Signly’s Post

Check out Tim's insightful video where he delves into the pressing issue of "Signwashing" in organizations, a concern highlighted by Rachel Vann’s article. https://lnkd.in/ez9J8_5C #signwashing #bsl #financialservices

Do you know how many people in Scotland are familiar with at least some sign language? What might this imply for the wider UK? Additionally, how can businesses across the country provide better service for customers who use sign language? #bsl #signlanguage

Now, for Tip 2, let's talk about 'Attention'.   'Attention'   There are several aspects of 'Attention' to consider, so I'll highlight a few key points:    People should approach me from the front and establish eye contact or make eye contact before asking me to come over.   Another method is for someone to tap on the shoulder to get my attention.   I'll look up and ask what's needs, then establish eye contact and follow their gesture.   If my name is displayed on an information screen, I'll notice and come over.   In the case of a fire alarm, I prefer to see flashing lights as a signal instead of relying solely on sound, so that I can evaluate the situation.    When I wear hearing aids, I may hear someone tapping on a table and look around, making eye contact.   If someone stamps on the floor, I may hear it with my hearing aids, but without them, it can be challenging for me to notice and pay my attention.   Lastly, let me share a challenging experience: skydiving.   I've had the opportunity to parachute on my own.   I rely on visual cues like green LED lights on the wall surface to signal when to depart.   These visual indicators provide the necessary guidance and confidence as I prepare to take the plunge into the open sky.   Visual cues, shoulder taps, eye contact, and flashing lights are helpful.   Other useful attention cues for Deaf people including flashing doorbell lights.   I hope this sheds light on the various ways attention can be communicated with Deaf individuals. 

Now, for Deaf Awareness Week Tip no. 3, let's discuss 'Inclusion'. What does inclusion mean? It's disheartening to hear phrases like 'nothing', 'doesn't matter', I will explain later', or nothing important', as they can undermine my confidence. Instead, true inclusion means discussing matters together. One of the challenges of inclusion is organising communication support needs, whether it's me or the services arranging interpreters, captioning or subtitles, remote captioning for meetings, or autocues provided by palantypists typing to follow conversations in conferences, events, or workshops.  Inclusion also means having human interpreters or sign language users on stage, or facilitating lip reading, providing visual cues for those who may not be able to hear, such as having information displayed on screens, sign language or lip reading.

Hello, my name is Tim and I work for Signly. I want to tell you about Deaf Awareness Week, which is celebrated in the UK from May 6th to May 13th, 2024. I'm going to explain the topic of 'Communication.' People who are Deaf, Hard of Hearing, have Hearing Loss, or are Hearing, all communicate differently. How do they do it? Some still use the traditional method of writing and pen communication. This can either be stressful or managed quite easily. With this method, communication is one-way, as the pen and paper are passed back and forth. Another method is using mobile phone apps that convert speech to text. This allows for group or individual conversations, where the speech is converted to text as it is spoken into the phone. I can then read the text transcript and respond accordingly. However, if someone asks me a question face-to-face, I may have to put my mobile phone down or use a mobile stand. In such situations, I use speak or sign language. When face-to-face communication becomes challenging for either party, they may seek help from someone else. This mutual support helps both parties. They may ask someone with interpreting skills, someone who knows sign language, or someone who is skilled in lip reading. Each individual's abilities and communication skills vary.