Deaf readers' website makes a hero
The creator of a website designed to improve the literacy skills of deaf children has been named a National Year of Reading Hero.
One of just 30 'heroes', Malcolm Wright, managing director of ITV Signpost, was presented with his award last month by the prime minister's wife Sarah Brown at a special ceremony held at No 10 Downing Street.
Mr Wright said, 'It was such an honour to receive the award and be recognised for a project that I have put my heart and soul into.'
Every reading hero was given 1,000 special edition copies of Michael Rosen's Going on a Bear Hunt, to be distributed to schools and charities of their choice. Copies will be given to new settings who register on the site and schools and charities in the north-east.
The animated website hosts popular children's stories accessible in sound, text, vision and sign language. It was set up in response to what was seen as a growing literacy gap between deaf and hearing children at school, to improve the number of resources for deaf children.
Mr Wright started to create the site in August last year, working with consultant Mary Briggs, the founder of Seven Stories, a children's reading and exhibition centre in Newcastle. He aimed to build a target list of books to use on the site royalty-free.
Mr Wright said, 'We went to eight publishers who had a large number of books we wanted. Walker Publishing has been fantastic, and we now have the rights to over 200 books'.
By 2011 the website expects to have over 300 animated stories available free online, with a new book added to the site each week.
Future plans include catering for babies, introducing pop-up books and featuring extracts of stories for children nine years old and over.
Signedstories.com will be celebrating World Storytelling Day on 20 March. The theme this year is 'neighbours' and the site will feature the book Six Dinner Sid by Inga Moore.
- Further information: www.signedstories.com
