While everyone in the world has struggled in many ways over the past year with the coronavirus pandemic, it’s fair to say that some have suffered more than others.
As we all masked up, one community that was hugely impacted were the 6 million deaf and hard of hearing people in the UK, many of whom rely on lipreading, sign language and expressions to communicate with those around them every day.
According to research carried out by SignHealth, the deaf community have been struggling more than ever in the pandemic with their mental health and wellbeing.
“We are very concerned that 35 per cent of deaf respondents indicated that the pandemic has had a major negative impact on their mental health and 61 per cent highlighting anxiety as what has impacted them most,” said Christopher Reid, Director of Operations at SignHealth.
The survey found the below findings:
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89 per cent of respondents were worried about being able to communicate with staff if they are hospitalised with coronavirus
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74 per cent of the deaf people who responded said they have found it more difficult to access healthcare
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62 per cent highlight not being able to communicate with people wearing masks in public as a major challenge, because they would be unable to lipread or use facial cues
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80 per cent indicated social isolation as a major issue since lockdowns began
Charities, including SignHealth, have been working hard to support deaf people in the UK in many ways.
One of the main support services they have been providing are informational videos following Government announcements, as British Sign Language (BSL) was missing from many of these briefings.
They have uploaded these videos to the SignHealth YouTube channel to help those that couldn’t understand the TV briefings so that they can stay up to date with any rule changes and restrictions.
As well as this, many deaf people have found that they are struggling to understand their health professional or GP during medical appointments as they’re wearing a mask.
To combat this issue, SignHealth teamed up with InterpreterNow to set up BSL Health Access which is a video relay interpreting service, free and universally available, 24 hours a day, for communication with Deaf people in health settings, such as their GP surgery.
Ways to help
There are many ways to help the deaf community right now and make their lives a little easier during the pandemic.
If you’re a business owner, or you know someone who is deaf that you regularly communicate with under social distancing rules, it’s a good idea to invest in a transparent mask or wear a visor.
royaldeaf.org.uk
Clear Face Covering (4 pack)
You can also help by learning some basic sign language in case you ever need to communicate with anyone in the deaf community.
Things like 'hello, how are you? and good morning', are handy to know, even if you just want to be able to give a friendly hello to someone who struggles with their hearing while you’re wearing a mask, this could really make their day.
The support provided to deaf people is often initiated by charities who rely on donations to improve the health and wellbeing of deaf people. Some of the leading charities are listed below.
Founded in 1890, the BDA are working towards a world where deaf people have equal opportunity and access in life. You can find out more here.
Targeted towards helping deaf children, the National Deaf Children’s Society help raise awareness for the struggles that deaf children experience and to help them through education and their early years.
RAD support deaf people using BSL and work to encourage companies to be more accessible for deaf people.
They work to improving the mental health and wellbeing of deaf people.
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