Is North Somerset deaf aware?
Most Deaf and Hard of Hearing people still face problems every day because services are not deaf aware.
During the pandemic, face masks meant Deaf and Hard of Hearing people weren't able to lipread. Many services and organisations stopped face-to-face work and asked people to contact them by phone instead.
The North Somerset Deaf Awareness Partnership launched a simple survey asking two questions:
- Which services are deaf aware and make you feel included?
- Which services are NOT deaf aware and make it difficult for you to use them?
Findings
Call centres. Respondents said that call centres are very difficult to use if the advisers have unfamiliar accents or speak too quickly. Profoundly deaf people have to ask someone to phone on their behalf, which takes away their independence. Many more services are now only accessible by phone as local offices have closed.
Use of screens and masks. During the pandemic, organisations put up screens and staff wore masks. Some organisations have not relaxed these requirements, which makes it very difficult for the d/Deaf community.
Health settings. Contrary to expectations that GP surgeries and the Audiology Department at Weston General Hospital would be Deaf Aware, many respondents said this was not the case.
1) All call centres should follow the procedure recently introduced by North Somerset Council where the advisers have a card, reminding them to speak slowly and clearly, which they put up if a caller tells them they are hard of hearing.
2) All organisations should provide some Deaf Awareness training for staff, especially those who are customer-facing. They could organise face-to-face training or start with The North Somerset Deaf Awareness Partnership's Top Tips.
3) If pandemic restrictions (screens, masks and social distancing) are maintained or re-introduced in GP surgeries, allowances should be made for the d/Deaf community - for example use of a clear mask or visor to facilitate lip-reading, or sitting back and dropping the mask.
4) GP surgeries should record on their systems that a patient is Hard of Hearing or uses BSL and then communicate with them in an appropriate way. For example, wider use of text messaging, text relay, sign video and transcription Apps.
5) The Audiology Department at Weston General Hospital should review their seating arrangements and ensure that all staff follow the procedure for collecting patients. They should reintroduce the drop-in to avoid patients having to phone up for an appointment.
6) Weston General Hospital should offer an audiology service for children as well as adults. This would avoid children having to travel to Bristol.
7) In meeting rooms, acoustics of walls, floors and ceilings should be considered so that ambient sound is absorbed. This would make it easier for hard of hearing people to hear the speaker above the clatter.
