1st Anniversary of AAC legislation #NowHearMe 19 March 2019 marks the 1st year anniversary of the commencement of legislation to provide communication equipment and support in using that equipment. The introduction of this equipment has helped children and adults, from all care groups, who have lost their voice or have difficulty speaking. The responsibility to deliver the duty is held by Health Boards. What’s happened this year? To support delivery of the legislative duty a suite of tools have been developed: Guidance on the Provision of Communication Equipment and Support in using that equipment – this provides practical information on the
Read More

Our popular Voices Off Cafe is now going to be open in the evening from 11th March! Sessions will run from 6:30pm to 7:30pm every week at Forth Valley Sensory Centre, Redbrae Rd, Camelon, Falkirk FK1 4DD. With so many people wanting to learn BSL we have managed to secure support from the local See Hear Fund to put on evening sessions. This is not an acredited course and does not lead to a certificate, but it is a fun, relaxed and social occasion where you can learn BSL from the experts, real deaf people and pick up a new skill. BSL
Read More

Calmac Making Connections Adrossan Many journeys rely on us changing from one type of transport to another, navigating the spaces between services, where one ‘stops’ and another ‘starts’. But even short transfers have potential barriers – crossing a busy street, poor lighting, difficulty finding a place to sit down and rest. But who’s responsible for the quality and accessibility of the connection? And what’s the best way for everyone concerned to work together to improve it? ‘Making Connections’ will bring disabled people together with transport operator staff and other professionals to experience and assess journey connections between rail and ferry
Read More

ScotRail supports schoolgirl’s sign ScotRail has become the latest organisation to support a schoolgirl’s campaign to raise awareness of ‘ invisible’ disabilities . The train operator has installed ‘Grace’s Sign’ at accessible toilets in its stations across Scotland. Grace’s Sign is a bathroom sign that includes both a person in a wheelchair and a standing person with a heart, symbolising people with invisible conditions. Thirteen-year-old Grace Warnock, who has Crohn’s Disease, came up with the idea for a more inclusive sign after facing criticism from strangers when she used accessible toilets. The innovative signs can also be found at other
Read More

I’m dyslexic, which makes taking in what I read a challenge for me.  So to help myself take in Bible content, I use various resources and techniques.  Here are some of those resources and techniques:      Creating my own illustrated text versions of Bible passages using images from http://www.freebibleimages.org and text from Bible Gateway https://www.biblegateway.com/passage Engaging with the Bible with others, e.g. by contributing to the collaborative retelling of a Bible story. Gaining the gist of a passage before reading it, e.g. by looking at it in a children’s book such as The Lion Storyteller Book of Parables, or a
Read More

New hearing protocols launched in Glasgow Hearing Link was delighted to be invited along to the launch of new protocols for better access to meetings and events for people with hearing loss recently. Our volunteer May Wood (pictured) and staff member Alison Coyle attended the Ideas for Ears event hosted by Volunteer Scotland in their CommUnity Bubble Tent at Go Live at Glasgow Green. The event marked the launch of the Hearing Access Protocol produced by Ideas for Ears and supported by deafscotland. Meeting and events are stressful and frustrating for people with hearing loss. Common issues such as poor
Read More

The pathway is relevant to all people who would benefit from using communication equipment, regardless of age, diagnosis or location. It encompasses both low and high tech communication equipment, as described in the guidance document. This pathway is intended as a reference guide for Health Boards and all services who in partnership across Health, Education, Social Care and third sector deliver the provision of communication equipment and support in using that equipment. Local services will have their own local AAC pathway. This pathway outlines the core elements that a person who uses communication equipment and support will experience and allows
Read More

Access to Sign Language Interpreting Video Relay Service for Deafblind Sign Language Users. ContactSCOTLAND-BSL, Scotland’s only nationally funded online British Sign Language/English interpreting video relay service (VRS), delivered by Sign Language Interactions on behalf of the Scottish Government, is proud to announce the service can now be accessed by deafblind BSL users. Deaf BSL users have been using contactSCOTLAND-BSL to contact any of the 140+ public bodies or any of the 1,000’s of Scotland’s third sector organisations by calling through a mobile device such as a smartphone or tablet or desktop computer, signing via the camera to the online BSL/English
Read More

The ALLIANCE and SCOD are co-hosting a free GIRFEC training event aimed at parents and carers of the deaf and hard of hearing community. The Getting to Know Getting it Right for Every Child Team are pleased to announce a training session for parents and carers in the deaf community in Scotland. This workshop will take place on Saturday the 21st April from 10am (for 10.30am start) – 2.30pm at the Sense Scotland offices in Glasgow. BSL Interpreters and electronic note takers will be at the workshop. This workshop is aimed at parents and carers of children and young people in the
Read More