Sign this petition NOW !

Fight for deaf welsh access to the NHS. e-Petition: Problems With The NHS For The Deaf

We the undersigned call on the National Assembly for Wales to urge the Welsh Government to provide a better service for the hearing impaired (H.I.) in the NHS.

Supporting information: If a deaf person wished to contact their GP surgery to book an appointment, they are unable to do so, as Doctors surgery’s don’t have a mobile phone text service (Most H.I. don’t use text phone, they use mobile phone).

When they receive a letter from the Health Board asking them to telephone to book and appointment with a specialist, they are unable to as there are no facilities for them. When attending a hospital appointment, there is no loop system service for them, so that they can hear and answer questions. They say that they can arrange a translator. We have tried accessing this service to no avail. When in hospitals and Doctors’ surgeries, H.I. people cannot hear when called, as there are no viewing boards for them to read that they can now go into the Doctors room.

Staff 99.99% of the time never speak to the H.I. patient, they always speak to the translator. Lack of Deaf awareness is a problem. As sign language is an H.I. person’s 1st language, English is a foreign language, and a H.I. persons English is very layman’s. By implementing these changes, it would help with NHS targets, for example lower consultation times, correct diagnosis, saving repeated consultation time. It would help the H.I. with their independence, give them privacy when talking to a Doctor or Nurse. Banks and Post Offices have these services, so why doesn’t the NHS have them? Sign this Petition

SIGN HERE

Ymladd ar gyfer mynediad byddar Cymraeg i'r GIG. e-ddeiseb: Problemau Gyda Mae gan y GIG ar gyfer y Byddar

Rydym ni sydd wedi llofnodi isod yn galw ar Gynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru i annog Llywodraeth Cymru i ddarparu gwasanaeth gwell i'r nam ar eu clyw (HI) yn y GIG.

Gwybodaeth ategol: Os yw person yn fyddar yn dymuno i gysylltu â'u meddyg teulu feddygfa i drefnu apwyntiad, maent yn methu gwneud hynny, gan nad yw llawdriniaeth Meddygon oes ganddynt wasanaeth ffôn testun symudol (HI Nid yw'r rhan fwyaf yn defnyddio ffôn testun, maent yn defnyddio ffôn symudol ffôn).

Pan fyddant yn derbyn llythyr oddi wrth y Bwrdd Iechyd yn gofyn iddynt ffonio i drefnu a apwyntiad gydag arbenigwr, nid ydynt yn gallu gan nad oes cyfleusterau ar eu cyfer. Pan fyddant yn mynychu apwyntiad ysbyty, nid oes system ddolen gwasanaeth ar eu cyfer, fel y gallant glywed ac ateb cwestiynau. Maent yn dweud eu bod yn gallu trefnu cyfieithydd. Rydym wedi ceisio cael mynediad y gwasanaeth hwn yn ofer. Pan fyddwch mewn ysbytai a meddygfeydd Meddygon ', H.I. Ni all pobl clywed wrth alw, gan nad oes unrhyw fyrddau gwylio ar eu cyfer i ddarllen y gallant nawr yn mynd i mewn i'r ystafell Meddygon.

Mae staff yn 99.99% o'r amser byth yn siarad â'r H.I. cleifion, eu bod bob amser yn siarad â'r cyfieithydd. Diffyg ymwybyddiaeth Byddar yn broblem. Gan fod iaith arwyddion yn H.I. 1 person iaith, Saesneg yn iaith dramor, a HI bobl Saesneg yn lleygwr iawn. Drwy weithredu'r newidiadau hyn, byddai'n helpu gyda thargedau y GIG, er enghraifft gwaith ymgynghori is, diagnosis cywir, gan arbed amser ymgynghori ailadrodd. Byddai'n helpu'r H.I. gyda eu hannibyniaeth, yn rhoi preifatrwydd wrth siarad â Meddyg neu Nyrs. Banciau a Swyddfeydd Post yn cael y gwasanaethau hyn, felly nid beth sydd gan y GIG yn eu cael? Arwyddwch y Ddeiseb

Yma

Fair deal for Access to the NHS gathers pace

A CAMPAIGN for the deaf is picking up steam as it becomes the focal point of a nationally-broadcast TV special.

In March, the Gazette reported how partially-deaf Lisa Winnett was launching a crusade to secure a fairer deal for people with hearing problems, such as her daughter Stephanie Wall. And after a successful Facebook group and the support of politicians both local and further afield, the BBC believes her campaign is an important one – and is planning a health special on the issue.

Fearing her granddaughter Lilly would also inherit hearing problems, Mrs Winnett, 39, of Rectory Road, Swffryd, started her campaign to improve what she sees as discrimination by the NHS against deaf people. The Welsh version of British Sign Language is rarely used and many hospitals and doctors’ surgeries lack features such as loop systems for hearing aids and visual displays for appointments.

Mrs Winnett said it was wrong to marginalise up to 16m UK citizens. “The cost for putting in 10 loop systems in each hospital and one in every doctor’s surgery, which would make such a difference, would be £1.3m to the NHS – that’s just 44p per person,” she said. “That’s not a huge cost for the NHS for a nationwide problem. It’s as simple as having a way for people to see when they are being called by a doctor, so they don’t miss their appointment.

“Our next step is to set up a petition for the Welsh Government so the matter has to be discussed in the Senedd. “I’d like to thank the Gazette so much for actually taking our case on and helping to take it forward. Without that, we wouldn’t have the interest in the campaign we do now.”

Read More

IMP's and the Man (Men) with the plan.

What is an Individual Management Plan? and why doesn't Wales have one ?

Individual Management Plans are a set of agreed needs and actions that aim to improve a person's participation in life by reducing the disabling effects of a hearing impairment. When first developed it will be a list of the needs you and the patient have agreed need to be addressed and a list of the actions you are going to take in an attempt to address these needs.

Who has them?

They will probably be developed for all patients entering a new care pathway. These may be patients who have accessed audiology services before (audio reviews) or they may be new patients (Direct Referrals or ENTHA referrals).

Who develops them?

The Audiologist and patient will develop the Plan together using the information gathered during the assessment and following explanation and discussion about the care options. A list of agreed needs and actions will be recorded. A copy will be given to the patient as part of their information booklet.

What do they look like?

Initially you will develop and record the needs and actions

Management Plan

Agreed Needs: a list of the issues that you and the patient have agreed need to be addressed/managed/rehabilitated

Actions: a list of the actions you going to do or what are you going to ask somebody else to do to actually attempt to meet these needs

And then as you begin to deliver the Plan you will add:

Completed Actions: a list of the actions you actually do at each stage

Outcomes: a summary of the effects of the actions - have they met needs

What do you mean 'agreed needs'?

What is it that you and the patient have agreed that needs to be addressed or managed or rehabilitated. This will be based on in-depth history, discussion, hearing impairment, condition of ext/ ME, expectations etc.

