Newsletter Summer 2012Inform

Fife’s first Diversity Week

New partnership to transform

sensory services

Deaf with Dementia

project

Bumper Deaf Awareness Week

in Scotland

CONTENTS News

n Funding to make Self Directed Support (SDS) accessible

n New partnership to transform sensory services

n The importance of Healthy Deaf Minds

n Fife’s first Diversity Week

n Improved accessibility in Perth

n Training in Dingwall

n We are Investors in People

n Lotto win in Aberdeenshire

International Connections

n News from North Korea

Services

n We want to talk to you!

n Cooking up a storm in Fife

n Visiting Dr Doolittle at Dunbar Science Festival

n Deaf with Dementia project

Community Development

n Free courses debut in Argyll & Bute

n Out & About with Sound Sense

n Driving in BSL

n Making a difference in Aberdeenshire

Social Enterprise

n Bumper Deaf Awareness Week in Scotland

n Training with medical students

n Congrats to our newly qualified interpreters

Coming Up

n New courses

n Social work duty changes

n Volunteer with us

Welcome to our Summer Inform 2012What a year 2012 is shaping up to be; we’re developing services in Aberdeenshire, introducing new courses at our Learning Centre and continuing to raise awareness throughout Scotland. And so far this year we have been doing lots to raise awareness and keep sensory needs at the forefront of everyone’s mind; we celebrated a bumper Deaf Awareness Week, see page 11, participated in Fife’s first Diversity Week, page 5, and facilitated an intensive two week training session with medical students in Dundee, more details on page 11. Our members of staff are kept very busy at all times so it was extra nice to be awarded an Investors in People accreditation this year too! You can read all about that on page 6.

We do hope you enjoy our sunny Inform edition, as always, we welcome all your feedback and input. Please do get in touch if you would like to share any news for our next edition; contact Jean Burke, Marketing Officer at jean.burke@deafaction.org or 0131 556 3128.

You can also keep up with all of our news and events online at www.deafaction.org or find us on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Help us to embrace greener options by requesting your future copies of Inform via email.

If you no longer wish to receive a copy, please let us know and we will remove you from our mailing list.

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Deaf Awareness Week p 11medical students training also p11IIP accreditation p6

News

Big changes are happening within the world of social care with the introduction of the Self Directed Support (SDS) Bill. SDS offers people greater choice in the services and care that they receive. Deaf Action, working together with Fife Society for the Blind, is developing a nationwide training programme for people with sensory needs throughout Scotland to increase knowledge and understanding of self directed support.

In order to support the national strategy for SDS in Scotland, Deaf Action and Fife Society for the Blind will implement a three-pronged approach to enabling people with a sensory loss to direct their own support, this includes: creating accessible resources, training advocates to provide peer support and developing an information helpline, staffed by trained people with sensory needs to provide support and deal with queries.

The funding will also allow the organisations to promote a wider awareness of SDS throughout Scotland for those with sensory needs by offering training to care and information providers and organisations that will be carrying out assessments for SDS

Liz Scott Gibson, Chief Executive of Deaf Action, commented on the funding award: “We are delighted to be part of a consortium to lead awareness and knowledge of the very important Self Directed Support Bill. It is vital that deaf, blind and deafblind communities are given full access to the range of materials already available on SDS.”

SDS is the personalisation of health and social care services and will affect everyone who currently receives some form of support from their local council. It is imperative that all members of the community, including those with hearing and sight loss, are fully aware of any changes being discussed or implemented.

New funding to make Self Directed Support (SDS) accessible

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News

New partnership to transform sensory services Deaf Action is launching a new Joint Sensory Partnership together with RNIB Scotland that will enhance independent living for key groups of people with a hearing or sight loss across Edinburgh and Lothian.

Working closely with NHS Lothian and the region’s four local authorities the service will address sensory needs in ethnic minority groups, children with sensory loss and their families and hidden sensory loss experienced by, for example, people who have a learning difficulty, dementia, stroke or people living in a care home.

The service will raise awareness of sensory needs and develop training for community groups and health and social care staff, in addition to producing a toolkit with advice and information on local support groups.

