Lisa Wright, centre, helps students Gwendolyn and Zac from Houston’s Down Syndrome Academy prepare a smoothie at SmooTea Cafe on Sunday, Dec. 16, 2018, in Houston. Helping Hand at the cafe in Houston, USA
Wow!
Today it is a special day for awesome and cool people who have a disability as I do not use the word – Down Syndrome. Give them something like a reward, a helping hand in your cafe, helping any staff in return at work. Do not be afraid of them and just be patient while they are learning in the processing of communicating with you or doing something like a photocopy, cleaning up, making a cake for you!
This morning I went to the Hamilton Central Library for NZSL games/lessons and to meet several groups of awesome young people and their support workers from the organisations. My basic teaching sign language to these people including the staff is to help them to open up and allow them to communicate with their friends, family and staff easily. Each time the group of people with disabilities came to see me at the library, and their lives were shelled and unable to communicate or to express their feelings even very shy. within 6 to 9 months later, they open up and lit up their lives more easily because they overcome the barrier of shy, able to communicate with other members instead of frustrated or temper. Of course, they become a great friendship along with their new friends and people in the library.
I created games such as bingo, learn to communicate with other people across the table in sign language and allow them to take a turn when someone can do a caller of the bingo games. The staff learn from us so they can relax and watch us by doing the games. Sometimes, we sign a song – just simple, clear and slow not too slow and they like it because it is more fun and confident to sign, sing a song and able to speak like us.
These people with difficult or behaviour or learning disabilities can do anything even to communicate, to have an impressive job or just to make friends.
Just give them a chance and allow them to work for you in a cafe, supermarket or in a family.
Life in Eureka 