Deaf Wales, want to be consulted ?

Now is you chance....

Strategic Equality Plan Consultation:

The Assembly Commission provides resources, property and staff to enable the National Assembly for Wales to function as a parliamentary institution. As such, we have responsibilities as an employer and as an organisation that supports Assembly Members and interacts with the public.

The Assembly wants to ensure we promote equality, value diversity and respect human rights. Our commitment to equality covers all of the protected characteristics outlined in the Equality Act 2010: age, disability, gender reassignment, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation. The Equality Act 2010 also states that the Assembly must:

eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation;

advance equality of opportunity between those who share a relevant protected characteristic and those who don't; and

foster good relations between those who share a relevant protected characteristic and those who do not.

We will publish a new Strategic Equality Plan by April 2012, and we would value your input to help us meet that deadline. Your comments will help us to design our Equality Plan and to inform the development of our equality objectives, one of which is to encourage and widen public engagement.

SOURCE

CONTRIBUTE TO THE SURVEY HERE


WELSH/CYMRAEG

Cydraddoldeb Strategol Ymgynghoriad ar y Cynllun:

Mae Comisiwn y Cynulliad yn darparu adnoddau, eiddo a staff i alluogi Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru i weithredu fel sefydliad seneddol. Fel y cyfryw, mae gennym gyfrifoldebau fel cyflogwr ac fel sefydliad sy'n cefnogi Aelodau'r Cynulliad ac yn rhyngweithio â'r cyhoedd.

Mae'r Cynulliad yn awyddus i sicrhau ein bod yn hyrwyddo cydraddoldeb, gwerthfawrogi amrywiaeth a pharchu hawliau dynol. Mae ein hymrwymiad i gydraddoldeb yn cwmpasu pob un o'r nodweddion a ddiogelir a amlinellir yn y Ddeddf Cydraddoldeb 2010: oed, anabledd, ailbennu rhywedd, beichiogrwydd a mamolaeth, hil, crefydd neu gred, rhyw a chyfeiriadedd rhywiol. Mae Deddf Cydraddoldeb 2010 hefyd yn nodi bod rhaid i'r Cynulliad:

ddileu gwahaniaethu anghyfreithlon, aflonyddu ac erledigaeth;

hyrwyddo cydraddoldeb cyfle cyfartal rhwng y rhai sy'n rhannu nodwedd berthnasol a ddiogelir a rhai nad ydynt yn; a

meithrin perthynas dda rhwng y rhai sy'n rhannu nodwedd berthnasol a ddiogelir a rhai nad ydynt.

Byddwn yn cyhoeddi Cynllun Cydraddoldeb Strategol newydd erbyn mis Ebrill 2012, a byddem yn gwerthfawrogi eich cyfraniad i'n helpu i gwrdd â'r terfyn amser. Bydd eich sylwadau yn ein helpu i gynllunio ein Cynllun Cydraddoldeb ac er mwyn llywio'r gwaith o ddatblygu ein hamcanion cydraddoldeb, ac un ohonynt yw annog ac ehangu cyfranogiad y cyhoedd.

Hardest Hit.. the Deaf ?

I was there.......What a pity few if any other deaf were.... an chance to show solidarity with the relentless cuts to welfare and disability allowances, the withdrawal of deaf club funding and the abandonment of Social Service support, has left the deaf just as much deprived as any other disabled sector surely ? Indeed this followed 2 days after my own deaf club was in dire straits as to venue after young deaf just walked away from theirs. The writing is clearly on the wall, but deaf are ignoring it...

At Cardiff on October 22nd, over a thousand people turned up in support of each other, the sum total of deaf involvement appeared to be less than 5 persons. To say Welsh deaf were the most unsympathetic and apathetic disability sector in Wales seems well founded. According to organisers only 3 individuals made enquiries to attend the march. When I got there I saw two deaf persons, and two interpreters apart from myself.

One interpreter was there to campaign, the other to translate to just one other deaf person it seems and that one wasn't me, and there was no sign afterwards of them. I have to say the image of the deaf interpreter gave an very false impression of actual involvement which was obviously, and to all intents and purposes, NIL on the day. No deaf charity showed either.

When the speeches came the terp hogged the entire stage and was a bit too animated and OTT to me. Most speeches were very inspiring and hammering the point home all disabled people are under relentless attacks by medias and Government, it was heartbreaking to see people unable to walk, to see, and people with parkinsons disease and MS being labelled scroungers.

The only criticisms I could offer was the inclusion of an Tory MP an faux pas by the organisers (Note we are NOT That desperate for support), who was booed and heckled to get off the stage, tories being the prime political party in the UK who are attacking their worse off sick and elderly while paying Bankers millions in handouts, and the organisers unexplained ban on Remploy workers who were not allowed to defend unjustified closures of sheltered workshops for disabled people.

The march was invigorating to me personally, I was given a whistle (!) to blow to add to the proceedings which I blew for all I was worth really, as I said to the organisers there, so long as others can hear me, I'm happy enough. I felt I had to blog an apology on the deaf behalf for the total lack of interest and support they don't give to others who are even worse off than they are. I was today ashamed to be deaf, but hope I can at least hold my head up a bit higher.

