SCoDBulletin November 2015 www.scod.org.uk | www.youtube.com/deafscotland | www.scod.org.uk | www.youtube.com/deafscotland Scottish Council on Deafness Bulletin | The Monthly Magazine for Members by Members CONNECT & THRIVE – CONNECT AND COMMUNICATE Dear Colleagues, It feels very busy just now. At our National Council meeting, we discussed several matters to contribute to a Manifesto: education, health and transport being the top three. There was some debate about research too. We have sufficient support to look at developing a more robust approach to supporting research and development, linked to our policy committee. Further to the Parliamentary debate and passage of the BSL (Scotland) Bill on 17th September nd 2015, Royal Assent was given on 22 October 2015. So everything is now official. Remember the Act is only part of the picture and many Public Bodies are already making progress! Recruitment and employment We are still in the process of recruiting a new project worker and have the opportunity for a Disability Intern too. The Board recruitment starts today as well. We expect to see many new faces before we move into the new calendar year. Please see the vacancies page below for more information! Forthcoming Events Herald Politician of the Year Awards – 19th of November: We are nominated along with the BDA, the category is Campaigner of the Year. Fingers crossed! th AGM – the AGM will take place on Friday 11 December in Deaf Connections. Papers will be issued in due course. It must be noted that some members have still not paid their annual fees and may be excluded from participating in any voting which may take place. Kellas will be making phone calls this week to ensure everyone knows their membership status. Management Committee – the SCoD Management Committee of the ‘old charity’ will meet on Tuesday 10th of November for the final time prior to the AGM. The new legal status organisation must hold an AGM next year. Cross Party Group on Deafness – taking place on Tuesday 8th December at 5pm – 6.30pm in Committee Room 3. Please ensure attendance and apologies are submitted before the deadline. Sensory Awards – Monday 15th February 2016 SCoD Conference – Thursday 10th March 2016. We are working on next year’s calendar. Watch this space! Membership We have a few new members to welcome this month: Chest, Heart and Stroke Scotland, Solve- it-Blocks, Marc van Cartier, Ashley Davies, Karen McCulloch and Ian Carmichael. We have introduced a Christmas Special for new Individual Associate Members – 15 months membership for the price of 12 (November/December 2015 – March 2017). Join before the end of December to receive this offer! Janis McDonald Scottish Council on Deafness, Central Chambers, Suite 62, 93 Hope Street, Glasgow, G2 6LD | SC016957 Tel: 0141 248 2474 (v), 0141 248 2477 & 1854 (t), 0141 248 2479 (f), 07925 417338 (sms), [email protected] (email), www.scod.org.uk News:General Still time to volunteer for Hearing Loop Awareness Week (2nd-8th November) There is still time to get involved in the nation’s biggest ever survey of hearing loops, being carried out next month by the UK-wide charity Hearing Link. Hearing Loop Awareness Week takes place from 2nd-8th November 2015 and Hearing Link, which provides information and support for people with hearing loss their family and friends, is looking for hearing aid users to join their efforts. The campaign, which is part of the charity’s wider Let’s Loop the UK initiative, aims to raise greater awareness and understanding of hearing loops in local communities throughout the UK. Currently 10 million adults in the UK (1 in 6) live with hearing loss – around two million are regular hearing aid users. Hearing loops are a vital piece of technology in public places such as shops, banks, libraries, and railway stations because they clarify sound and remove the background noise which can stifle communication for hearing aid users. However, a large number of hearing loops don’t work properly, aren’t switched on or they don’t even exist, creating another barrier to inclusion in everyday life for people with hearing loss. Hearing Loop Awareness Week aims build the biggest picture of hearing loop provision in the UK. At its conclusion, Hearing Link will share the results with businesses and work with them to improve their service. Dave King, User Experience Manager at Hearing Link, said: “Hearing Loop Awareness Week is a fantastic opportunity to generate greater understanding of hearing loops and identify where they are available across the UK. We’re looking for hearing aid users to commit a couple of hours during this week to take part in a very simple survey of loops in your town. Whether you are part of a group, or perhaps a collection of friends, we would love for you to get involved.” Volunteer loop checkers will be asked to check on the availability and condition of