Is the health of deaf people different from hearing people?

Forty percent of profoundly deaf people in the UK experience mental health problems. This compares to 25% in the general population. There is also a strong belief that the general health of deaf people is also considerably poorer than that of hearing people. While anecdotal in the UK, a study in Austria produced hard evidence of this, with higher levels of illness – in some cases ten times higher. These relative levels of illness were particularly high for those conditions requiring patients to administer their own treatment such as diabetes and asthma.

This isn’t surprising because unless health information and healthcare is accessible, for example in British Sign Language (BSL), deaf people remain excluded from important and possibly life-saving help and advice.

As the only UK charity focussed on improving the health of deaf people, SignHealth has a formidable track record of delivering change in mental health care and treatment for deaf people as well as providing supported housing, advocacy, outreach, counselling and health promotion, all within a BSL supported environment. We are now taking our experience in mental healthcare to energize change in addressing general health and healthcare for deaf people.

SignHealth needs funds to support a number of key projects and services:

1. Research – SignHealth will undertake the first ever survey of the health of the deaf community in the UK. This will provide valuable evidence of key issues and priorities with which to work with providers such as the NHS.

2. Health Promotion – We provide information on health and wellbeing that deaf people can understand and relate to e.g. in the last year we have provided over 20 workshops across the UK on subjects ranging from healthy eating to cancer and HIV/Aids. We are working with other charities and health organisations to produce materials that are accessible for deaf people.

3. Services that support the most vulnerable deaf people including supported living for those with severe mental health challenges and the only nationwide BSL Counselling Service. We are also funding SignTranslate, our internet-based communication portal, free from this summer for all GPs to help them improve their communication with deaf patients. SignTranslate provides online interpreting, and communication through text, pictures and signed clips.

We are a small organisation with national coverage and a lot of work to do to bring equality to health and healthcare for deaf people - we need your help. So please - 

bid for our auction prizes
or
get in touch if you are able to offer action prizes or merchandise we can sell.

We would be hugely grateful for your help. Please contact - fundraising@signhealth.org.uk

Thank you.