This week is Deaf Awareness Week (Monday, May 2 to Sunday, May 8). This year, the theme is ‘inclusion’.

Lucy Buxton, chief executive officer of The Manx Deaf Society, said: ‘Hearing loss can leave a person feeling unsupported, unwanted, invisible and excluded. The effects of social isolation can cause poor mental health and depression.

‘Deafness very often goes hand in hand with other invisible challenges many of which can be too vague to be noticed.

‘During Deaf Awareness Week we want to shine a light on the work of The Manx Deaf Society. As well as providing lipreading and British Sign Language (BSL) classes we have an Equipment Library which people can borrow items from to see for themselves how, for example, a different telephone or alarm clock or a personal listener can be of benefit.

‘We would also like to encourage businesses and organisations to become more Deaf Aware. About one in six people has some degree of hearing loss and by not thinking about how a services can be adapted for deaf people businesses can be losing out on lots of custom.’

To celebrate Deaf Awareness Week, the Manx Deaf Society is running a series of events and activities for people to take part in:

l Attend a lipreading class; on Tuesday, May 3 (1.30-3.30pm at St Paul’s Church Hall, Market Place, Ramsey), Wednesday, May 4 (1:30-3:30pm at The Guild Room, Peel Methodist Church, Atholl Street Peel) or Thursday, May 5 (6-8pm at The Manx Deaf Society, 3 Somerset Road, Douglas).

l On Saturday, May 7, there is a series of events taking place at The Manx Deaf Society, 3 Somerset Road, Douglas:

10am – 12pm - Craft material sale and coffee morning (Admission is free, donations towards costs of refreshments are gratefully appreciated)

1.30-2.30pm – Lipreading for absolute beginners. If you’ve ever wondered whether you would benefit from a lipreading class or are interested to know what happens in one, this is the session for you!

3-4pm – Introduction to BSL. In this session you’ll learn the manual (fingerspelling) alphabet and simple greetings.

4.30-5.30pm - Deaf Awareness – Find out how to communicate more effectively and explore some of the items from our equipment library.

To reserve your place at any session or for more information, call or text 202875 or email [email protected]

In light of Deaf Awareness Week, I wanted to ask Lucy about the work the Manx Deaf Society does more generally.

WHO ARE YOU / WHAT DO YOU DO?

I am the chief executive of The Manx Deaf Society. I love my job as it has many different aspects to it and no two days are the same.

I teach lipreading classes and Introduction to British Sign Language (BSL) classes assisted by the chairwoman of the society, Katie Johnson.

I manage our equipment library which allows people to borrow different items of equipment that they may find helpful e.g. amplified telephones, alarm clocks, personal listeners for following conversation and enabling better access at work, TV listeners, loop systems and items to help with tinnitus.

I facilitate the Tinnitus Support Group and organise activities for Deaf Club (our weekly club for BSL users) and the Here to Hear Group (a monthly club for people with hearing loss like myself.) I also liaise with the fire service to ensure that deaf people have an appropriate fire alarm system at home.

I’m the first point of contact for anyone when they contact the Deaf Society, where possible I’ll work directly with that person, I can also refer people to other organisations such as audiology at Noble’s Hospital.

Our premises are in Douglas and my working week is currently Tuesday to Saturday, however I’m not in the office every day so it’s best to get in touch to make an appointment.

WHy / when did your charity form?

The Manx Deaf Society was formed at the end of the 1920s to support profoundly Deaf British Sign Language users here on the island.

Today we support anyone of any age with any hearing related issue. Hearing loss affects one in six people and is an invisible disability. The average time it takes someone to address an issue with their hearing is seven years. By the time someone feels ready to address their hearing loss they may have become lonely, frustrated and isolated.

The Deaf Society looks to help them with the challenges they face as a person with hearing loss.

WHat has been your biggest achievement since forming?

There have been many proud moments, it’s difficult to select just one.

I have been involved with the society since 2014 and I am very proud that in 2017 we elected David Allen as our first deaf chairman and in 2020 Katie Johnson became our first deaf chairwoman.

In 2016 we held the first Deaf TT where on Senior Race Day deaf members were able to follow the full day of racing with a BSL interpreter present for the whole day. We also introduced ‘Captioned Racing’ which enabled people like me to follow the radio commentary. For the first time we felt included in the TT.

I am also very proud of how the Deaf Society has transformed in recent years and expanded its services to support many more people in the community.

We are also very pleased to have supported the implementation of a video interpreter service initially at Noble’s Hospital which has been rolled out across many Government departments.

WHat is your biggest ambition for the future?

We will continue to provide our services to whoever needs them, we will be expanding those services to support the ever-growing numbers of people with hearing loss.

We would like to develop a Children’s group for children with hearing loss and their families, this is a project I am currently working on.

Our Equipment library needs to continually be updated as technology continues to advance. We also want to be able to provide a BSL Level 1 course each year so that people can build on what they learn in the Introduction to BSL classes.

A long-term aim would be for a time to come where hearing loss isn’t seen as a stigma or something to be embarrassed by. I look forward to a time where everyone is more deaf aware and deaf people feel fully included in society.

How can people get involved?

If you know some BSL, Deaf Club, which meets on Saturday evenings at the Deaf Society, is always looking for new members.

Anyone with hearing loss but who doesn’t use BSL is welcome to come to the monthly Here to Hear Group meetings. These usually take place on a Saturday; the day and time can vary depending upon the activity.

Lipreading classes take place in Ramsey, Peel and Douglas on Tuesday afternoons, Wednesday afternoons and Thursday evenings respectively, we currently have spaces available in all three classes.

The Tinnitus Support Group takes place on the last Thursday of alternate months, the next meeting will be held on Thursday, May 26.

WHere can people find you and where can they donate?

Our premises are at 3 Somerset Road, Douglas.

We have a drop-in session every Friday from 12-1:30pm or I can be contacted by text/call on 07624 202875 or by email to [email protected]

We can be found on Facebook, just search for @manxdeafsociety

Donations can be made via PayPal to Manx Deaf Society, by cheque made payable to the Manx Deaf Society, by bank transfer by asking for our details or in person by calling in.

l If you would like to see your charity featured for free please email: [email protected]