Deaf Awareness Week 5th – 11th May
Bungay and Waveney Valley Hearing Support Club

There are 9million Deaf and Hard of hearing people in the UK 50% of which are over 60yrs of age. The term Deaf is used in a general way to describe;

Hard of Hearing: mild to severe usually a gradual loss.

Deafened: severe or profound this usually happens after learning speech and can happen gradually or suddenly.

Deafblind: some have sound/vision on a limited scale while some have none at all.

Profoundly: no hearing British Sign Language is their 1st or preferred language.

There are also Cochlea Implants (the cochlea converts sound waves into signals to the brain) and Hearing Dogs for the Deaf (dogs which are taught to alert the Deaf person to sounds-like the door bell for instance).

Under the Disability Discrimination Act all service providers; workplaces, hospitals surgeries banks theatres and education establishments for instance must make provision for the Deaf. These will include an Induction Loop which is picked up by your hearing aid in “T” mode and sometimes an Infrared system which fits into the ear via headphones.

If you suspect a loss of hearing a visit to your GP is recommended they will then if necessary refer you to either the ENT department or Audiology where you will be given a hearing test and if appropriate fitted with a hearing aid. Most hearing aids today are Digital as these are able to convert amplified sound into information that can be processed by a tiny computer. Hearing aids while unable to restore hearing that has been lost are a massive help and make a vast difference to your life.

Another useful aid is Lip-Reading this helps to identify lip shapes and teaches strategies for better understanding of speech along with support and confidence from fellow classmates.

There are Centres for the Deaf in both Ipswich and Lowestoft and Lip-Reading classes in Lowestoft and Bungay. Also Hearing Support Clubs in both Bungay and Lowestoft, these happily accept new members and their families at any time.

Being Deaf can be a frightening and isolating experience but like any disability it needs first to be recognised and accepted only then can we make ourselves available to the many ranges of help and equipment and also the comfort of knowing we are not alone. Also making new friends who have the same problem is a big boost to our confidence and understanding.

For more information on Bungay and Waveney Valley Hearing Support Club call Val or Roger on 01986 896712 [email protected]

For Lip- reading classes and equipment call 01473 583561 [email protected] or write to Suffolk Deaf Association 49, Fonnereau Rd, Ipswich IP1 3JN

Further information can be found from the Royal National Institute for the Deaf (RNID) on 0808 808 0123 rnid.org.uk