They will be broad statements of need but will be specific to an individual

Examples:

" Improve comfort of ear mould

" Better understand the effects and implications of sensorineural HL

" Investigate conductive hearing loss

" Improve hearing for speech in noisy environments

" Improve patients confidence in group social situations

What do you mean 'actions'?

What are you going to do or what are you going to ask somebody else to do to actually attempt to meet these needs. They will be specific and directive, probably written in the future tense and attached or relevant to one or more of the needs.

Examples:

Need: Improve comfort of ear mould

Possible actions you may decide upon:

" File and polish earmould to remove uncomfortable ridge

" Take new impression of right ear and order replacement ear mould

" Take new impression of right ear and order earmould made from softer material

" Guide patient on correct insertion of ear mould and provide written information/diagrams to support

What do you mean 'completed actions'?

These are the actions you (or other audiologists/agencies) actually do at each stage (as opposed to plan to do). They will be directly linked to actions (very similar) and probably written in past tense.

Action: Take new impression of right ear and order earmould made from softer material

Completed Action: Took new impression of RT ear (2108 microflex) and arranged for fitting appointment

What do you mean 'outcomes'?

These will be a summary of the effects of actions and will enable you to evaluate if the actions have met the needs? Ideally these will be supported by a more formal overall outcome measure.

They will be linked to needs and may often reference specific actions. They will probably be written in the present tense.

Need: Improve comfort of ear mould

Action: Take new impression of right ear and order earmould made from softer material

Completed Action: Took new impression of RT ear (2108 microflex) and arranged for fitting appointment

Outcome: New earmould good fit and patient reports softer material much more comfortable than previous earmoulds.

When is a management plan completed and how do we record this?

The management plan is complete when there are no outstanding actions and when outcomes indicate that needs have been met. 'Management plan complete' will be added as a final statement to the bottom of the management plan and the patient will be discharged to maintenance and support services.

You need to consider how you include outcomes or effects of referral to external agencies that may not have been delivered at final follow up appointments.

SOURCE

Better Care for Deaf Patients ?

With deafness affecting one in seven adults and a North West adult deaf population of 8,000, it’s alarming to hear that some studies show prevalence rates of mental health problems in deaf people may be around twice those of hearing people.

According to the Deaf Mental Health Charter, commissioned by Sign and the Mental Health Foundation, the current evidence base suggests that prevalence of mental health problems in deaf people is significantly higher than that in the general population, yet one third of deaf people avoid seeing their GP and only 40% find their GP Practice accessible, compared to 88% of wheelchair users. Clearly there is a huge gap in service provision that needs to be addressed.

“Many people with a hearing disability experience a lack of understanding and appropriate response from health and social care services when they develop mental health problems”, states the charter. For this reason, the NHS North West Strategic Health Authority (SHA) sought a service provider to deliver an Improving Access to Psychological Therapies in Primary Care (IAPT) course specifically for deaf people which aims to increase access to mental health services for people who are deaf. IAPT courses have one principal aim, to support Primary Care Trusts in implementing National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidelines for people suffering from depression and anxiety disorders.

Everyone is taking about it...

In Wales, what a pity no-one is DOING anything about it. Relevant part of recent Senedd debate about deafness in Wales. Still an lengthy read and blatant advert for an non-deaf charity, and is clear the politicians are reading off a script and not knowledge but....

Yr Anabledd Cudd—Materion Clyw yng Nghymru
The Hidden Disability—Hearing Issues in Wales

Mike Hedges: I am pleased to have this opportunity to bring forward a short debate on the issues affecting those who are either deaf or hard of hearing in Wales. As you know, this is a hidden disability; when you see people walking down the street, you cannot tell if they are deaf unless they are signing. A person‘s failure to answer is normally put down to rudeness rather than deafness. Even in these politically correct times, people will say things such as

'Are you deaf?‘ and, even now, hearing loss can be the butt of a comedian‘s jokes. My hope is that this debate will not only highlight the importance of this topic, but also stimulate a discussion through an exchange of ideas about how best to tackle the barriers that face those with hearing loss.

I thank Members, in advance, for expressing an interest in participating in what I hope will be a constructive debate. I have therefore agreed to give Ann Jones, Jenny Rathbone, Rebecca Evans, Mark Isherwood and Suzy Davies a minute to contribute to this debate.

Daeth Rhodri Glyn Thomas i’r Gadair am 6.10 p.m.
Rhodri Glyn Thomas took the Chair at 6.10 p.m.

Minister, according to research by the (charity name omitted as per Byddar Cymru Policy)it is estimated that around one in six people in the UK have some form of hearing loss, with medical experts believing that some 4 million people are currently undiagnosed. Here in Wales, it is estimated that more than 480,000 people are either deaf or hard of hearing, with that number rising year on year.

The most common form of hearing loss is age-related. The World Health Organization predicts that, by 2030, the onset of adult hearing loss will be one of the top 10 disease burdens in the UK—above diabetes and cataracts. In Wales, there have been some notable achievements and breakthroughs in supporting people who are deaf or hard of hearing. Programmes so far include the newborn screening programme, which came into force across Wales in 2003. This put Wales on the map as a leader in neonatal services, as the first of the home nations to implement this scheme. In 2004, the Welsh Government again led the way by recognising British Sign Language, followed by the introduction of best practice advice on providing services in BSL in the public sector.

In 2007, we saw the then Minister for health introduce the cochlear implant programme and, shortly afterwards, the Welsh Government set up the early support programme to improve the delivery of services to disabled children and their families.

More recently, the Minister for education announced funding for deaf awareness training to further educate professionals across Wales. We also saw the Welsh Government commission a report by (Charity title omitted) on the barriers for the deaf and hard of hearing community. In March 2010, the Welsh Government published a new set of quality standards aimed at improving services for deaf and hearing-impaired children.

Despite these vast accomplishments, there is still work to be done to break down the barriers that face this community in Wales. With so many people likely to experience some form of hearing loss during their lives, identifying and treating the disease at an early stage remains key to combating hearing loss. Of course, the first step when a person is concerned about their quality of hearing is to see their GP. Although patients in Wales are seen within 14 weeks for their first referral to an audiology department, there have unfortunately been cases of people waiting in some parts of Wales for up to three years to have their hearing aids refitted or their hearing reassessed. We need to ensure that all patients referred to an audiology department are seen within the national waiting time target of 14 weeks, including reassessments and refittings.

Of course, audiology services are just one type of service that the deaf and hard of hearing community will need to access in their lifetime. With around 40 per cent of deaf people of all ages likely to experience a mental health difficulty at some point—it is easy to understand why that is the case—adequate mental health provisions are essential for the deaf and hard of hearing community.