hearing loops in their local neighbourhood. Hearing Link would also like volunteers to include a survey of a hearing loop in their local pharmacy / chemist as this is a critical point where people with hearing loss need to be able to communicate effectively. The results will be subsequently shared with the National Pharmaceutical Association. All data gathered during the surveys for Hearing Loop Awareness Week will be compiled, mapped and published on partner site http://letsloopnow.com. If you would like to get involved in Hearing Loop Awareness Week, contact Hearing Link’s Helpdesk on [email protected]; tel: 0300 111 1113 or SMS: 07526 123255. For further information about Hearing Loop Awareness Week visit http://hearinglink.org/loop-week. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Page 2 of 25 Scottish Council on Deafness Monthly Bulletin Minister for Disabled People backs Hearing Loop Awareness Week The Minister for Disabled People has lent his support to the national campaign, Hearing Loop Awareness Week (2nd-8th November), organised by the UK-wide charity Hearing Link. Justin Tomlinson MP says it’s vital that more shops and buildings across the UK are equipped with hearing loops which provide a communication lifeline for the country’s two million hearing aid users. Hearing loops work by using an electro-magnetic signal connected to a hearing aid which helps to cut out external noise in a conversation. They are commonly found in shops, libraries, banks, churches, post offices, railway stations, airport terminals, theatres, buses, hotels and meeting rooms. However, lack of awareness of hearing loops means that not all are in full working order, have poor signage or in some cases are not switched on. From today (Monday 2nd November), Hearing Link, will be joined by more than 300 volunteers as the nation’s biggest ever survey of hearing loops get underway as part of Hearing Loop Awareness Week. As well as checking public buildings and businesses, they will focus on assessing the availability and quality of hearing loops in pharmacies. Speaking ahead of the week-long activities, Justin Tomlinson, Minister for Disabled People, said hearing loops are vital tool for communities. He said: “I want to offer my full support for Hearing Loop Awareness Week. Hearing loops are a vital tool to ensure communities reach out to everyone and also have clear business benefits – they help companies grow by becoming more accessible to a greater number of customers. “This week get involved by supporting Hearing Link’s ‘Let’s Loop the UK’ campaign. They are surveying the availability of hearing loops across the country so sign up to check your local shops, railway stations, libraries and help improve services for people with hearing impairments.” ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Disability Living Allowance (DLA) is ending. Survey for support organisations From July 2015 DWP has been working with disability organisations and stakeholders to increase awareness that DLA is ending for people born after 8 April 1948 and are 16 or over and what DLA claimants need to do. It would be really helpful if you could take time to fill out our short survey about the information we provide for stakeholders and how DWP engages with you. Your responses will help us to improve the support we provide to you and to DLA claimants, so we welcome any comments and suggestions you have. The survey is running from the 2 November to the 13 November inclusive. There are 15 questions and it should take no more than 5 minutes to complete. This is an anonymous survey. Click here to complete the survey Page 3 of 25 Scottish Council on Deafness Monthly Bulletin -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lord Provost of Edinburgh unveils plaque honouring first school for the deaf The world's first school for the deaf, Braidwood’s Academy for the Deaf and Dumb, was honoured by Edinburgh's Lord Provost at a special ceremony on Saturday 24th October. The Lord Provost, Councillor Donald Wilson, unveiled the plaque on a ruined wall – the sole portion of Braidwood's Academy which is still visible on Dumbiedykes Road. The Academy, established in 1760, was the first regularly organised school for deaf children; the area now known as Dumbiedykes was named after Braidwood’s ‘deaf and dumb’ pupils. Surrounded by members and allies of Scotland’s Deaf community, Edinburgh’s unique place in the history of deaf education was celebrated with an elegant brass plaque, funded entirely by donations received from across the UK. Speeches were given in both British Sign Language and English. John Hay, Chair of the British Deaf History Society, said: “Thomas Braidwood certainly merits a place among the giants of the Golden Age of the Scottish Enlightenment, such as Burns, Hutton, Adam, Ramsey and so on, for his pioneering work in deaf education.