Deaf Action and RNIB will also work with employers, jobseekers and employment agencies across the region to enhance the job prospects of people with sensory loss. Support will include confidence-building, developing IT skills, and helping with CV and job applications. Nic Goodwin, Head of Services, commented: “This Sensory Project will greatly enhance the standard of living for a huge variety of people in addition to promoting independence and a joined up network of support.”

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The importance of Healthy Deaf MindsDeaf Action was pleased to host Scotland’s first Healthy Deaf Minds (HDM) events. The meetings took place in Edinburgh and Glasgow in November, January and March. The HDM project, funded by ‘see me’ and organised by Helga McGilp, focused on establishing a community group interested or involved in mental health to run open meetings.

An initial meeting introduced the project and set the agendas for future events. The first topic focusing on men’s mental health, titled ‘Are men allowed to cry?’, was very well received with several attendees sharing their own personal experiences. The second meeting looked at how deafness can affect your health, called ‘Does being Deaf make you ill?’, it reinforced the importance of accessible information and clear communication.

Feedback from the events highlighted the need to establish HDM as a regular meeting. It is hoped that more funding will be secured to see the project continue in Scotland. We’ll keep you updated on future developments.

News

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Fife’s first Diversity Week

Improved accessibility in Perth

Fife Sensory Impairment Centre, which includes Deaf Action, hosted a Diversity Day in March to coincide with Fife’s first Diversity Week. The event encouraged visitors to learn more about various communication formats. Staff were on hand to demonstrate Braille, tactile graphics, audio formats, British Sign Language and other forms of communication.

Bryan Marshall, a Deaf BSL user working at Deaf Action, commented: “Having access to communication support and accessible information is crucial for deaf people. Events like this are brilliant at bringing people together to find out about the array of services that can help people live independent lives.”

The Diversity Week, organised by Fife Council and other organisations including NHS Fife and Fife Constabulary, was created to showcase services and promote and celebrate diversity in Fife in addition to challenging perceptions. We’re already looking forward to taking part in next year’s event!

Earlier this year local Perth residents Hazel Murray and Ronald Burns were instrumental in introducing subtitles to their local cinema, the Perth Playhouse. They wanted to access their own local cinema so decided to do something about it! We asked Hazel and Ronald to share their successful campaign with us.

How did the Perth Playhouse respond to your request?They were keen to find out more about subtitles and how to go about making a start. At the first meeting we explained what it is like to be deaf, how each person is different with different levels of deafness and why subtitles are important. After that we kept in touch and eventually they got the technology!

What difference do subtitled films make? Subtitles are important to all deaf people no matter what the level of deafness. Just imagine what it’s like to watch films and not understand what’s happening. Imagine lipreading Spiderman? His whole head is covered! What about lipreading an animated fish such as Nemo? Quite often deaf people will just watch the pictures and guess the stories or wait until the DVDs are out because DVDs have subtitles. Loop systems may work for some people but not always. Subtitles encourage more deaf people to visit their local cinema.

Do you have any tips or advice for other people that would like to ask their own cinema for subtitles? We get an idea, we discuss what to do and take action. Do your research, type up and gather materials needed to support what you want. Have the confidence to approach people and get the ball rolling. We approach people and make changes rather than wait for someone else. You can do anything if you put your mind to it. Once you’ve achieved something, spread the word! We got in touch with the local newspapers and we used facebook to contact deaf friends, groups and organisations.

Well done to Hazel and Ronald, we’re sure there are many people in Perth enjoying subtitled films!

News

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IT Training, Sound Advice, First Aid and Health and Safety are just some of the courses soon to be delivered in Aberdeenshire. With funding from Awards for All, a Lottery grants scheme, we will present a diverse and informative programme of courses specially designed for deaf, deafened and hard of hearing people.

A huge part of staying connected in a modern world means getting connected online. Computers can be invaluable in accessing services but remain a daunting prospect to many, which is why an IT course has been created for hard of hearing people. The course, delivered by people with a hearing loss, will cover all the basics needed to get people working confidently with computers and exploring the Internet.

It is estimated that there are over 41,000 people with a hearing loss in Aberdeenshire. Susan Gibson, Community Services Manager at Deaf Action, commented: “We are delighted to be extending our services and are hoping to reach around 100 people with our programme of free courses and events.”

