As part of the International AAC Awareness Month in October, delegates at the CM2011 National Conference were given giant yellow hands and asked to send us photos of the hands being used creatively for communication, or in an unusual place, or doing an unusual thing.
We are delighted to have received over 70 varied and wonderful photos, a selection of which were made into a poster for a parliamentary event to celebrate the Hello campaign.
We wish to thank all the contributors, including: The West Midlands Care Pathway SIG, Rowan Gate Primary School, ACE Centre North, Janet Larcher, Katie Caryer, and a special mention to Joy Hall and the pupils at Charlton School who took the hands to many locations in and around Greenwich.
Thanks also to Barry Smith for this poem:
'My Hands'
My hands help me in life to do things which help to speak.
Yellow is the sun so I put up my hand to show someone.
Hands I may get a life to help me to live
they might get some pay for this, which don’t go that far.
A man I am who may need a hand to get my voice across to this world
this pays off in so many different way
no one cannot say these words don’t pay off.
Drink you have and get hand with it
sweet I might take alongside with this
but I may need a hand to do this
please give me one and be my friend as well.
(Posted on 18 Jan 2012)