Wales is the only home nation not have a dedicated specialist mental health service for deaf adults, children and young people, although I am aware that the Betsi Cadwaladr University Local Health Board has made some progress in this field. Needless to say, the deaf and hard of hearing community has to overcome considerable barriers to access mental health services that meet its needs. These barriers include inappropriate communication, lack of information, insufficient training and low levels of deaf awareness. Often, it is a case of people not knowing how to talk to the deaf, and not using signing when appropriate.

I am aware that the final recommendations of the group of specialists was handed to the previous Minister for Health and Social Services last September and, with the Minister‘s support, was forwarded to the mental health programme board for consideration. I would hope that this could now be implemented.

It is essential that deaf people of all ages receive equality of service provision when living in Wales. I believe that addressing this issue by introducing specialist mental health service will greatly benefit those who are in desperate need of these services. Minister, research by (charity name omitted as per Byddar Cymru Policy) found that, in some cases, it can take up to 15 years for a person to seek help after first noticing that their hearing is deteriorating. Turning the television volume up is one thing that people do. They also ask people to speak up and so on. This means that they do not access help as soon as they could.

Many factors can affect hearing: working in a noisy workplace such as steel works, going to bars, listening to loud music in cars, or on iPods, which can pump music directly into people‘s ears. We have health and safety legislation designed to protect people in the workplace, but it does not protect young children and adults from the noise of iPods and other music-playing devices. This is a ticking time bomb of noise-induced hearing loss.

The frustrating fact, of course, is that noise-induced hearing loss is preventable. In my opinion, effective and informative public health awareness campaigns play a vital role in combating noise-induced hearing loss. We must remind not just children and young people, but the general public at large that once the sensory cells in their ears are damaged, there is no going back—they will not be repaired. Can the Minister therefore tell me what the Welsh Government will do to promote and progress public health campaigns on hearing care in Wales?

6.15 p.m.

The Minister will be aware that charities such as (charity name omitted as per Byddar Cymru Policy) are currently working with Public Health Wales on a number of potential campaigns, such as developing lesson plans on noise-induced hearing loss to be delivered in schools in personal and social education classes. These proposals are obviously at an early stage of development, however, I look forward to seeing the final product and hope that the Welsh Government will be in full support of such educational campaigns.

As a former lecturer who has worked with young people for over 25 years, it is my belief that education is a key factor in a young person‘s chances. People with hearing loss—and I have taught people with hearing loss—are not achieving as much as they could, which affects their life chances. Research conducted by the National Deaf Children‘s Society reveals large attainment gaps between hearing and non-hearing people at every key stage. For instance, research in 2008 found that deaf pupils in Wales were 30 per cent less likely to achieve five GCSEs at grades A to C than their peers. One step that the Welsh Government could take to bridge the gap for those who are suffering from hearing loss is to ensure that new build schools are acoustically friendly. With building regulations due to be devolved to the Assembly this December, strengthening building bulletin 93 by incorporating better school acoustics can be made a reality. A good acoustic environment will ensure that not only deaf and partially deaf children, but all children, are able to make the best use of this equipment to learn effectively.

It is important to note that hearing loss is not a learning disability, and that the majority of deaf and partially deaf children in Wales attend mainstream schools. With the right support and surroundings, pupils with hearing loss will be able to achieve on par with their peers, which, in turn, will help in closing both the gap in educational attainment and, more importantly, employability. I ask for the Minister‘s assurance that she will discuss this matter with both the Minister for Education and Skills and other Cabinet colleagues with the aim of incorporating better school acoustics into Welsh Government policy.

Minister, regardless of the causes of hearing loss—whether age, excessive noise, injury or medication—the stark reality is that this condition affects one in six of us, or, to put it into this context, 10 out of the 60 Assembly Members will be affected by it. It is essential that this Welsh Government takes the lead within the UK and builds upon its achievements to ensure that the deaf and hard of hearing community can enjoy full and independent lifestyles, free from stigma, regardless of disability and based entirely on equality of opportunity.

Rebecca Evans: The hidden nature of deafness is highlighted in the title of this short debate. However, it is vital that deafness is not hidden in policy making. I am therefore pleased that our Labour manifesto included a specific section on services for deaf people. I take this opportunity to ask the Welsh Government to build on this and on our equality standards, along with the quality standards for paediatric audiology, to ensure that deaf children are able to fulfil their potential. Mike Hedges has outlined the concerning gaps in attainment between deaf and hearing children. With that in mind, the Welsh Government must ensure that the individual development plans that are being piloted to replace statements are assessed to ensure that they meet the needs of children and young people who are deaf and commit to further awareness raising in relation to deafness for both new teachers and those who have been teaching for many years.

The NDCS has been asking deaf children what they would like to do when they grow up. It is of no surprise that they have the same aspirations as their hearing counterparts—to be veterinarians, farmers, pilots, hairdressers, fashion designers, even Formula 1 drivers. Therefore, the Government must continue to be proactive in ensuring that children and young people who are deaf are not disadvantaged as they pursue their dreams and ambitions.

Jenny Rathbone: I just want to add some points to what has been said already about the difficulty that people who are deaf have in accessing public services. (charity name omitted as per Byddar Cymru Policy) research shows that two out of three deaf people have difficulty in accessing public services. For example, if buildings do not have loop systems, people find it extremely frustrating trying to follow the conversation that is going on. There is a particular problem with regard to people who need translation into British Sign Language. It is not well understood that, for a significant minority, that is the only language that they understand. That is to say that they cannot read English and therefore cannot even carry out such daily tasks as reading a bus timetable, never mind understand information in leaflets about services that might be available, or read medical appointment letters.

It is unfortunate that some public services completely ignore the Welsh Government guidance, produced in 2004, on the use of BSL. In one case that I have been told about, a general practitioner failed to book a BSL interpreter to inform a patient that he had cancer and instead asked a relative to translate. That is completely unacceptable. We must remind public services about this guidance and ensure that it is followed, so that deaf people have access to public services. Public services have a real duty to do specialist outreach work with this hard-to-reach group, whether through the use of voluntary organisations or through training their own communication support workers.

Rhodri Glyn Thomas: Jenny, please draw to a close; there are three other speakers.

Jenny Rathbone: If we do not do that, the mental health issues that were alluded to can only get worse.

Ann Jones: I thank Mike Hedges for raising the issues of people who are deaf or hard of hearing in his first short debate. Mike has become a member of the all-party group on deaf issues, which has been successful in helping the Government to form its policies, such as those on neonatal hearing screening, the use of BSL, and our acceptance of BSL as recognised language. I want to concentrate briefly on lip reading. I believe that it is an important tool for people with hearing loss, as does the all-party group. We believe that people with hearing loss should be able to access affordable lip-reading classes to help them to lead full, independent lives. (charity name omitted as per Byddar Cymru Policy) report, 'Paying Lip Service‘, found that there are only 19 lip-reading classes in Wales, which means that, in some areas, there is no access to those courses whatsoever and no service available—yet this is a vital tool for people with hearing loss. I had a meeting with the Minister for social justice in the last Assembly, and he suggested that lip reading be included in the overarching community strategy. In her response, can the Minister give us an update on this?

