Celebrating Deaf Awareness Week

Deaf Awareness Week is celebrated annually to promote understanding and raise awareness about the rich culture and experiences on the Deaf Community within our society. During this period, we encourage individuals to celebrate Deaf identity and champion ways which we can make our society more equal and accessible to all within it. This year’s theme, “Beyond Silence”, invites us to rethink about how we perceive Deafness, not as an absence of sound but rather as a rich and diverse community.

In the UK, it is estimated that around 18 million adults are affected by some form of hearing loss, deafness, or tinnitus. In other words, around one in three adults. Despite this striking figure, many hearing people rarely stop to consider how everyday environments, such as the office and restaurants, can isolate those with hearing loss.

Understanding the stats is one step and learning some BSL is also a good step forward, however, it goes beyond this. Deaf awareness week is an opportunity to learn about history and culture and ensure communication is accessible to all.

One of the most effective ways to go “Beyond Silence”, is learning how to communicate better with Deaf and hard of hearing people, by understanding their communication preferences and their community.

Here at Signature, we offer a practical and engaging online Deaf Awareness course, which is perfect for individuals, educators, public sector workers and businesses. The course explores a range of different areas, including:

  • The different types and levels of deafness.
  • Common communication barriers and how to overcome them.
  • Basic fingerspelling.
  • And much more.

This week, and every day, we ought to commit to going beyond silence. Whether you are meeting someone new, in a work environment, these tips could make a big impact:

  • Get the individual’s attention– using gestures such as a wave can help in this situation.
  • Be patient, it does matter. Rather than saying it “doesn’t matter”, instead, repeat or rephrase and try something different.
  • Ask someone’s communication preferences– Some people use BSL, others prefer speech or lipreading. Always ask this question and respect the individuals preference.
  • Write something down– Rather than dismissing the individual, write your message down so the information is correctly understood.
  • Reduce background noise– if you are situated in a place where the radio is playing and there is a lot of talking, go to an area that is quieter.
  • Good lighting– ensure the area is well-lit and avoid standing with a light source behind you, as this can make your face appear silhouetted.

To highlight an individual’s experience, we reached out to Rebecca Mansell from the British Deaf Association. She shares with us her story and her discovery of her Deaf identity:

Here is the transcript for Rebecca’s video:

My story is about when I found my Deaf identity after years of uncertainty and feeling at a loss, and it begin in Sydney. I thought I’d share it with you. I decided to go travelling around the world 28 years ago and came to Australia on a working holiday visa. One day, after I finished work, I was walking along the street and saw a group of Deaf women signing away. At the time, I couldn’t sign and grew up orally. I decided to approach them and asked if they were Deaf. They turned out to be the Sydney Deaf Netball Team and I loved netball at the time. They had just finished training nearby and invited me to join their weekly training sessions. I jumped at the chance and trained with them every week. Over time, my sign language skills developed, and I became fluent. It occurred to me that being part of the Deaf signing community ‘was me’ – that’s who I am, that’s my language and my Deaf identity. I grew up with so much internalised oppression and it finally lifted. I felt so proud of my new found identity and didn’t feel embarrassed any longer about being Deaf. Looking back, it is thanks to the Sydney Deaf Netball Team that I’ve found my identity.

As we continue to celebrate Deaf Awareness Week under the theme “Beyond Silence”, let’s move beyond awareness into action. By making small but meaningful changes, for example learning BSL, being mindful of communication barriers, and amplifying Deaf voices, we can build a more inclusive world. Together, we can challenge outdated perceptions and create a society where Deaf people are fully seen, heard, and valued.

Finally, thank you to Rebecca for sharing her story with us.

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