School Liaison Officer Carolyn tells us about Lesson in a Box

“Ensuring that all students have a positive experience of education is vital to ensuring that everyone becomes a valuable member of the community in future.”

We launched our ‘Lesson in a Box: Discovering Deafblindness’ education programme for Key stages 2, 3 and 4 in June 2023, and since then we have engaged with over 1,700 schools in the UK! As we launch our Key stage 1 materials we are full of passion and determination to ensure all younger generations, and their educators can be part of forming a more aware, inclusive and understanding society as they grow into young adults.

Children and young people are our future, and they will play a huge role in shaping a society where people who have various capabilities are not hindered but embraced and have equal access and opportunities everywhere they go, be it in an educational setting or socially.

What is the Lesson in a Box: Discovering Deafblindness education programme? 

We asked our School Liaison Officer Carolyn, who has been a science teacher for many years and also the lead of Lesson in a Box, here is what she said – “Lesson in a Box aims to raise awareness of deafblindness in school-aged children, allowing them to recognise signs in others who have limited sight and hearing. It allows them to be empathetic to anyone who may be in their school but also helps to educate them about family members who might be affected. 

When I’m in schools, lots of children say to me: “My grandad’s just like that.”

“The materials can be presented during school assemblies, which have supporting notes so that teachers who deliver the talks to students feel confident about the subject matter. Teachers can then access the required curriculum links depending on the age of their students to follow up with the discussions previously highlighted in assemblies back in the classroom.”

“The box also includes a bespoke timed lesson with all the resources available to download, teachers can then run a live interactive session which allows all students to gain insights into what it might be like for those who are deafblind and the challenges which they face daily.”

“We aim to make sure all schools have a better understanding of deafblindness, including the disorder Usher Syndrome, for which we have recently joined forces with the charity Sense to be leaders of expertise for the disorder.”

Find out more about Deafblind UK and Sense merging for Usher Syndrome services here.

“By explaining the differing abilities which students possess, our lesson in a box helps classmates understand why some students receive more attention than others.”

Overall, this is an educational programme designed to enable students to understand the challenges faced by other members of their personal and wider community, such as peers or older family members. We want children and young people to develop awareness and empathy through education, allowing them insights and knowledge about how the world is different for those around them, and how we can all help each other. 

For more details of our Lesson in a Box programme and to get your free resources click here or get in touch on 0800 132 320. 

Request your ‘Lesson in a Box’ materials here.