Another such course is Sound Advice, not only open to people with an acquired hearing loss but also to friends, family or carers, the course will tackle subjects such as communication tactics, hearing aids, access to work, communication support and confidence building. In addition to these courses, Deaf Action will facilitate a series of events for Deaf British Sign Language (BSL) users. These events will cover a variety of topics for example: Healthy Eating, Fire Safety in the home and First Aid. For many BSL users throughout the shire it will be their first opportunity to attend a class in their first language in their own local area.

Lotto win in Aberdeenshire

Training in Dingwall We are Investors in People

We have been working with approximately 20 school children, both deaf and hearing, from Dingwall Academy. We organised training sessions to focus on deaf awareness, communication support, working with an interpreter and booking communication support.

The training for school-goers aged 14 - 17 has received very positive feedback and we are in the process of organising regular training sessions at the school.

Dingwall Academy was the first school in Scotland to offer British Sign Language (BSL) as an alternative to the traditional language options; it also offers courses in deaf studies to develop understanding of deaf culture.

The past few years have been very busy for us; we’ve expanded into new regions, developed new services and increased the variety of training courses we provide, all of these developments would not have been possible without our dedicated staff! Following an assessment in March this year we were delighted to receive the Investors in People (IIP) Bronze Award

Since 2003, Deaf Action has been accredited with Investors in People Standard, which is built on four principles: commitment, planning, action and evaluation. All of these principles are in line with our policies and ensure that Deaf Action keep focused on our overall aims.

International Connections

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News from North KoreaIn July 2010, Liz Scott Gibson in her capacity as the President of the World Association of Sign Language Interpreters accompanied the then President of the World Federation of the Deaf (WFD) Markku Jokinen to the Democratic Peoples’ Republic of Korea (DPRK - North Korea) to meet with representatives of the Korean Federation for the Protection of People with Disabilities (KFPD) and members of the Deaf community. Since then, with the support of the British Embassy in Pyongyang, and the German non governmental organisation “TOGETHER – Educational Centre for Deaf, Blind, and Nondisabled Children Hamhung”, work has been on-going to establish sign language and interpreter training in the DPRK. In February 2012, Liz was invited to join the DPRK delegation on their visit to Helsinki, Finland to sign a Memorandum of Understanding between the KFPD and the WFD. It was an historic and memorable occasion and the document which was signed highlighted the importance of co-operation to the mutual benefit of deaf communities throughout the world. Liz was able to take some interpreter teaching materials to pass on to the DPRK trainers and would like to thank her colleagues in Scotland who kindly donated them. Work on interpreter training is developing very fast in the DPRK and we are delighted to wish them every success.

We are Investors in People

Deaf with Dementia projectFollowing from Deaf Action’s Dementia and Deafness Study published in 2005; our social work team are delighted to have been invited to participate in a study to improve early diagnosis and management of dementia among Deaf people who use British Sign Language (BSL). The project is managed by The University of Manchester.

Frankie McLean, Deaf Action’s Social Worker, sits on the steering group for the project and told us more about it.

There are three studies associated with the project:

• A study of normal ageing amongst Deaf BSL users

• A study of Deaf people with a diagnosis of dementia and their carers to explore their experiences of living with the illness

• A study to explore the understanding and attitudes towards dementia in the Deaf community

Frankie will keep us updated on how the project progresses. We are hopeful the that the findings of the project will lead the way for better services into deafness with dementia, and look forward to further developments.

Services

Services

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Did you know that our specialist equipment team are dedicated to raising awareness and organising free talks and presentations?

Throughout the year we visit community groups, including lip reading and hard of hearing groups, sheltered housing complexes and organisations. These friendly and informal talks help to raise awareness about hearing loss. Topics include hearing aids, the impact of deafness, specialist equipment and services available to improve the quality of life for deaf people.

Over the last year we have given 25 talks with 455 people attending. If you are part of a church, voluntary or community group, get in touch with us and we will happily arrange a talk for you.

We want to talk to you!

Cooking up a storm in FifeSince our last newsletter we have held cookery classes from our Kirkcaldy office. We held three classes in British Sign Language that encouraged people to think about healthy eating and to demonstrate how easy and enjoyable cooking can be. There was a different focus for each class including fish, curry and vegetables. The course proved popular with a finished meal to enjoy at the end of every class.

