Professions providing services specifically for deafened people
Hearing Therapists (HTs) Social Workers for the Deaf (SWDs)/Technical Officers Lipreading Teachers Lipspeakers
Contact the Audiology Department of your local Hospital or
Dorothy Thomson
Secretary
British Society of Hearing Therapists
Hearing Services
12 Southend Avenue
Darlington DL3 7HL
Tel: 01325 358185(Voice)
Fax: 01325 469433
Email:
dthearing@gofree.co.ukHTs should be able to provide information, advice and counselling on issues concerned with your loss of hearing and local services available for deafened people; but as there are only about 160 HTs in England, Wales and Scotland, you may not have an HT nearby. Check if the Audiology Department of your local hospital has an HT in post. If there is one, you will then need to check whether you can book an appointment on your own initiative or must ask your GP to refer you to the HT via an Ear, Nose and Throat(ENT) consultant or Audiologist.
If there does not seem to be an HT in your area, contact Dorothy Thomson. She will be able to tell you where to find the nearest HT from her list of the contact details of all the HTs working in the UK who belong to the British Society of Hearing Therapists.
Social Workers for the Deaf(SWDs)/Technical Officers
Contact your local authority's Social Services Department.
SWDs should be able to help you with problems in the family caused by your deafness and advise on your entitlement to financial benefits; but many SWDs deal mainly with the problems of people who have been deaf from birth or early childhood and may not be well versed in the different problems of people who have lost their hearing as adults. Technical Officers assess your need for home aids such as a textphone and flashing lights to alert you when the doorbell rings.
Contact your local library, adult education college or the Audiology Department of a local hospital or www.lipreading.org.uk or
The Information Officer
The Association of Teachers of Lipreading to Adults
PO Box 506
Hanley
Stoke on Trent ST2 9RE
Fax: 0870 706 2916
Email: ATLA@lipreading.org.uk
Lipreading Teachers provide private tuition and/or run classes in lipreading in most areas of the country. If, however, you have difficulty in finding a lipreading class near to your home or work have a look at the classes listed on the website or contact the Information Officer of the Association of Teachers of Lipreading to Adults (ATLA).
But if you want sign supported lipreading geared specifically to the needs of deafened learners contact the LINK Centre to see if there is a LINK communication group in your area.
Contact the Association of Lipspeakers at:
ALS Information Office
Association of Lipspeakers
68,Victoria Road
Oxford OX2 7QE
Tel/Fax: 01865 559497
Email:
information@lipspeaking.co.ukLipspeakers help deafened lipreaders at meetings and other large gatherings by silently repeating what hearing speakers say as they are speaking. Lipspeakers are trained to communicate clearly so that their lip movements and other gestures are easy to follow. The Association represents them and provides information on how to find, book and use them successfully.
But if you have difficulty in finding or booking a lipspeaker you can ask your nearest RNID Communication Services Unit to help you.