This week is Deaf Awareness Week, and we are sharing some resources and support for churches to help make people in the D/deaf community feel welcome.
Deaf people come to our churches each week; some of them are users of British Sign Language (BSL) and others use hearing aids, lip-reading and spoken English.
Approximately one in 1,000 people use BSL, and one in seven have some form of hearing loss.
Deaf with a capital D is used to refer to people who consider themselves members of a distinct linguistic and cultural community, whose primary or ‘heart’ language is BSL.
D/deaf includes this community and those who have a hearing loss but whose first language is English or another spoken language.
As God’s church we want to welcome everyone to be part of our worshipping, learning communities of faith.
The Revd Dr Tracey Raistrick, Minister Among Deaf People in the diocese, has prepared a simple one-page sheet of useful advice for churches to help make services more accessible, with information about improving visibility, having accessible sound and visuals, being welcoming and more.
This document can be downloaded and read here.
There is also a new, online 'Beginners Sign Language Course’ by accreditation body Signature, which focusses on basic ‘how to greet people and have a simple conversation in Sign Language’ skills and has a one-off £10 cost.
Our Deaf Ministry Team are also looking at providing further support this summer.
For more information on deaf ministry in the Diocese of Leeds, please click here.