Visiting Dr Doolittle at Dunbar Science FestivalIn March some staff and clients from our Support Services took a trip to the Dunbar SciFest at Dunbar Primary School. The science festival was notable for its accessibility features; the organisers were keen to make the festival accessible for deaf people and arranged interpreters for stage shows and talks. Deaf presenters also participated at the SciFest giving talks on Galloway Wildlife Park and chemistry shows.

Our group were lucky enough to attend the presentation given by Deaf Dr Doolittle, John Denerley, and the presentation about the Galloway Wildlife Park. The talk proved very educational; we learned all about the red pandas and about how two of them had escaped when a tree blew down in a storm. We held peacock and pheasant feathers and heard that snakes shed their skin every month. The talk was very well attended by deaf people and has inspired us to hopefully plan a trip to the wildlife park later this year.

CommunityDevelopment

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Free courses debut in Argyll & ButeFrom March to May this year we introduced two new free courses to Argyll and Bute. Our Sound Advice training, suitable for people with an acquired hearing loss, took place in Dunoon and Helensburgh.

The course allowed people to get together to discuss their hearing loss in addition to providing advise and support on caring for your hearing aid, finding out about equipment and practising communication tactics. Working with Visability, a charity that supports visually impaired people, we delivered our Positive Steps course in Dunoon, Helensburgh, Campbeltown, Oban, Lochgilphead and Bute. Both courses gave people the opportunity to come together and meet people with a shared experience.

Out & About with Sound Sense We offer a befriending service throughout Dundee to deaf people aged 16+ who are experiencing difficulties or isolation. Befrienders are volunteers that receive specialist training and support from us and will provide companionship to people when needed. We recently organised a day out for our befriending group and enjoyed a fun filled day at Dundee McManus Museum.

The volunteers and clients were treated to a walk around the recently refurbished building and the exhibitions inside. The museum is very accessible and provided a fascinating look into the history of Dundee. Barbara, one of our volunteer befrienders, was surprised to discover such a prominent connection between Dundee and India. Davina, Sound Sense client, praised the display of ‘Old Dundee’ and was amazed at the pictures of the city she knew as a child. “I am astonished at the pictures of Dundee, it was like being young again. I’m so thankful to the project for helping me come to see the museum; it has brought back some fond memories of my childhood”. The day was a great success and enjoyed by all.

Driving in BSLFrom our Learning Centre in Edinburgh we are excited to introduce a new free course for Deaf BSL users; Driving Theory in BSL. This 15 week course began in April and takes place each Friday. The course will cover a range of topics including: alertness, safety, hazard warnings, vulnerable road users, types of vehicles, motorway driving, rules of the road, accidents and road and traffic signs. We have also arranged a number of guest speakers to share their knowledge, for example, Lothian and Borders Police will discuss the law, driving safely and drink and drugs and The Chartered Insurance Institute will look at the basics of insurance, the difference between a cover note and the schedule of insurance and the certificate of insurance. We look forward to receiving feedback from our attendees!

Community Development

At the end of March, we celebrated two years of working in Aberdeenshire. Earlier this year we asked Tina Stephen about how our service in Aberdeenshire works for her; here she shares her experience with us.

How did you find out about Deaf Action?I previously had contact with Aberdeen Deaf Centre and wasn’t aware that the centre had closed. I had been trying to contact them for over three years and I was a little frustrated. When I was speaking to my solicitor she looked it up and found Deaf Action’s website; she phoned and discovered the local office in Inverurie. I was then contacted via email about an appointment. I didn’t receive any support at all before Deaf Action and was only given a Textphone but that has been broken for over three years and I had been trying to get that replaced.

What Deaf Action services have you used?Deaf Action staff have come to visit me to see what help I need. They offered to replace the Textphone, doorbell and fire alarm. I find it very helpful and I am happy with the increased security in my home for my children’s benefit; they are my number one priority.

Can you tell us how you use this equipment? It helps to build my confidence by having a Textphone where I can deal with enquires; it means I don’t need to ask my older son to speak on my behalf. I can type/speak and get things resolved quickly by myself. But I do get angry when some people hang up the phone if they can’t deal with the operator speaking while I type on screen.