Suzy Davies: I also thank Mike Hedges for bringing this debate forward, as it gives us a chance to air some of the issues raised not just by representative groups, but by constituents.

I suspect that most of us are likely to encounter deafness within our own families, as members of our families get older and begin to lose their hearing. I take on board the findings by (charity name omitted as per Byddar Cymru Policy), but I would like to raise a point regarding deaf children and, in particular, deaf children who are growing up in a Welsh-language environment. We have already heard that deaf children with no other additional learning needs have a lower level of educational attainment than their peers. That is troubling, not least for their future wellbeing. However, the Government‘s Welsh in education strategic plans, which ask local authorities to provide plans to Government, only ask for very general information on additional learning needs support. Will the Minister consider mapping the availability of specialist support for deaf pupils and students who live and learn through the medium of Welsh? As the Government is planning statutory status for Welsh-language plans, the specific needs of deaf children should be taken into account.

Mark Isherwood: (charity name omitted as per Byddar Cymru Policy) research last year found that 80 per cent of respondents said that a lack of deaf awareness was the main barrier to them using services. The report identifies the everyday barriers that we deaf or hard of hearing people face daily when using public services, including health services, post offices and banks, public transport, the arts and entertainment, leisure activities, employment and training. The report reveals that over four fifths of us believe that being deaf or hard of hearing makes it harder for us to use services. Seventy-nine per cent of respondents believe that being deaf or hard of hearing makes it harder for them to enjoy the arts, entertainment or leisure. Earlier this year, several recommendations from (charity name omitted as per Byddar Cymru Policy), were included in the report on accessibility to the arts produced by the former Communities and Culture Committee. One of these was that the Welsh Government should work with the arts council to build in a robust auditing process, to ensure full accountability from its funded organisations with regard to delivering arts performances and events that are fully accessible to people with hearing loss. So, I would be grateful, Minister, in your response, if you could tell us what steps have been taken so far to introduce and develop this auditing process.

The Minister for Finance and Leader of the House (Jane Hutt): As the Assembly Member for Swansea East has stated, it is not always recognised that being deaf or losing your hearing can be seriously debilitating. I know that people with hearing loss can experience significant barriers to participation in everyday life. Such people form a significant percentage of the population, and I congratulate the Member for Swansea East on making this the subject of his short debate. As the Minister who has responsibility for equality, I want to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to lead a full life. I want a Wales in which deafness or hearing loss does not limit or determine opportunity.

I was pleased to speak at the (Charity title omitted re Byddar Cymru policy) reception last week and to meet volunteers and service users,

Read HERE for Part 1

Read HERE for part 2

Read HERE for Part 3

and to meet the National Deaf Children‘s Society to discuss the many issues that have been raised today regarding the needs of deaf children, which were raised in particular by Rebecca Evans, Jenny Rathbone and Suzy Davies.

I chair the disability equality advisory group, which provides a forum for disabled people and their representative organisations to engage with us and influence us as we develop policies and projects. It is vital that we have ongoing dialogue through such fora, as well as that we meet groups, attend receptions and receive the evidence that is so abundant in this field. The group was set up as a task-and-finish group to report on the Welsh Ministers‘ disability equality duty, and it includes a range of stakeholders to help us to take forward co-ordinated action on improving equality of opportunity for disabled people. As I said yesterday in the Chamber in my statement on equalities, I have decided that the group should continue as an ongoing forum, but with revised terms of reference, as it provides such a valuable contribution to the equality agenda.

Assembly Members will be pleased to note that, at the last meeting in June, we heard from
(charity name omitted as per Byddar Cymru Policy) about the difference that lip-reading classes can make to people‘s lives. Therefore, I am glad that Ann Jones, as the chair of the all-party group on deaf issues, has raised that point. Lip-reading classes can help people to adapt to hearing loss and to the use of hearing aids, and provide advice on the maintenance of hearing aids and on coping strategies. Indeed, officials are working now with (charity name omitted as per Byddar Cymru Policy) and other charities to explore practical ways of improving access to lip-reading training for people with hearing loss, and it will be meeting in October to discuss potential approaches. There was a positive response at the reception yesterday from people, who felt that it was worth being involved in that forum, as they saw that it could lead to action. Although I take the lead as the Minister with responsibility for equality, there is cross-Governmental action, for example, in terms of the response of the education department on the particular issue of lip-reading classes.

With regard to the actions that we intend to take forward to address the barriers and to develop policies and programmes, organisations such as (charity name omitted as per Byddar Cymru Policy) and the National Deaf Children‘s Society, and the all-party group, which now has new members, as Ann Jones said, have made a huge difference to the way in which we have developed policies and programmes and the funding that we have allocated. It is important to increase the number of British Sign Language interpreters in Wales in order to allow deaf people to access communications support more easily. I take on board Jenny Rathbone‘s point about this in relation to access to public services. When we developed the BSL scheme, we produced guidance for public bodies on how they would deliver it, and we funded it extensively, with European support. It is important to note, despite the disappointing response and experience that constituents may have brought to your attention, that now, given the public sector‘s specific duties, a lack of adherence to those policies can be addressed through the statutory route.

It is also important, as was acknowledged last week, that we introduced the newborn hearing screening programme, which means that hearing loss is identified within the first few weeks of a baby‘s life, and that we modernise audiology services in Wales. It is also important, as the Assembly Member for Swansea East said, that we introduce the quality standards for audiology in Wales. That includes local development plans across health boards, ensuring that audiology services improve and meet progressive targets.

It is important that I provide an update to the Assembly Member for Swansea East and other Members on the current situation with information forwarded to the mental health programme board. This is a matter for the Department for Health and Social Services, but, again, it is cross-governmental action that needs to be taken. With regard to that update, a presentation was made by the National Deaf Children‘s Society, and the mental health programme board has advised that services should respond by providing more local provision, and it has referred this evidence to the Welsh Health Specialised Services Committee. As a result, the specialist child and adolescent mental health services are accepting referrals of deaf children and using support from the English national deaf services where required. An expert advisory group was convened to help progress the recommendations from 'Breaking the Barriers‘ to strengthen improvement in this area.

It is very important that Mike Hedges talked about public health and the promotion of awareness campaigns. I agree with the Assembly Member about the music players that are now commonly used by children and young people. (charity name omitted as per Byddar Cymru Policy) gave evidence on the damage that loud music and listening to MP3 players at dangerous volumes can do. Again, to update you and to assure you, officials from Public Health Wales and health boards are working with the charity on ideas about how these messages and that awareness can be spread among the public, and particularly to young people.

