Families campaigning for permanent in-class support for profoundly deaf children

ISL Teacher Tara McNally (L) with Eoghan Freeman who, along with his parents Orla and Shane, are calling on Education Minister Norma Foley to create the position of clasroom ISL teacher and interpreter for every profoundly deaf child.

Eoghan Freeman is six-years-old and he does an amazing impression of his favourite superhero, Spider-Man, flipping over in a somersault on the family couch while making the Spidey hand gesture, an open hand with the two middle fingers pressed to the palm.

There are probably few enough six-year-olds who know that the flourish Peter Parker makes to shoot his spider-webs when fighting baddies is exactly the same as the Irish Sign Language (ISL) sign for “I love you”, but it wouldn’t be lost on Eoghan, who is profoundly deaf.