Teaching

Supporting SEND pupils to make career decisions

Tuesday 26th May 2015

This week is deaf awareness week. A topic that is close to my heart as I'm hearing impaired. I have a moderately severe hearing loss, which basically means I hear sound but can't gain meaning from a lot of speech that goes on around me. Thus, despite being a highly qualified person with a large number of years experience behind me, I'm often treated as the village idiot and am the butt of (mainly) well-meaning teasing, joking and hilarity. Well meaning as it is, one's own self-image is inevitably tainted by this behaviour and it can be hard to see oneself as a 'serious' person rather than the expected, good-natured butt of other's humour .

So today's news from the BBC that many hearing impaired children are often overlooked, is not a surprise to me. It has the general tone of many people, that disability is something to be played down...

However, another article in the Guardian Careers section on how to use one's disabilities as a positive force on ones CV made me not just smile, but feel so much more validated. I suggest you read the article ASAP

I've added the article to my SEND Pinterest board and recommend anyone supporting young people through career decisions to read it and question the support they provide for young disabled people.