Supporting Voluntary and Community Action
Do you know that 15% of the population are deaf to some extent? Out of every 1000 people, one will be profoundly deaf and 100 will have some hearing loss (perhaps due to age, illness, accident or exposure to excessive noise).
Below are links to useful organisations and resources that can help support Deaf People and improve Deaf awareness among hearing people. And remember Deaf Awareness Week 2013 is in May.
Top ten tips for communicating with Deaf people
This powerpoint presentation has been created by Eva Fielding-Jackson, Voscur's Deaf Transitional Development Project Worker. It clearly sets out some top tips for ensuring clear communication with Deaf people or those hard of hearing.
Here is a small chart that can be memorised that will help when meeting Deaf people
British Deaf Association
The Association that represents all Deaf people who are BSL users. Run by Deaf people for Deaf People, the BDA campaigns to improve access for Deaf people in the society. BDA works in partnership with Bristol City Council on the BSL Charter – 5 pledges of better access and services for BSL users: http://www.bda.org.uk/
Action on Hearing Loss
Action on Hearing Loss is the new name for RNID. They are working for a world where hearing loss doesn’t limit or label people, where tinnitus is silenced and where people value and look after their hearing: http://www.actiononhearingloss.org.uk/
Action on Hearing Loss also has a shop that sells aids for deaf and hard of hearing people (such as alarm clocks etc.) Here is their website: http://www.actiononhearingloss.org.uk/shop.aspx?gclid=CMae9bzi9LUCFUvHtAodWGIAoA
Another store for environmental aids: www.connevans.com
A guide to Deaf awareness in the workplace
A booklet produced by Doncaster College for the Deaf, giving information and advice about recruiting and employing people who are Deaf or hard of hearing: http://www.deaftrust.co.uk/content/images/fromassets/100_543_080610133045.pdf
Forest Books
A shop in Gloucestershire specialising in books for and about Deaf people: http://www.forestbooks.com
British-sign.co.uk
Offers a quick and easy finger spelling tool to help learn basic signing for specific words: http://www.british-sign.co.uk/british-sign-language-bsl/
UK Council on Deafness (Deaf Council/UKCoD)
UKCoD is the umbrella body for voluntary organisations working with deaf people in the UK. Their mission is to assist organisations and the sector as a whole to maximise the positive impact they have for deaf people: http://www.deafcouncil.org.uk/
Hearing Dogs for Deaf People:
Hearing Dogs for Deaf People train hearing dogs to alert deaf people to certain household sounds and danger signals in the home, work place and in public buildings - providing a life-changing level of independence, confidence and companionship: http://www.hearingdogs.org.uk/deafawareness/Tips+for+communicating+with+a+deaf+person
NDCS (The National Deaf Children’s Society):
NDCS's mission is to remove the barriers to the achievement of deaf children around the world: http://www.ndcs.org.uk/
BLS Zone
The BSL Zone is the home of television programmes made in British Sign Language by Deaf people for Deaf people: http://www.bslzone.co.uk/
See Hear – BBC TV
Weekly TV programme on BBC for Deaf people in sign, voiceover and subtitles: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006m9cb
Monday 6 May to Sunday 12 May
Supported by over one hundred deaf charities and organisations under the umbrella of the UK Council on Deafness http://www.deafcouncil.org.uk/daw/ Deaf Awareness Week involves a UK wide series of national and local events.
British people ignore their own hearing loss due to stigma (Huffington Post article)
Embarrassment and lack of understanding stops people seeking help and advice, and this leads to more serious problems later in life.
Find out about other national awareness days.