Deaf sign language users

Sonus

Aims to enable deaf, deafened, deaf-blind and hard-of-hearing people to maintain their independence. Tel: 023 8022 0225 Web: www.sonus.org.uk

Southampton City Council

Provides teams to help with sensory loss, can carry out assessments and provide training to help you find practical solutions to problems arising from hearing loss. Tel: 023 8083 3003 Web: www.southampton.gov.uk (search ‘hearing impairment’).

Hampshire County Council’s Deaf Services Team is aspecialist team of social workers and care managers with sign language skills. For more information, visit www.hants.gov.uk and search ‘help with sight or hearing loss’ or refer to the contact details below.

Tel: 01962 846601 Email: deaf.services.team@hants.gov.uk SMS: 07507 309322 Minicom: 01794 515462 Fax: 01962 814607

Search Connect to Support Hampshire’s Community Directory to find listings for local Deaf Clubs. Visit www.connecttosupporthampshire.org.uk/ directories (select ‘Choose your category’ then ‘Specific needs’ and ‘Sight or hearing loss’).

Advice videos in BSL: • NHS 111 BSL service (www.signvideo.co.uk/ nhs111 ). • Sign Health – library of health videos (www.signhealth.org.uk/health-video-library ). • Benefits advice in BSL from the Department for

Work & Pensions (DWP) (www.youtube.com/ user/dwpsign/videos – search ‘benefits advice’). • Dementia Guide from Alzheimer’s Society (www.youtube.com/c/alzheimerssociety – search ‘dementia guide’). • BT SignVideo interpreting service (bt.com/bsl). • BT information about using the telephone, internet and TV (search ‘Including You: BT’s guide to helping you communicate’ in any online search engine).

Interpreting services

Sonus provides communication support. It has qualified interpreters, communicators, note-takers (both electronic and manual) and lip-speakers. The organisation covers a wide range of bookings. This includes medical appointments, job interviews and conferences, weddings and funerals. For more information, call 023 8021 3888, email interpreting@sonus.org.uk or visit

www.sonus.org.uk/interpreting.html

Hospital and doctor interpreting service

If you have an appointment with your GP or hospital and you need a BSL interpreter, contact your GP/ hospital to book. Please give the GP notice to book a BSL interpreter. This is funded by the local NHS trust. It is your right to have a qualified interpreter for medical appointments.

Police

For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, speech impaired or deafblind, Hampshire Constabulary offers alternative ways to get in touch. Police Link Officers are also available with sign language, lipspeaking and deafblind manual skills.