Finally, I want to focus on the importance of the public sector specific duties. We now have these new equality duties on public sector organisations in Wales. The duties contain provision for involvement, engagement and consultation with people affected by the decisions taken by public authorities. They also require public authorities to engage with those with one or more of the protected characteristics and not just those who represent their interests in the development work around the duties. Along with most public bodies, the Welsh Government has adopted the social model of disability, recognising that people with impairments are disabled by the barriers that commonly exist in society and helping us to formulate policies to remove those barriers.

Mark Isherwood reminded us of those barriers. It has been so useful that the whole Assembly adopted the social model of disability in the early days. Good work has been done on recommendations for access to the arts for those who are deaf and those with hearing loss. I will seek to provide the regional Member for North Wales with an update on the impact of those recommendations in that respect. To go back to the point made by Mark Isherwood and Suzy Davies about the mapping process, the process that we are undertaking, applying the social model to our specific duties, includes issues such as the accessibility of buildings and the accessibility of resources provided—whether information is provided in plain English and Cymraeg clir for example. The specialist support for those who learn through the medium of Welsh is something that the mapping process should address. Suzy Davies made that point, and we will take that on board.

Mention was made of the availability of staff, loop systems, access to sign language, interpreters and communication support. It is important that we see this as cross-governmental. The point about education takes us to Members‘ requests for us to look at the work done on compliance with acoustic standards in schools. That is something I took up when I was the Minister for education, and officials are already meeting with the National

Deaf Children‘s Society to discuss compliance issues, including the implications of building bulletin 93 on acoustics in schools. An agreement to comply with BB93 is a condition of grant for all future schools funding contracts. This began with the second tranche of funding contracts that were issued through our capital programme in 2010-11 for this financial year. That was a major step forward. It is a requirement for local authorities to obtain a pre-completion test to ensure compliance.

Rebecca Evans‘s focus on the commitment in our manifesto and programme of government in relation to deaf issues, particularly children‘s needs, and the point about individual development plans is crucial with regard to the way in which we take this forward. This brings us back to the importance of the public sector equality duty. Our objectives will be set out in a strategic equality plan, which will be published next April. People will be left in no doubt as to what we are trying to do to help to eliminate discrimination and promote equality.

This opportunity to fulfil our leadership role and take our responsibilities forward is particularly pertinent as a result of this short debate, which will have a significant influence in providing an update on the progress that has been made and to outline the issues that we still need to address. I thank the Member for Swansea East, Michael Hedges, for bringing this subject forward today for debate.

Rhodri Glyn Thomas: Mae hynny yn dwyn gweithgareddau‘r dydd i ben. Rhodri Glyn Thomas: That brings today‘s proceedings to a close.

Cardiff City Council BSL Access

Cardiff Access BSL from Melow Meldrew on Vimeo.

One of a series of BSL videos by Cardiff City Council specifically to inform deaf people. This one is about sensory impaired access and support options. (Perhaps if they also offered captioned access ?).

Un o gyfres o fideos BSL gan Gyngor Dinas Caerdydd yn benodol i roi gwybod i bobl fyddar. Mae hyn yn un yn ymwneud â mynediad nam ar y synhwyrau a dewisiadau cymorth. (Efallai os byddant hefyd yn cynnig mynediad isdeitlau?).

English HoH charities taking funds away from Wales ?

Welsh deaf groups are consistently failing to present issues of deafness and sign language in Wales, at the Welsh National Assembly and are allowing Hard of Hearing Charities to take credit for deaf representation's. Recent Byddar Cymru posts have highlighted the lack of involvement by 'Deaf' representation in Wales to face up where it counts, nil deaf turning up, and allowing hard of hearing charities to claim kudos for support for deaf people they haven't provided, and to claim an voice that has never had an mandate for, to present an entirely false impression of deaf support in order to lobby for funding which ISN'T going to go to deaf people.. and claimed via English based charities.

Is Wales getting it share of funding ? or is funding for deaf being diverted to bolster support for HoH in England ? Recent funding application from AOHL have contained videos of ENGLISH support options. Wales deaf need an survey of charities based in England. operating in Wales, and applying for funds from the Welsh Assembly, is it going TO welsh deaf or not ? What input from Welsh deaf is involved ?

The Welsh Assembly (The Senedd) has had next to no input from deaf signing charities in many months, in some cases over an year, and again have failed to attend a meeting with ministers concerned with providing access for deaf people to NHS and mental health support options. If these signing groups are to have ANY following at all, they have to be seen. The shameful business-like and block publicity approach of HoH charities at the Senedd to infer 'Deaf' support, is completely unacceptable and of course presenting an inaccurate message to the ministers in Wales of deaf need. Not withstanding most printed matter provided is not complying with the equal access laws for the welsh language.

HoH charities do NOT present deaf interests, this is an truism, this isn't promoting any divide, the divide is ALREADY There. Why hasn't the London-run charity AOHL agreed to cut loose RNID Cymru so welsh deaf have autonomy ? Why is there NO deaf input at the welsh annex of the English-run RNID ? We demand an answer to English-speaking based charities running Welsh services.

WELSH TRANSLATION:

Grwpiau fyddar Cymru yn methu'n gyson i gyflwyno materion yn ymwneud â byddardod ac iaith arwyddion yng Nghymru, yn y Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru ac yn cael eu caniatáu Thrwm eu Clyw Elusennau i gymryd y clod am gynrychiolaeth fyddar. Swyddi diweddar Byddar Cymru wedi tynnu sylw at y diffyg cyfranogiad gan 'Byddar' gynrychiolaeth yng Nghymru i wynebu i fyny, lle mae'n cyfrif, dim troi i fyny fyddar, a chaniatáu trwm eu clyw elusennau i hawlio clod am gymorth ar gyfer pobl fyddar nad ydynt wedi darparu, a i hawlio llais erioed wedi cael mandad i, i gyflwyno argraff hollol ffug o gefnogaeth fyddar er mwyn i lobïo am ariannu NAD YW mynd i fynd i bobl fyddar .. a hawliwyd drwy elusennau a leolir yn Saesneg.

A yw Cymru yn ei gael cyfran o arian? neu yn ariannu ar gyfer pobl fyddar yn cael ei ddargyfeirio i hybu cefnogaeth i HoH yn Lloegr? Cais am arian diweddar gan AOHL wedi cynnwys fideos o opsiynau cefnogi SAESNEG. Cymru yn fyddar angen arolwg o elusennau sy'n gweithio yng Nghymru. gweithredu yng Nghymru, ac yn gwneud cais am gyllid gan Lywodraeth Cynulliad Cymru, mae'n mynd I fyddar Cymraeg ai peidio? Beth mewnbwn gan Cymraeg byddar yn cymryd rhan?

