For many school teachers and college lecturers the 2022/23 academic year might be the first year in which they have a Deaf student in their classroom. This is a whole new experience for everyone involved and can be an alarming prospect for some. …

As the owner of a small business, you might find it hard to justify new expenses. After all, growing a small business is tough, and it’s only natural to feel concerned about overspending. But sometimes, investing in new technology is the key to boosting your revenue and recruiting great talent…

Let’s imagine that society as a whole and we as individuals start looking at the concept of being deaf as a positive thing and start recognising the valuable contribution that deaf people bring to the world. That is in essence the nature of “Deaf Gain”. The term “Deaf Gain” was coined in 2005 by Aaron Williamson, a British performing artist visiting Gallaudet. Deafened later in life, Aaron noted that with each interaction doctors repeated “hearing loss.” …

I would like to raise awareness about the importance of a strong first language foundation for every Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) children born to hearing parents. So, if you are a hearing parent of a DHH child, please, take a few minutes to read the information below — it may just change your life and the life of your child/ren. We all agree that any language is necessary for proper brain development, but when you prioritise speech production and listening skills and force to a DHH child to learn a spoken language in place of his/her natural language (sign language) during his/her critical language-learning years, it is called “language deprivation”.

You might have heard this before, and there are indeed very clear differences between BSL and SSE. If you have not heard this, please read on! This post will give you some valuable information that will help you to clarify the situation and avoid possible misunderstandings on these two different concepts. ➤ WHAT IS BRITISH SIGN LANGUAGE (BSL)? BSL is an Official Minority Language and it was recognised by the UK Government in 2003

“Random acts of kindness are good for the soul.” It’s Volunteer’s Week (1st to 7th June)! An annual celebration to recognise the wonderful contribution millions of volunteers make across the UK. This has never been more important that now! Deaf Umbrella has been extremely fortunate to have had a small…

We all agree that Deaf culture is rich and varied. Today I would like to talk about another wonderful aspect of the Deaf culture that might be unknown for many people: The “sign names”. Sign names are unique and personal. It’s a sign of identity and it’s an easy way to identify someone without fully fingerspelling their name in British Sign Language. There are some fascinating facts about sign names that you may find very interesting to know:

As a deaf student finishing college. It can be a little scary! Are you ready for the transition to the world of work? This can be an exciting time too, but where do you start looking for that all important first job? Searching for a job as a Deaf or Hard of Hearing person can be one of the most frustrating experiences, and it may feel overwhelming. Did you know that 56% of deaf people have experienced discrimination in the workplace due to being deaf or hard of hearing?:

We have a new home! How exciting that we have moved into a new office in Gravesend. Having spent time since the lockdown all working from home it is a welcome change to get back to what we know, working together as a team. When I think back to our ten years in Sidcup, five…