Schools Are Not Places for Children to Hold Access
Sometimes I think about all the things children already carry at school.
Learning.
Friendships.
Confidence.
Finding their place in the world.
As a Deaf parent, I have spent time reflecting on what happens when responsibility for communication or access quietly finds its way onto a child.
It rarely begins as a role.
It often begins as a moment.
A question.
A conversation.
A situation where a child happens to be the person who can help.
A child may step forward willingly.
A child may want to make things easier.
Both things can be true.
But the more those moments repeat, the easier it becomes for responsibility to settle where it was never meant to stay.
School should be a place for learning, growing, and belonging.
Not a place where children feel responsible for holding access together.
Schools are not places for children to hold access.
This reflection comes from my perspective as a Deaf parent, shaped by my family, my experiences, and the CODA voices I have listened to over time. It is not about speaking for every CODA, but about recognising a pattern that deserves care.
