Hi

Did a show for Deaf kids last month and was asked not to use balloons.

Reason was some kids had transplants in their head and the static from the balloons played havoc with the system.

Fuzz

It can make a difference Fuzz, it effects some kids but not others. I have a friend whose little girl has the cocklear (sp) implant. When she first had it at age two, (she's 8 now) it gave me the insentive to learn sign language. I spent two years at college and then designed a show using it.

When ever I work for the kids at the deaf school, no one said not to use balloons, but they advised me not to give them to a few of the kids as might affect them.

Oh I was not told this either and I did a balloon job at a deaf school just before Christmas!!

It's best just to ask before you start Yvonne, most of the time I've founds it's beenOK.

I also had a show for a birthday party in the run up to Christmas for a boy of 9 who had an implant & his younger sister was also deaf with an implant, no one mentioned anything so expect the balloons didn't affect them. It was a lovely party to do with all their friends and very satisfying. One that I would look forward to doing again

Did a gig for Sheffield Deaf Club before Christmas and as usual the balloons rescued another awful clown performance. No one said anything about problems.

Cheers

Here's an update from my client.

Something else for the risk assessment I think.

Colin

I was asked to ask you not to do balloons at the party by another of the parents as apparently those deaf children who have been implanted with a cochlear implant receive electric shocks from the static in balloons.  To tell the truth, this has been a surprise to me too as deaf kids love balloons and it's a shame that those with implants can't go near them.  My son, Calum, wears digital aids so he is fine with balloons.  
 
The whole implantation procedure is a bit of a contentious issue as some parents (myself included) do not believe that there has been enough long term research into the future side effects of embedding such a device into a child's skull to warrant the 'benefits'.  However, most hearing parents are so shocked to learn that there child is deaf they opt for the operation.  There are now many implanted deaf children in Peterborough so we have to veto balloons at all of our events.  I also am very careful not to not voice my opinions about cochlear implants to other parents if they are that way inclined...
 
I bet you never realised it was such a minefield!

Very interesting!

One to make a note of for the future.

is there a way to DE-static  balloons (DE-static is my own word)

                    DENNIS