I agree with Mrs L Cohen's letter Parents must Pay (News Shopper, October 20) regarding how parents of deaf children must pay simply to communicate with their children.

When my brother was born, 25 years ago (at a time when deaf awareness was even worse than it is now) my family received free sign language tuition once a week for an hour. This lasted a year.

Fifty-two hours of tuition to learn a new language which we would use everyday for the rest of our lives!

Unless my family could afford to pay for extra tuition, how could we even begin to communicate with my brother?

My family couldn't afford more lessons, instead we had to rely on books, attending deaf clubs where we could learn more from other deaf families and my wonderful brother, who has had to be so patient and understanding while teaching and communicating at the same time.

Deafness is a disability which is so often overloaded and funding is non-existent with deaf clubs and other facilities being closed all of the time.

Deaf people don't ask to be born that way, so why should they have to suffer difficulty communicating with the rest of society, let alone their own families?

Sign language classes should be available free of charge to all families with a deaf child and maybe other outlets could help educate as well. Perhaps sign language could be taught in schools as we already learn French, German and Spanish, maybe we should start closer at home so that we can communicate with all Englishman/women on the same level.

Even News Shopper could help by printing a few signs each week As with other forms of disability, society doesn't think, or deal with it in an acceptable way until it happens to someone they know.

Imagine not being able to communicate with a member of your family just because you didn't have the money; unthinkable isn't it.

I suggest Mrs Cohen contacts the National Deaf Children's Society for further help and information.

Claire Pearce
Dartford