02/10/2026
Ahead of Grandparents' Day on 4 October, we're celebrating the special role grandparents can play in helping deaf children feel supported, understood and proud of who they are 💜
When Zoltan's grandson Aaron was identified as deaf, he made a commitment to learn British Sign Language (BSL).
"I was born in Hungary and grew up with a deaf sister. I saw her strength, but also the challenges when someone is not raised in a fully supportive environment.
When we found out that my grandson Aaron was deaf, I felt a strong responsibility. I wanted him to grow up supported, understood and confident in his identity.
Aaron received a cochlear implant two years ago. He now has some access to sound and his hearing and speech are developing.
What’s clear though is how confident he is when it comes to BSL, which is his main language at the moment. For me, this makes signing a priority – because while I can learn to sign, he cannot learn to hear.
That's something most people never fully grasp, but I think it’s simple: my job is to adapt to him, not the other way around. That’s why I’m studying BSL myself. I just started my Level 3 this October and will keep learning until we can communicate naturally and easily.
Luckily Aaron is used to more than one language! His family speak English, but I often speak Hungarian to him. He can say a few words in English and Hungarian and uses them correctly, but signing is the language he understands best. We usually sign first and then connect the English and Hungarian words to it. We do not use sign language instead of speech, just alongside it. It may seem unusual, but it works.
For our family, sign language is a support, not a limitation. Whether a child uses hearing aids, an implant or neither, sign language can be a powerful tool to give them."
