The Trustees and members were deeply saddened to hear recently of the death of David Harrison, a founder member and several times Chair of the National Aural Group (NAG) which later became DELTA.
David was the Head of the Leicestershire Service for deaf children and young people for many years and made that county a beacon for the Natural Aural Approach (NAA) to language development.
He mentored many Teachers of the Deaf who went on to spread an understanding of, and passion for, the NAA to many different areas.
It is not surprising, therefore, that he was an inspirational force in NAG and provided much of the energy in the early years for the group’s foundation and development.
Those of us who were much less experienced members of the group benefitted immensely from his knowledge, wisdom and vision. His ideas and contributions to the discussions about NAG’s objectives, constitution and activities were thought provoking but balanced and eloquently presented. He hosted many of the initial planning meetings in which he took part enthusiastically and helped to generate much of the fun and camaraderie which marked the group’s working sessions. He continued to contribute actively to NAG/DELTA for many years as did his late wife Barbara.
After his retirement, David and Barbara lived in France for some years and on their return to the UK we were delighted to welcome him to an AGM meeting at which he once again demonstrated his continued interest in, and support for, the charity. We are immensely grateful for the large part he played in DELTA’s history and for his
comradeship.
We send our condolences to all his family.