A deaf teaching assistant is set to work with a deaf pupil at a mainstream school in Wales for the first time.
Emma Day, 21, said she was proud to have been appointed to Ysgol Clydau in Tegryn, Pembrokeshire.
There she will work with 11-year-old Evelyn, who also takes lessons in translation from British Sign Language interpreters.
“What’s most rewarding is seeing Evelyn’s confidence grow and how she enjoys learning through her native language, sign language,” Emma said.
Emma has previously volunteered at schools in Pembrokeshire and was awarded Student of the Year at Pembrokeshire College in 2021.
Now she believes her experiences as a deaf learner will help Evelyn and hopes it will set an example for the “next step” in education for deaf children.
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“I love my job. It’s really important for deaf students, deaf children, to have classes in their mother tongue and also to work with adults like me,” she said.
“I have experience with the barriers I faced at the time and I overcame them. Hopefully I passed on to Evelyn that you can break down those barriers and learn from them.”
Emma’s role is funded by Pembrokeshire City Council but has additional support from a sign language interpreter in the classroom to translate lessons and access all other aspects of her role within the school.
“She also helps me with my English and my math and my sign language. She knows what I’m saying when I’m communicating,” Evelyn said.
Her father Chris said the support was worth the fight to secure.
“It’s really important, especially in a rural setting when you’re deaf. They need this encounter with deaf culture,” he said.
“There are many barriers that deaf people face and Emma is aware of this and she is helping Evelyn to continue to navigate them in her future.
“You can really see how Evelyn’s confidence has increased. She is signing more at home which is very beneficial to me as Evelyn is getting older and I expect her to be a little behind when it comes to understanding her level of British Sign Language.
“It’s just lovely to see Evelyn thriving, especially with the upcoming move to secondary school, which will serve her so well.”
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