Deaf Awareness

Did you know?

  • In BSL, there are regional variations.
  • BSL users are not comfortable with written English (Should be more direct)
  • Although some BSL users are able to speak, they cannot hear!
  • There is no point in speaking louder.

AMA

The training with Bob was fantastic – really engaging and entertaining delivery. The historical context and information on BSL and deaf culture in our first session was fascinating and gave us a great grounding ahead of learning to sign.  The group exercises were really accessible and worked well even over Zoom. I’ve really valued the sessions so far and am looking forward to continue to learn and practice BSL.

Deaf Awareness – July 2023

Sign Solution – Deaf Awareness

Bob is a very engaging teacher and you can feel his enthusiasm for his teaching, great course!.  The course was informative and presented in a relaxed, friendly manner. The main message of ‘not all deaf people are the same, face the same issues, or have the same approach to communication’ was made clear, as was a broad understanding of the pros and cons of various communication methods. Breaks were appropriately scheduled, which helped with pacing and was much appreciated.   Very interesting and informative session – the 3 hours flew by!

Deaf Awareness Training (DAT)

Deaf awareness sessions are provided to workplaces and businesses with the aim of improving communication and promoting inclusivity in the workplace. I can help you understand why being Deaf aware is so important. Deaf Awareness Training sessions are fun and interactive, including quizzes and Q&A to engage learners!

DAT can be provided via zoom or I travel to your workplace, whatever is easiest for you.

All sessions include free handouts and a copy of the presentation.

How much does it cost?

All sessions are tailor-made to YOUR needs for as many learners as you
wish, no minimum, no maximum – you choose how many!

We are a very small company consisting of two staff – you will not be charged
a ridiculous price compared to other large companies!

2 hour course

Different types of deafness

Improving communication with deaf people

A brief cover on how to make your workplace deaf-friendly.

For a Half Day course

For learners to gain an understanding of the number of Deaf people across the UK

Different types of deafness

A basic understanding of Deaf culture and communication

Learning some basic BSL

Improving communication and starting to understand how to adapt your workplace

For a Full Day course

Give and receive in-depth descriptive and directional language

Discover further topics such as Non-Manual Feature gestures and Multi-Channel signs and much more!

Learn regional variations of BSL

Progress in fluency and confidence when using BSL

Develop your vocabulary within BSL

Students will be expected to undertake self-study and complete homework

Workshops

A typical Deaf Awareness workshop covers the following topics:

Deaf Awareness

What is deafness?

Coping with communication difficulties

Basic British Sign Language

Deaf culture

Lip-reading

Tips for effective communication

The Deaf Awareness Training can help you make decisions on reasonable adjustments for Deaf employees, as required under the Equality Act 2010.  It can also help to assist with effective communication between Deaf/Hard of Hearing and hearing employees. 

Introduction to BSL

This is useful for employees who have customer facing roles and come into contact with Deaf members of the public.

A typical BSL workshop covers the following topics:

Fingerspelling

Lipreading

What is British Sign Language?

The differences between BSL and Makaton

Deaf culture

Learners will learn will learn how to fingerspell their name, how to sign basic greetings and basic work-related expressions in BSL.

I have 8 years of experience in delivering BSL courses and workshops and have worked in a huge variety of settings, including the NHS, Virgin/02, AMAZON and the Education industry.