UK Deaf Awareness Week 2023

In the United Kingdom this year, Deaf Awareness Week takes place from May 1-7. This year, the theme is deaf inclusion. The theme aims to highlight how hearing loss impacts daily life and how others can help support deaf people.

Purpose

The UK’s Council on Deafness created Deaf Awareness Week to increase the visibility of the challenges that deaf people face. According to the National Deaf Children’s Society (NDCS), there are over 50,000 deaf children in the UK. The Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID) says there are 12 million adults in the UK with hearing loss greater than 25 dBHL. They estimate that by 2035, there will be around 14.2 million adults with this kind of hearing loss. All of them deserve to be included in society.

Deaf Awareness Week is important for a myriad of reasons. It promotes the positive aspects of living with deafness. In addition, it educates more people about hearing loss. In having an increased awareness of the deaf community, we can also recognize the achievements of deaf individuals. This is important because deafness is an invisible disability, so deaf people are often overlooked.

Deaf Awareness Week History

Originating in Rome, Italy in 1958, the purpose of Deaf Awareness Week is to provide a united front on a global level to raise awareness about the deaf community, its accomplishments and culture. The week also generates awareness of British Sign Language and making society a more accessible place for those with hearing aids.

“Originating in Rome, Italy in 1958, the purpose of Deaf Awareness Week is to provide a united front on a global level to raise awareness about the deaf community, its accomplishments and culture.”

Take Action

So how can you support Deaf Awareness Week? There are several things you can do to join the movement in spreading awareness for the deaf community. Here are some ideas:

• Share deaf awareness content on your social media pages
• Include deaf individuals in conversations
• Be a hearing ally! Many in the deaf community are overlooked by hearing communities. Join forces and stop the divide
• Hold a coffee morning or bake sale to raise money for hearing loss charities to help fund future research, advance technology, and increase accessibility and awareness
• Host or attend a  workshop on deaf inclusion
• Attend a deaf awareness-related conference

Read more: Spreading Deaf Awareness in Your Community

Communicating With the Deaf Community

The way you communicate with deaf people matters as well. Some ways you can enhance communication include:

• Making sure to obtain the person’s attention before trying to communicate
• Whenever possible, ensure lighting is good. This helps to see the speaker’s face for clearer communication
• When speaking, do so clearly and at a normal volume
• Be careful not to exaggerate mouth movements or facial expressions
• Do not cover your mouth with your hands or other objects that can prevent lipreading or seeing facial cues
• Check for understanding. If there is a breakdown in communication, figure out another way to say, spell, or write down the main ideas

Read more: 4 Inclusion Tips for Deaf Awareness Week

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jamesbuckley