Mae Cynulliad Cymru (y Senedd) wedi cael nesaf i unrhyw fewnbwn gan elusennau arwyddo fyddar yn ystod y misoedd lawer, mewn rhai achosion dros flwyddyn, ac unwaith eto wedi methu â mynychu cyfarfod gyda gweinidogion ymwneud â darparu mynediad ar gyfer pobl fyddar i GIG ac iechyd meddwl opsiynau cefnogaeth. Os bydd y grwpiau hyn arwyddo i gael UNRHYW canlynol o gwbl, rhaid iddynt gael eu gweld. Mae'r gywilyddus busnes-fel a bloc dull chyhoeddusrwydd o elusennau HoH yn y Senedd i ddod i'r casgliad 'Byddar' cefnogaeth, yn gwbl annerbyniol ac wrth gwrs, yn cyflwyno neges anghywir i weinidogion yng Nghymru o angen byddar. Nid yw mater er gwaethaf y rhan fwyaf o argraffu a ddarperir yn cydymffurfio â'r deddfau mynediad cyfartal ar gyfer yr iaith Gymraeg.

NID elusennau HoH yn cyflwyno buddiannau fyddar, mae hwn yn ystrydeb, nid yw hyn yn hyrwyddo unrhyw rhannu'r, y rhaniad yn EISOES Mae yna. Pam nad yw'r elusen wedi Llundain sy'n cael ei rhedeg AOHL cytuno i dorri yn rhydd RNID Cymru, felly Cymraeg byddar fod yn annibynnol? Pam fod NA mewnbwn fyddar yn y atodiad Cymraeg yr RNID Saesneg sy'n cael ei rhedeg? Rydym yn galw am ateb i'r Saesneg eu hiaith elusennau sydd wedi'u lleoli yn rhedeg gwasanaethau Cymraeg.

Steve Day At Penarth

Britain's only deaf comedian is in Wales. Where is it ? HERE

THE PILOT, PENARTH.

Come To Cardiff, stop deaf club closures !

The Hardest Hit Campaign - Welsh Rally
Saturday 22nd October 2011

Disabled people, their families and friends will be taking to the streets of Cardiff to protest against Government cuts to disability benefits and services. A march and rally in the capital will show how strongly pan-disability groups across Wales feel about welfare reform.

Protests are planned in cities including Edinburgh, Cardiff, Leeds, Nottingham, Brighton, Manchester, Newcastle and Bristol with more locations expected to follow.
The Welsh Rally will take place on Saturday 22nd October in Cardiff.
More details will be posted here soon.

To register your interest email: wales@hardesthit.org.uk

ATR at the Senedd (The third part)

Part of charity display was about their intention to attend more and more deaf clubs in Wales to raise awareness,but two issues raise questions, one, in that near ALL Welsh deaf clubs are facing severe cuts and closures, the other point is that Deaf people mostly signing at these clubs are non-supporters of the charity or, use hearing aids, an point made painfully clear by their non-showing at the assembly.

I had an particular interest in the Mental health area, and was keen to see this issue raised given there appeared an strong showing of interested parties with suitable placards which were there for the photo opportunities. However the issue was NOT raised with Jane Hutt there and nobody took the onus of using the microphone to point out the Senedd shortcomings in withdrawing support for an dedicated welsh service.

We are all in attendance issued with an folder showing all the photographs of the politicians who would be there (An good idea given deaf go by features), and, whom we would be able to talk to about issues of concern. A point made by Jane Hutt, who apparently was unaware most had failed to attend ! and many of the others left after she spoke. I DID manage to corner one person there,in fact an person I has been in contact with 5 days previously, and was in effect brushed off especially when I asked why the Senedd health Minister had refused to fund an dedicated welsh MH service, which meant deaf people were 'deported' to England for treatment, he was quick to get away from me.

Perhaps this charity needs to address how the Senedd treats it's customers ? If this is the Senedd idea of listening to the people, deaf were singularly unimpressed ! He also said he was some 'middle-man', that is his job was there to screen enquiries to the minister re relevance. So raising this issue was not relevant ? he didn't say that when the charity was there ! How can deaf read TWO faces at the same time ? had the charity provided communication support we could have had an field day exposing this duplicity.

I'd made a point of raising MH issues because I knew the politicians concerned would be there yesterday. He was uninterested frankly and left to talk with hearing people because, the charity although inviting users to put points, had no communication support organised so we could do it, a few more deafies with more about them would have made this meeting relevant. I was waiting for an question-answer section and it never happened, what occurred was we were told to "Meet the politicians at the coffee area (!) and quick before they left for 'other duties', it was farcical in that most had already left anyway.

In fairness I found Richard of the charity willing to listen, but the point was enabling US to put these questions ourselves, we aren't unable, but communication support was an must that wasn't there or organised. I felt excluded really. If he wants to make inroads he is going to have to challenge these people head on. Who knows the charity might even gain some respect from hard-pressed deafies with apparently no representation in Wales at present. I don't think he was aware most of the politicians we needed to talk with had either not arrived or had left early or even sent 'subs' in their place whom we would never recognise, what point photos of people who weren't there ?

Given the meet was in the Senedd 'lunchtime' the whole thing looked like an photo shoot and not much more.

Jane Hutt praised the charity for providing signed access (why didn't THEY provide it ?), "Or we would not have been able to understand the deaf.." erm it still didn't happen ! Just because you see an interpreter does not mean most there were signing or even profoundly deaf. The 'image' of sign language was one which was NOT used to maximise deaf effect, it is clear despite brand name changes and emphasis of this charity,they needed sign there because sign language was an universal ID via mainstream of deaf people. OK WE know it isn't, but clearly this charity knows how to use sign to plug issues of hard of hearing, as deaf got no mention, a lot more should have been done to invite the deaf sign user, empower us, not speak FOR us..

So they use sign and not the signers ? Bit of duality there I think ! I'd already described in part one blog, how it was physically difficult to even see the support. This was an charity providing an service as legal requirement, but it would have looked better to have had the deaf invited and, the Senedd providing the support.

If ever there was an need for the deaf to get involved this shambolic exhibition was an prime example, it gave very misleading impressions of deaf involvement and indeed deaf representation. Should we blame this charity for not doing what it says on the label ? or the dedicated sign-using charities and reps for letting Deaf welsh people down ? There are few opportunities as it is for deaf to meet their representative politicians from their own areas on any level footing, and this was yet another opportunity lost again.

For goodness sake get OFF your computers and show your faces where it counts. There is no doubt this particular charity has no 'ear' at all to deaf people, and was painfully obvious yesterday, so what do welsh deaf DO about it ? This charity also claims to have trebled BSL interpreters in Wales. Although my understanding was the BDA and this charity gained funding from EUROPE so didn't do it alone. There you go BDA you don't speak for yourself someone else will, and take the credit for it..

ATR At the Senedd (The second part).

