

Portrait of Britain 2025

The 2025 Portrait of Britain winner is Stephen Illife, who captured the Deaf, sign language performance artist Sarah Adedeji. This marks a significant milestone as it is the first time a Deaf portrait has been included in the competition, highlighting the growing visibility of Deaf culture in photography.

Hearing aids for George

Peppa Pig’s brother George has been fitted with hearing aid in the new series. The popular children’s series will introduce the storyline addressing hearing loss. Gladiator Jodie Ounsley, known as Fury, who was born deaf, will voice George’s audiologist in the episode. Daddy Pig also ran the London marathon for the National Deaf Children’s Society (NDCS) Well done Daddy Pig!

Mixmups

A pre-school animation series Mixmups with Ultra Access (Milkshake, Channel 5) is an innovative TV service designed to adapt to the needs of deaf, disabled, and neurodivergent children. This is a FREE service which allows the viewer to turn down background sound, get key signs to learn before an episode, plus BSL. Access a leaflet about Mixmups  with Ultra Access today.

Check out our useful links relating to this service, in this document.