Providing practical support and information for deaf and hard of hearing people in Milton Keynes
We encourage inclusion of people with hearing loss/deafness. We support deaf people into work and help people access services in and around Milton Keynes.We aim to break down barriers that prevent people from communicating with each other. We believe every deaf or hard of hearing person should feel included and feel comfortable being themselves, even if they communicate differently. We believe every deaf person should have the opportunity to fulfil their potential financially and socially.
Why the community needs usWe collaborate with organisations to reduce barriers faced by deaf and hard of hearing people in our community. We support individuals and groups so no one feels unsupported or helpless. We enable people to feel part of the community by enabling community cohesion through events that bring people together. We also educate deaf/hard of hearing people on new technology that could help with breaking down communication barriers and enable people to feel connected.
Our impact on the communityWe have helped lots of deaf people into work, enabled people to claim disability benefits and reduced the dependency on social care support by running coffee mornings and employability workshops. In total, our support work has contributed around £300,000 into the local economy in the last year (2017). We have also taught sign language to over 100 people, including police and hospital staff who are now better able to meet the needs of the deaf people they meet.
fluent BSL skills are essential so that our visitors can be supported effectively
