We are delighted to report that the National Lottery Community Fund are going to fund our latest project called Access all Health. This is a two-year project working in a two-pronged way to address the disadvantages experienced by the deaf community through their lack of access to health information and services. This project comes out of contact by the Urgent Community Care Response team at Lewisham & Greenwich NHS Trust.
Deafax has clocked up over 30 years of providing accessible training and resources for the Deaf community, those who work alongside them as well as service providers. An isolated community already, the pandemic isolated Deaf people further. The lack of sign language provision covering information, guidance and warnings about the spread of Covid and associated restrictions impacted their mental health and put them at greater risk than ever before.
This project funding will enable us to expand our reach into a wider range of NHS sectors, supporting clinicians and frontline workers with practical pathways to delivering their services in a deaf-friendly way, alongside running sessions for deaf groups and clubs across London, sign posting how to access health services in a way that suits them.