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Deaf Awareness Week (6-12 May) provides an important opportunity to raise awareness of the challenges faced by people who are Deaf or who have hearing loss, helping to make everyday life more deaf-friendly.

According to the Royal National Institute for Deaf People, 12 million adults in the UK are deaf or have hearing loss.

Our Diocese is enriched by the contribution that the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community bring to the work and mission of the Church across our parish communities, enabling people throughout our family of faith to have equal access to and inclusion in, the celebration of Mass and the sacraments using BSL (British Sign Language), in a style appropriate to their needs (BSL is a language in its own right and is formally recognised by the British Government).

Pastoral Coordinators for the diocesan Deaf Service, Maria and Peter Booker, were awarded the St Philip Howard medal in 2023, for their service to the Deaf community and the Diocese. The Service is also supported by two priests, Fr Ian Byrnes, Deaf Service Director and Chaplain, and Fr Raglan Hay-Will, Assistant Chaplain, with members of the Deaf community meeting to celebrate Mass in BSL at 1pm on the first Saturday of each month, at St John the Evangelist Catholic Church in Horsham. Members of the Deaf community also join our annual diocesan pilgrimage to Lourdes and other Diocesan events.

Maria offers these tips for good communication with people who are deaf or have hearing loss:

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Do
‍- attract the Deaf or Hard of Hearing person’s attention before you start speaking to them;
- be brief, keep still, at an easy distance for lipreading;
- face the person while you are speaking, making sure there is enough light on your face;
- speak one at a time and clearly, with the natural rhythms of speech;
- minimise background noise;
- raise your voice if the lipreader asks – but don't shout;
- use "everyday" language in whole sentences and natural body language, and give clues about the context of your conversation;
- stick to one point at a time and be ready to take your time;
- use gestures to help explain what you are saying and facial expression to help convey the meaning;
- fingerspell the name or word, if you are able to;
- persevere: repeat what you said, try to say it another way;
- write down the message (only at a last resort);
- check with the Deaf person if communication is ok.

Don’t…
‍- be embarrassed;
- shout – it distorts your face and makes it harder to understand you;
- cover your mouth or obstruct it with a pen, look down or away or lean too close;
- place yourself too far away;
- eat or smoke while talking;
- mutter, hurry or talk too fast;
- change the subject without warning.

… And don’t ever say, “never mind, it’s not important” or ever give up!

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You can find out more about the Deaf community in our Diocese on our website here.