The fire alarm helps me with security and my family’s safety which is important for me. The flashing doorbell and phoneflash makes me aware if someone is at the door or if the phone rings and I can take this with me to the top bedroom or outdoors. I would like the whole house to have flashing lights installed.

Are there any services you would like to see in your area?I would like to meet with others once a month but at the moment the time isn’t suitable for me. And I would like to help set up group for get togethers in the evenings or outings.

Thanks Tina for sharing your story with us!

Making a difference in Aberdeenshire

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Share your storyIf, like Tina, you would like to share your story with us please do get in touch. We love to find out about the people we work with and we hope it inspires others to use our services and talk about their experiences. We are currently looking for people all over Scotland to tell us how they use our service; you may even feature on our new website or perhaps you will be the star of our next newsletter!

To find out more about sharing your story contact: Jean Burke, Marketing Officer at jean.burke@deafaction.org or 0131 556 3128.

Social Enterprise

Bumper Deaf Awareness Week in ScotlandWe were delighted to celebrate a bumper Deaf Awareness Week 2012 which took place from 7 - 13 May. To highlight the week we took our Deaf Action Information Stall out and about to educate people and we held two BSL taster sessions to get people signing.

Deaf Awareness Week is all about encouraging people to think about communication and consider the 1 in 5 people throughout Scotland that live with some degree of hearing loss. Over 30 people attended our Edinburgh and Dundee office to participate in a free introduction to British Sign Language (BSL). We held stalls at two housing complexes, one hospital, one shopping centre, a volunteer centre, four libraries and one bingo hall! Staff handed out information, answered queries and helped people understand a little more about deaf awareness – all in all a very triumphant week!

Congrats to our newly qualified interpretersCongratulations to Juliet Houston and Gill Wood both of which are now fully qualified British Sign Language (BSL)/English Interpreters registered with the Scottish Association of Sign Language Interpreters (SASLI). Both Juliet and Gill have been working with Deaf Action for a number of years and we have been very happy to support them in gaining their qualification. Juliet is based at our Dundee office and Gill works out of our Edinburgh base.

Training with medical students

Towards the end of May we facilitated a two week training course for medical students from The University of Dundee; we have been providing this training for over five years.

Fourteen students participated in a programme that included an introduction to British Sign Language (BSL), a visit to the deaf base at a local school, training on how to work with an interpreter and a session on the importance of communication support. The training also introduced equipment for deaf people and gave the students the opportunity to meet with members of the Deaf community to learn about personal experiences of accessing medical care in Dundee.

Feedback on our medical training course is always very positive, here is what one attendee had to share: “I was able to use my BSL last week during the clinic. A child came in with a cochlear implant that he doesn’t like wearing when visiting the doctor, so he had taken it off. I then began signing to him, introducing myself and asking what age he was and where he lived. The doctor was very impressed and commented that the approach had made the patient relax”.

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Coming Up

New courses coming your wayOur next round of British Sign Language (BSL) courses, in both Edinburgh and Dundee, are scheduled to commence in August 2012.

If you can’t wait that long then you should definitely sign up to our pre-level courses are designed for students who want extra support and the opportunity to improve their skills before commencing to the next level. A full list of our training timetable can be found on our website or on our Facebook page.

Social work duty changesIn Edinburgh we have recently changed our Social Work Duty. There will be no duty time on a Monday. Our Thursday duty time, from 12-2pm, remains the same. If you need to see a social worker you can call for an appointment at any time.

Contact our Head Office to book; Tel: 0131 556 3128, SMS: 0777 562 0757 email: admin@deafaction.org

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Registered Address: Deaf Action, 49 Albany Street, Edinburgh EH1 3QYTel: 0131 556 3128 Text: 0131 557 0419 Fax: 0131 557 8283 SMS: 07775 620 757 Videophone: 82.71.100.121Email: admin@deafaction.org Web: www.deafaction.org

Deaf Action is a company limited by guarantee and registered in Scotland. Registered Charity Number SC 009898. Registered Company Number SC 396876.

All kinds of people volunteer with us!

Tel: 0131 556 3128admin@deafaction.orgSMS: 0777 562 0757

We are always looking for enthusiastic volunteers for our charity shop and our offices. If you can spare three hours a week then we want to meet you! If you would like to find out more about volunteering with us, contact us today.