25th November: International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women

The United Nations observes International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women on 25 November.

SignHealth, the Healthcare charity for Deaf people, operate a  service called DeafHope UK. This is a service for Deaf women and their children who are experiencing, or are survivors of, domestic abuse. 

For further details about the service click here

DeafHope Deaf Leaflet A5

'Our Health in Your Hands' Campaign

A new campaign, 'Our Health in Your Hands', has been launched. It explains that you have a right under law to have an interpreter in a healthcare setting like a hospital and a GP surgery when you need one.
For further details http://www.ohyh.org.uk/

PDDCS members involved in Sign2Sing 2013

A quick warm up

Yesterday, at precisely 2.45pm, children, young people, and some slightly older adults from the local Peterborough deaf community supported Middleton and Jack Hunt School children with their respective Sign2Sing attempts. Both schools have a specialist provision for deaf students. After their successful involvement in last year's world record winning attempt, the students and staff committed to being involved in this year's efforts.

Counting down to 2.45pm

The students have joined tens of thousands of individuals across the UK to set another new record for the most people singing and performing a song in sign language at the same time. Steve Powell, chief executive of SignHealth is hoping around 1,200 schools will participate to ensure the current world record is broken. "Last year (2012), 114,277 children took part in our second sign2sing event and broke our previous record.

Sign2Sing 2013

This year all participants received a certificate with a secret code to unlock Monkey Manor and access to loads of games, competitions and prizes (including an IPad Mini).  The money raised from the Sing2Sing events will be used to continue Sign Health's charity work, helping to improve the mental and physical health and well-being of deaf young people and adults.

Sign2Sing 2013

This years record breaking sign-a-thon Sign2Sing 2013 takes place on 6th February at 2.45pm.

Deaf Hope UK

Recently SignHealth, the Healthcare charity for Deaf people, launched a  new service called DeafHope UK. This is a new service for Deaf women and their children who are experiencing, or are survivors of, domestic abuse. 

For further details about the service click here


DeafHope Deaf Leaflet A5

Sign the petition to give deaf people equal access to healthcare

A new petition has been launched to pursuade healthcare commissioners to ensure that deaf people are given access to professional communication support when using healthcare.

The petition claims that deaf people can be left confused about their medical conditions due to a lack of communication support and this situation must change.

It ties in with this year's deaf awareness week, beginning today, focusing on access to healthcare for deaf people.

Andy Palmer, Secretary of the PDDCS said: "For too long, the needs of many people with hearing loss have been ignored by the doctor of NHS. Imagine how it would feel discussing your own health and only being given half the picture? This petition is important and we fully support it because it can show a united front to decision makers in the NHS and get them to put the communication needs of deaf people to the top of the priority list."

"BSL is an officially recognised language in this country and that status means BSL should be supported by the NHS in a full and proactive way. But it's not just BSL that is important. There are also hundreds of thousands of people with hearing loss who do not use BSL but encounter the same problems. Their needs are equally important and should be recognised too."

Sign the petition here..