A significant project to emphasize the solidarity between international deaf friends and North Korean deaf children.
So-called Magic Boards are magnetic drawing boards on which one can delete the writing and drawing any number of times and start over again. Deaf Children are proud to use a Magic Board because this unique technique is something special.
They also enjoy the attention from hearing children who seem to forget about the hearing disability over this wonderful tool. The acquisition of written language is enhanced by communication with the hearing children by “Magic Board talking”.
Hearing children will learn how to deal with deaf children, e.g. how to attract their attention (no shouting, but touching the shoulder), or how to communicate with deaf children by learning some sign language. This all also holds, of course, for the communication and interaction between deaf and hearing adults.
The Magic Board offers the best opportunity for the children to practice writing correctly with support from the hearing people.
Deaf children may have deaf or hearing parents.
Deaf Children Of Deaf Adults are called D-CODA and are, of course, more advanced in sign language than in writing Korean as compared to Deaf Children Of Hearing Adults D-COHA.
Especially the D-COHA, the deaf children of hearing parents, are growing up in a communication environment that does not naturally offer sign language as a mother tongue. They may only later in life find access to Korean Sing Language.
The Magic Board may serve as the perfect tool to support daily communication in written Korean in these "mixed families". Getting used to written Korean may support these children also in communication among each other until they get access to Korean Sign Language.
