as hearing devices become smaller and harder to spot and talking about the different types of deafness and the different requirements for each type can sometimes be tricky. Some of the attendees who attend the sessions had no experience of communicating with deaf people while others had and it was interesting to hear what strategies they employ during communication. When I spoke about possible physical alterations to libraries that may be required to accommodate deaf users or library staff, costs factors have to be considered especially in the current financial climate.
Deaf awareness can be done for any industry and as the Equality Act
2010 mandates that employers and service providers make reasonable adjustments to ensure equal access and opportunities for people with disabilities, including those who are deaf or have hearing loss, my project is an ideal starting point. I have based my project on looking at the needs of service users and how to help those who are already deaf or have a degree of hearing loss in employment. The attendees at my sessions have found them helpful and they have helped to spark discus- sions on the topic and create interest in deaf awareness and access. For other services looking to do something similar, ask your users or customers what they need for them to access your services. Charities are also a good port of call for up to date information on disabilities and they can suggest what support is needed. Liaise with NHS Trust’s disability networks to help make staff feel empowered about making changes that will help them in their roles.
Wexham Park Hospital.
including their communication preferences, the types of hear- ing loss, deaf culture and the BSL Act. I mentioned about the different types of hearing aids available and demon- strated how a cochlear implant sound processor works. The team had a go at finger-spelling their names using the BSL alphabet and learning greetings in BSL. I gave out handouts and gave tips on communicating with deaf people e.g. enun- ciating your words when speaking, getting their attention before speaking, being aware of how much light there is in the room to facilitate lip-reading, maintaining eye-contact, using technology when available e.g. loop systems or wireless microphones. Writing notes when it’s more convenient, checking their under standing of what you’ve said, book- ing communication support, using captions for videos or handouts for training. Using Easy Read and where to find information.
I repeated this session during a visit to the library team at Prospect Park Hospital and to visit other libraries to increase awareness. Recently I was approached by a colleague who mentioned that a nurse was struggling with hearing loss on her ward and needed support. I was able to share details of the Trust Disability Network and Access To Work to help with assistive technology.
I feel honoured to have won the award from the Disability Network. I met Lynne Mackie during an education board games workshop she was running. She made the whole ses- sion fun, interactive and interesting. I was using my remote microphone during the session and I was so impressed that she knew when she needed to retrieve the microphone from group activity so that I could follow her when she was speak- ing and hand it back to the group when we convened again. I followed her campaigns on social media and the aware- ness she was creating around stammering and her cancer journey. I am so pleased that an award has been made in her honour, she is an amazing inspiration, and this award will help her legacy endure. I will use this opportunity to keep spreading awareness about deafness. I am quite open about my deafness and tell people about my access needs not just to help me but to help others lean about deaf awareness. While researching issues and topics around deaf aware- ness and delivering the sessions, the biggest challenge was how to spot when someone has a degree of hearing loss or is deaf. Deafness is becoming an invisible disability of late
Summer 2025 INFORMATION PROFESSIONAL 43
Most people who are deaf or have hearing loss have felt stressed at work because of the barriers they experience due to their hearing loss. They fear they will be treated unfairly at work if they disclose their hearing loss. Deaf people and those with hearing loss are a huge pool of talent that employers can tap into but due to discrimination and lack of understanding they can face additional challenges in finding employment and progressing in their careers. Learning about deaf awareness will give hearing peers a glimpse into deaf culture. Lots of useful information can also be found at:
http://bit.ly/44lWyYj. IP
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