The Hearing impairment resource guide aims to provide teachers and trainers in the FE sector with an understanding of the potential impact of hearing impairment on learning and how to better support learners to achieve their full potential.
The resource explores the signs, symptoms, behaviours and provides top tips for adapting communication, teaching strategies and environment to enable learners to thrive.
The guide also signposts to a wide range of resources and CPD training to help staff to increase their knowledge and confidence to embed skills effectively into the support they provide.
An online hearing impairment taster session is freely available that supports the guide.
City College Norwich (CCN), Centre for Excellence in SEND with the lead on Community, has been promoting inclusion and deaf awareness by giving staff training to enable them to say short phrases using British Sign Language (BSL). To give you an insight into what CCN have been doing we’ve created a some of the phrases staff have been learning are shown in the Deaf and hearing loss section of the Resources from the Centres web page.
The Education and Training Foundation working with the National Deaf Children’s Society (NDCS) delivered a one hour Making webinars accessible for deaf learners webinar to help you understand the main barriers to accessing webinars for deaf learners and how these can be overcome using tech solutions and adjustments to teaching.
NDCS use of term ‘deaf’ to describe learners with all levels of deafness from mild to profound.
Stepping up – quality standards is a resource created by the National Deaf Children’s Society, on behalf of the Education and Training Foundation.
The guide details six quality standards to support greater consistency of provision and to improve outcomes for deaf young people.
The standards apply to young people with all levels of deafness, including those without Education, Health and Care Plans and are relevant to all providers across the FE sector.
The National Deaf Children’s Society has published a blog, Remote learning in further education and what this means for deaf young people for further education providers on meeting the needs of deaf learners. The blog focuses on addressing issues that arise through learning remotely and the guide covers a range of topics such as face masks, emotional wellbeing and room layouts.
The National Deaf Children’s Society are really keen to hear from FE professionals about the issues their deaf students face when using online learning providers or accessing online assessments. Please email: martin.mclean@ndcs.org.uk with any examples.
The National Deaf Children’s Society provides a range of transition, learning and achievement resources to help anyone in education supporting deaf young people in post-14 education including:
RNID – Information and advice including assistive technology.
British Deaf Association – Raising awareness of sign language, BSL Charter.
The Communication Trust – offers information and resources to support the teaching and learning of people who struggle to communicate because they have speech, language and communication needs.
National Deaf Children’s Society – The National Deaf Children’s Society is the leading charity dedicated to creating a world without barriers for deaf children and young people.
National Sensory Impairment Partnership (NatSIP) – NatSIP is a partnership of organisations working together to improve outcomes for children and young people with sensory impairment. The NatSIP website offers access to a wealth of sensory impairment resources, most of which are freely available.
Royal Deaf Association – a range of services including employment, communication services, and information, advice and guidance.