Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale MP, David Mundell supported Deaf Awareness Week this week by attending a training session to understand the impact of deafness and improve communication skills to Deaf people.
The sessions, which were delivered by training company HearFirst were organised to improve the understanding of the different types of deafness by highlighting the methods of communication used by deaf, deafened, deafblind and hard of hearing people, such as sign language and lip reading.
David Mundell MP commented: “I was really pleased to have the opportunity to go along to this event and pick up some handy hints and tips as well as lots of information to support those who are deaf or hard of hearing in my constituency. The event was full of interactive tasks and activities which were designed to encourage politicians to better engage with people with hearing difficulties and showed that we all need to do more to raise awareness on this issue. I will continue doing what I can to make sure I am as accessible as possible to all my constituents.”
Julie Ryder, Director and Founder of HearFirst, said: “The bite-sized deaf awareness training sessions were organised with support from Jake Berry MP, to raise awareness of deafness and provide MP’s with the knowledge and skills to help them make real changes for people within their constituencies.
“In the case of MP’s, it could mean being deaf aware during one-to-one meetings with constituents, making more formal meetings accessible and considering the needs of BSL users in written or web based materials.”
Now in its tenth year, Deaf Awareness Week is a week-long campaign held in May where hundreds of deaf charities and organisations from across the UK participate in a series of national and local events. HearFirst were joined by charity SignHealth at the event.