An information table celebrating Speech and Hearing Month will be in the Williams Lake Library through the month of May and then become part of the Children’s Festival on May 31 in Boitanio Park.
As part of raising awareness about speech and hearing speech-language pathologists Alys Wardlaw from Interior Health and Julia Hodder from the Child Development Centre will be at the Children’s Festival to help children create speech bubbles and postcards to share the message that ‘Communicating is connecting.’
Wardlaw and Hodder were also on hand earlier this month at a speech-language awareness event on May 9 when author Victoria Greenley and the illustrator Raylene Hale held a book signing event for their book Touched by the Wind, a story about a brother and sister with hearing problems.
To assist their hearing Calysta wears a hearing aid and her brother Siegi has a cochlear implant.
As the wind touches the children at the camp they are visiting they are able to see beyond the exterior and see the each other’s individual character.
While Greenley read the story to children in attendance, Barbara Doedel a teacher of deaf and hard of hearing signed the story, says Tracy Keith, Cariboo Regional District Library branch assistant who helped to co-ordinate the event.
Wardlaw and Hodder also invited families to create postcards to send out to share the message that ‘Communicating is connecting.’
Gloria Limb and Kay Mellish from the Ladies of the Royal Purple made generous donations of books and other therapy materials to the local speech-language pathology services.
The annual Children’s Festival with information on speech and hearing and other services available in the community happens on May 31 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Boitanio Park.
“Activities will include three main-stage performances by Science World at this free family event,” says event organizer Ashlee Hyde.
“There will be fun children’s activities provided by different businesses, service providers and arts clubs.”
There will also be door prizes for children ages 0-3 years, 4-5 years and 6-plus.
“We hope to see you there rain or shine,” Hyde says.