Irish Deaf Kids (IDK) in conjunction with Irish publishing house, Special Stories Publishing joined forces to publish the children’s book, 'A Birthday for Ben'.

'A Birthday for Ben' is designed to introduce all children, especially those in mainstream school, to children with hearing issues and/or who wear a hearing aid. The book is beautifully illustrated by talented deaf artist, Karen Quirke from Dublin.

The story is told through the eyes of Ben, a young boy who is deaf. Ben doesn’t really like birthdays or birthday parties as he often feels left out. When it’s time for Ben’s own birthday party, his mum shows him just how easy it is for his deaf and hearing friends to join in and have fun together.

"'A Birthday for Ben' is a very welcome resource for both parents and teachers as it introduces the whole notion of hearing and deafness to young children," commented Caroline Carswell, founder of Irish Deaf Kids, "by making the book available to primary schools throughout Ireland, IDK and Special Stories hope to highlight the everyday issues that deaf children may encounter on a daily basis in mainstream school".