Having thus explained in part one the physical area and access, I would like now to move on to the nitty gritty of events proceedings. Richard Williams opened with the usual charity spiel and explaining the charities purpose, and nods to the the Assemblies great and not so..... Curiously an dvd about Milton Keynes 'Hear to help' project was shown, which might have made more impact if from some welsh area, given Milton Keynes is part of southern ENGLAND (!) and should have been the subject as we were at the seat of WELSH politics and raising issues of Welsh deaf and hard of hearing..

Hear To Help is I confess an area I find totally obscure to be honest, whilst I can appreciate their might (As we were told), be many 90 yr olds in Wales who don't know their left from their right ear or how to remove wax from tubing, or for some inexplicable reason cannot tell when wearing two aids, which goes in which ear despite each being made specially, I find the questions are more about:

(1)Why does an welsh health (Audiology) service, issue hearing aids and then don't instruct users on their use or offer them back up ? Apparently and farcically, you have to label aids so people know either red or blue, which was cue for political unfunnies about politics. The issue the charity is suggesting, is this is leaving people with aids still unable to utlise them properly should surely be the first issue to address ?

(2) Why we are expecting charities to provide these 'services' instead ? It's conveyor belt approach from Welsh Audiology, give 'em an hearing aid, get rid..... next !

(3) Why are charities so eager to do it instead of lobbying the welsh NHS to do what it is paid for, and leave that support at the whim of the begging bowl ?

In part of description of H2H was that Wales was populated by dotty old people, and veered towards patronisation. We know politicians are more than happy others do it for next to nothing, it is why they court charities, even if they don't back it up with cash to make it workable.... Whilst Jane Hutt's speech was fawning of charity she made the political point cuts and 'delivery' of services was under constraint.

I desperately wanted to nail her down as to why she withdrew support for deaf MH services and thus looked hypocritical as did the charity for not taking the option there and then to highlight it. This was charity playing at politics. Not a pretty sight. What I saw is "Here is what we do, can you get us more money ?" and not an user in sight. I was uncomfortable with the very business-like approaches of the charity and the desire to be in politics too. What should have made politicians uncomfortable wasn't even apparent. They work for US, we don't work for them (OK we do pay their wages too !).

What H2H identified was NOT helping older people with hearing aids, but actually providing contact services for those isolated, it could be by hearing loss or any number of other reasons not to do with hearing loss. I'm sure Age concern can enlighten..

A worthy aim, but I'd rather educate politicians and lean on them, and Joe public to do more than lip-service.. One elderly lady apparently was deaf for 6 out of 7 days a week because she didn't know how to remove wax from aid tubing, neither did her once a week family visitor, and she lived miles from anyone. I would have thought a few questions raised there before an charity turns up ! Assuming it was necessary to show this person how to clean an hearing aid tube, is it then necessary to return time and time again ? This then moves AWAY from aid services to something else surely ?

The argument used is providing an service the state isn't, but helping people in isolation is not the job description of audiologists. The focus was on elderly aid users mainly, which was blatant stereotyping. We've got 19yr olds with ipods already half way there....

No wonder Jane Hutt was happy to see charity doing her job, which should be organising an proper health service approach to those with hearing aids. I found the level of patronisation very high, do hearing aid users really not know left from right ?

ATR At the Senedd (The first part).

The upper balcony where the 'awareness' took place.

Not my usual bag to attend these photo shoots for charities, but as the invite said anyone could turn up and then put issues to political representatives, I felt bound to turn up. Firstly I will explain the set ups. The event was to present 'loss issues' at the assembly by an welsh charity for the hard of hearing. Really speaking the 'open' aspect of the meeting invite, was not intended for actual users of services, but those who provide charitable services for them, which I found off-putting..

ACCESS: There was an BSL interpreter there to cover proceedings (2 in fact), but that was only matched by the 2 deaf signers that turned up, there was hardly any deaf people par se in attendance at all. The rest were predominantly carers, audiologists, and charity workers of various descriptions, political hangers-on, some sightseers, and those always there for an photo-shoot opportunity. Mainly hearing aid users ruled the day. It was very disappointing from any deaf view, but no-one seemed bothered if the deaf turned up or not. It was annoying no signing representatives took any interest, as we needed desperately to raise deaf profile at the Political heart of wales.

I have to state I thought the area set aside was very poor from an deaf and from an hearing impaired point of view, it was from an balcony area overlooking the main entrance, and alongside an lift access for disabled, which meant when disabled in wheelchairs came to the Senedd, they would have to wheel straight through the charity meeting whilst in progress. Whether this was the charities fault or the constraint demands made by the Senedd I don't know, either way it wasn't good enough. It looked like an quick fix really. Everyone had to stand as well, including one or two who were on crutches from Swansea. Unless you had hearing and were at the front of the crowd I doubt you would follow anything.

I was disappointed users of services were apparently less at front than the charity itself. Service provision is about US I would have thought not the charity. No users came forward to put the case,and there was no Question-Answer sessions, just speeches. Both sign users and those requiring text access (Also provided), had very little chance to utilise either, as everyone had to stand and unless you were at the front, could not see the interpreter or the text displayed very poorly on an projected screen, which has its back to the light (Which meant vision was occasionally difficult at any distance and because the strong light behind the projected screen rendered the text almost invisible at times from the front to read. ATR had to (Rather rudely sorry !), elbow his way to the front to have any idea what was happening.

No attempt was made to ensure those needing signed and text access were placed where they could maximise it. All in all the access as per hard of hearing and the deaf, would have been better placed to the rear of the balcony where there was more room and better lighting. A few chairs would have helped too ! I was not aware if an loop was present, I asked an aid user who said there wasn't.

End of first part.

DAC needs New Trustees

CONTACT

You don't HAVE to settle for signed access...

(As part of IDA week)....Many hearing people, who have had little interaction with deaf people, assume that all deaf people use British Sign Language.

This is simply not the case. Whilst British Sign Language is a thriving language, with tens of thousands of fluent users in the UK, there are many others types of communication support which enable deaf and hard of hearing people to communicate.

Video Relay:

This enables deaf people who use sign language to have a conversation with a hearing person using an interpreter via a web cam. Previously deaf people had to rely on an outdated phone service called TypeTalk for phone conversations. This connected them to an operator who would type out what the other person was saying, one line at a time. Not ideal when English isn’t your first language or for complicated conversations.

With Video Relay a deaf person can call an interpreter who connects with the hearing person. The deaf person follows the sign language on the screen (either on a computer or special phone) and the hearing person can listen to the interpreter. This also enables shorter meetings to take place without the cost and hassle of booking an interpreter. Whilst the service is not yet on-demand, it is heading that way soon hopefully!

Speech to Text:

Speech to Text Reporters (STTRs) or Palantypists are trained to type at the speed of speech. They use a special phonetic keyboard, much like a court reporter to produce scrolling text, which is displayed on a screen. This allows deaf people to read what is being, as its being said.

