Deaf Awareness Training
Deaf Awareness Training
provides participants with a clear, practical understanding of what it is like to be deaf or hard of hearing. Deaf Awareness Training helps people recognise the signs that someone may be struggling with hearing loss and learn effective ways to communicate confidently and respectfully with deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals. Around 12 million people in the UK have a degree of hearing loss, yet many are unaware of their condition or choose not to disclose it, often struggling without the support they need. Some people are born deaf, others lose their hearing due to illness such as meningitis, while for many, hearing loss develops gradually with age. We also offer an online Deaf Awareness Training course, providing flexible access to essential deaf awareness education.
Group Size: 15 Members
Training Duration: 1 hour
About 12 million people in the UK have a degree of hearing loss, but many people don’t realise, don’t let others know and so struggle without getting support. Some were born deaf, others contracted an illness (for example, meningitis), which can result in deafness, while others found their hearing declined as they got older.
Our Deaf Awareness Training aims to give participants a basic understanding of what it is like to be deaf, what the signs are that someone may be struggling, and what you can do to better communicate with someone who is deaf or hard of hearing.
Deaf Awareness Basics
- 1 in 5 people have a level of hearing loss in the UK, around 12 million people
- 87,000 people use BSL (British Sign Language) as their first language
- Deafness comes in many different types – from mild, moderate, severe, and profound, and can be caused in many different ways
- There are many different tools that someone who is deaf may use – from lipreading, hearing aids, cochlear implants, and there is no ‘one size fits all’ when it comes to supporting someone who has hearing loss
Deaf Awareness Training Objectives:
- have a greater understanding of deafness and some of the challenges
- Identify some of the signs that someone may be struggling with their hearing
- Some practical tips on how to communicate more effectively with someone who is deaf or hard of hearing.
Training Methods
- PowerPoint presentation
- Video work
- Discussion
Meet Our Trainers
Simon Houghton, Msc, Bsc
Simon Houghton, Msc, Bsc, is the founder of #WeSupportDeafAwareness, a campaign and training initiative designed to help organisations and their staff to better communicate with the deaf and hard of hearing. His campaign has reached over 320,000 employees from a range of organisations, including the NHS, PepsiCo, The Body Shop, Hampshire Football Association, and Dementia Support, to name just a few of the organisations.
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