A Fair Go for Finn

A story about disability, respect and making space for everyone.

Finn joined Year Nine in the middle of Term One. He wore two small hearing aids, and he sat at the front of the class so that he could see his teacher’s face. Some students whispered about him. Others avoided him. Nobody was sure what to say.

On the first day, Mr Hayes explained quietly to the class. “Finn is deaf in one ear and has some hearing loss in the other,” he said. “He lip-reads and uses his hearing aids. Here are some things that help.” He wrote on the board, “Face him when you talk. Speak clearly, not loudly. Do not cover your mouth.”

Beth, who sat behind Finn, felt awkward. She did not want to say the wrong thing. At lunchtime, she saw Finn sitting alone. She hesitated, then walked over. “Hi,” she said. “Is it okay if I sit here?” Finn smiled. “Sure,” he said, in a clear voice.

They talked about football and music. Beth asked him a question about his hearing aids. “It is fine to ask,” said Finn. “They help me hear sounds, but they do not fix everything. It is hard in noisy places.” She nodded. “Like the canteen?” “Exactly.”

From then on, Beth and her friends made small changes. They turned to face Finn when they spoke. They picked quieter spots to chat. They learned to say “Can you say that again?” without making a fuss. It was easy, once they thought about it.

In drama class, the group performed a short play. The teacher asked them to choose a scene to act out. Finn suggested a scene without any speaking, using only gestures and expressions. It was brilliant. The whole class laughed and clapped, and they all learned something about communication.

A few weeks later, Finn taught the class a few signs in Auslan, the sign language of the Australian Deaf community. They learned “thank you,” “friend,” and “good morning.” Beth practised them on the bus. Finn grinned whenever he saw her waving.

At the end of term, the school held a talent show. Finn did a magic trick with cards, and the audience gasped. “It is all in the hands,” he joked. Beth was the first to leap to her feet and cheer. She felt proud of her friend.

Later, she said to Mr Hayes, “I was nervous about talking to Finn. Now I cannot imagine our class without him.” Mr Hayes smiled. “That is what a fair go looks like,” he said.

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