STTRs are fantastic for deaf and hard of hearing people whose first language is written and spoken English. They provide the reassurance of not missing out on anything, meaning deaf people can feel confident about contributing in meetings and conferences. There is a dire shortage of STTRs, with no courses running for new ones to train.

Note-takers:

Electronic note-takers take notes using a laptop keyboard, whilst manual note-takers take written notes, which a deaf person can read during a meeting or event. They provide an excellent back-up for hard of hearing people or deaf people who are confident lip readers.

Much like STTRs there is a chronic shortage of note-takers, although there are training courses. The problem is worse in Scotland, Ireland and Wales where there are very few note-takers or STTRs There are only 51 STTRs and note-takers working in the UK today. There are nine million deaf and hard of hearing people.

Remote Captioning:

Remote Captioning is a revolutionary new service enabling deaf people to follow what is being as it is being said without the need for an interpreter to be present in the room. An electronic note-taker or Speech to Text Reporter listens to what is being said using either Skype or a telephone. They type what they hear and the text is displayed on a website. The text is produced at the speed of speech and can be displayed on a computer, laptop, iPad or smart phone so deaf people can follow what is being said, as it’s being said.

This reduces costs and enables deaf people to book shorter meetings with less notice. It requires a connection to the internet, but there’s nothing to download or install. It goes some way to alleviate the shortage of note-takers and STTRs as they are able to fit shorter meetings into their diaries, or fill in days when they don’t have any bookings without having to travel. For example, an STTR in Surrey can cover a conference in Sheffield at short notice and without any travel costs.

Lip speakers:

Lip speakers are hearing people trained to silently repeat back what has been said to a deaf person using clear lip movements. For deaf people who don’t use sign language, or perhaps when having a note-taker present isn’t practical, a lip speaker offers the communication support vital to ensuring the deaf person understands what is being said. But guess what? There are only 40 registered lip speakers in the UK. Have a read of a Day in the Life of a lip speaker to see whether it’s a career that might interest you or someone you know.

Lip-reading:

Not to be confused with lip-speaking – remember a lipspeaker can hear what is being said – lip-reading is how many deaf people follow what is being in day-to-day life. It was how Tina Lannin decoded what was being said by William and Catherine on their big day.

It is very challenging however, as the RNID has highlighted with a series of videos this week.

When speaking with a deaf person who is trying to lip-read what you are saying remember a few key things, don’t shout – it distorts your lip movement, talk in a well lit area, if needed repeat and rephrase what you’re saying and give it some context. A lot of lip-reading is guess-work so the more there is to guess from the better.

Awareness about these different forms of communication support is poor for both hearing and deaf people. If you are hearing, always ask a deaf person what method they prefer. It’s also very important to note that all of the above forms of communication support can be funded by Access to Work and for students, the DSA.

Gleision Colliery

Byddar Cymru extends heartfelt sympathy to the families of the mining dead.

Byddar Cymru yn ymestyn cydymdeimlad diffuant i deuluoedd y meirw mwyngloddio.

Background

Open Letter to Welsh Minister of Health.

Hi

My name is (name/address/area withheld here for privacy reasons), I am profoundly deaf and Live in ********. I recently read the Assembly minister for health has rejected the suggested provision of an dedicated Mental health Service and Nurses to deaf people, can I have more information on this, and, why our deaf people are being sent away from Wales for treatments and diagnosis's to Bristol, Bath and London or Manchester instead ?

It must be appreciated this undermines those deaf with Mental health Issues being able to utilise local services and ease of access for their relatives to support them. A number are sent to English Hospitals never to return to Wales. If an hearing person can access local mental health teams then why cannot the deaf person ? There are sign language interpreters to assist Dr's here.

It is outrageous the Minister has turned down deaf sign language support (In many cases the sole means Dr's can use to diagnose treatment), which is an legal right under the law, perhaps the Minister can be made aware the Assembly is in breach of Human Rights too. The Minster also turned down an suggested dedicated service to specialise in Deaf mental Health in Wales, again an disgraceful attempt to save money, which in reality doesn't, since the Assembly then has to finance specialist areas in England. I would appreciate some clarifications on this. Not only is the Minister refusing an basic right of access to localised MH teams, but is 'deporting' deaf people to England, and depriving them of family support to aid recovery.

Thank You

For the welsh Speaker.

Hi

Fy enw i yw (enw / cyfeiriad / ardal yma dal yn ôl am resymau preifatrwydd), yr wyf yn hollol fyddar a Byw mewn ********. Yn ddiweddar, yn darllen y gweinidog y Cynulliad ar gyfer iechyd wedi gwrthod y ddarpariaeth yn awgrymu y Gwasanaeth iechyd meddwl penodol a Nyrsys i bobl fyddar, gallaf gael rhagor o wybodaeth am hyn, ac, pam ein pobl fyddar yn cael eu hanfon i ffwrdd o Gymru ar gyfer triniaethau a diagnosis i Bryste, Caerfaddon a Llundain neu Fanceinion yn lle hynny?

Rhaid sylweddoli hyn yn tanseilio rhai sy'n fyddar â materion iechyd meddwl yn gallu defnyddio gwasanaethau lleol a rhwyddineb mynediad am eu perthnasau i'w cefnogi. Mae nifer yn cael eu hanfon i Ysbytai Saesneg byth i ddychwelyd i Gymru. Os gall person gwrandawiad mynediad thimau iechyd meddwl lleol, yna pam na all y person byddar? Mae dehonglwyr iaith arwyddion i gynorthwyo Dr yma.

Mae'n warthus mae'r Gweinidog wedi gwrthod arwyddo byddar cymorth iaith (Mewn llawer o achosion yr unig yn golygu y gall Dr yn eu defnyddio i wneud diagnosis o driniaeth), sydd yn hawl cyfreithiol o dan y gyfraith, efallai y gall y Gweinidog fod yn ymwybodol y Cynulliad yn torri Dynol Hawliau hefyd. Mae'r Gweinidog hefyd wedi gwrthod gwasanaeth yn awgrymu ymroddedig i arbenigo mewn Iechyd Byddar meddwl yng Nghymru, unwaith eto ymgais warthus i arbed arian, sydd mewn gwirionedd nid yw'n, ers i'r Cynulliad wedyn i ariannu'r meysydd arbenigol yn Lloegr. Byddwn yn gwerthfawrogi rhywfaint o eglurhad ar hyn. Nid yn unig y mae'r Gweinidog yn gwrthod hawl sylfaenol i gael mynediad i dimau iechyd meddwl lleol, ond mae 'alltudio' pobl fyddar i Loegr, ac yn eu hamddifadu o gefnogaeth i deuluoedd i gynorthwyo adferiad.

Diolch