Welsh/Cymraeg
Roeddwn i yno ....... Beth ychydig drueni os oedd unrhyw fyddar arall .... cyfle i ddangos undod gyda'r toriadau di-baid i les a lwfansau anabledd, tynnu cyllid clwb byddar a rhoi'r gorau i gefnogaeth Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol, wedi gadael y byddar cymaint o amddifadedd yn y sector arall anabl yn sicr? Yn wir, mae hyn yn dilyn 2 ddiwrnod ar ôl fy hun fyddar clwb oedd yn culfor arswydus o ran lleoliad ar ôl ifanc fyddar dim ond cerdded i ffwrdd oddi wrth nhw. Mae'r ysgrifennu yn glir ar y wal, ond fyddar yn ei hanwybyddu ...

Yng Nghaerdydd ar 22 Hydref, dros fil o bobl yn troi i fyny i gefnogi ei gilydd, yw cyfanswm y cynnwys byddar yn ymddangos yn llai na 5 o bobl. I ddweud Cymraeg byddar yn y sector anabledd mwyaf ddigydymdeimlad ac ddifater yng Nghymru yn ymddangos yn sail gadarn. Yn ôl i drefnwyr dim ond 3 unigolion gwneud ymholiadau i fod yn bresennol yr orymdaith. Pan gyrhaeddais yno i mi weld dau berson byddar, a dau dehonglwyr ar wahân i mi fy hun.

Roedd un cyfieithydd oedd yno i ymgyrchu, a'r llall i gyfieithu i un person arall byddar mae'n ymddangos ac nad oedd yr un oedd i mi, ac nid oedd unrhyw arwydd wedi hynny ohonynt. Rhaid i mi ddweud ddelwedd y cyfieithydd byddar yn rhoi argraff anghywir iawn o gyfranogiad gwirioneddol a oedd yn amlwg, ac i bob pwrpas, DIM ar y diwrnod. Dim elusen yn dangos naill ai fyddar.

Pan ddaeth yr areithiau y terp hogged y cyfnod cyfan ac roedd ychydig yn rhy animeiddio a OTT i mi. Roedd y rhan fwyaf areithiau yn ysbrydoliaeth ac yn morthwylio y cartref pwynt pob person anabl o dan ymosodiadau di-baid gan cyfryngau a'r Llywodraeth, roedd yn dorcalonnus i weld pobl yn methu â cherdded, i weld, a phobl â chlefyd Parkinson a MS yn cael ei scroungers labelu.

Yr unig feirniadaeth y gallwn i gynnig oedd cynnwys AS Torïaidd a oedd yn booed ac yn heckled i ddod oddi ar y llwyfan, Torïaid sef y prif blaid wleidyddol yn y DU sy'n ymosod ar eu waeth eu byd, yn sāl ac oedrannus wrth dalu miliynau Bancwyr mewn taflenni a anesboniadwy y gwaharddiad ar weithwyr Remploy nad oeddent yn cael amddiffyn gweithdai cysgodol ar gyfer pobl anabl.

Roedd yr orymdaith bywiog i mi yn bersonol, roeddwn yn cael chwiban (!) I chwythu i ychwanegu at yr achos yr wyf yn chwythu ar gyfer yr holl oeddwn yn werth mewn gwirionedd, fel y dywedais i'r trefnwyr yno, cyn belled ag y gall pobl eraill glywed mi, yr wyf yn 'm ddigon hapus. Roeddwn i'n teimlo fy mod wedi i flog ymddiheuriad ar ran y byddar ar gyfer cyfanswm y diffyg diddordeb a chefnogaeth ni fyddant yn ei roi i eraill sydd hyd yn oed yn waeth eu byd nag y maent. Roeddwn yn Heddiw gywilydd i fod yn fyddar, ond gobeithio y gallaf o leiaf yn dal fy mhen i fyny ychydig yn uwch.

Clydach school to attempt sign record..

PUPILS at Craigfelen Primary School could soon be record breakers .

The Clydach school has signed up to deaf people's charity SignHealth sing2sing event, which will attempt to break the world record for the most people singing simultaneously. SignHealth chief executive Steve Powell said: "Our world record sign2sing project is an attempt to break the world record for the most people singing and signing a song at the same time.

"More than 500 schools have signed up so far and we're delighted Craigfelen primary is involved in the event too. "News of the event is already spreading rapidly and we are hoping to smash our current record and involve more than 150,000 youngsters, while also raising awareness of deafness and the work we are doing at SignHealth."

Earlier this year, 94,489 children took part in the event, smashing the previous record which stood at 13,418. The singalong will also raise funds for the charity, with a donation of £1 from each person taking part going towards SignHealth.

The record attempt will take place in February.

SOURCE

Welsh/Cymraeg

Gallai DISGYBLION yn Ysgol Gynradd Craigfelen cyn bo hir yn torri record.

Mae gan yr ysgol Clydach wedi ymrwymo i bobl fyddar sing2sing elusen SignHealth digwyddiad, a fydd yn ymgais i dorri record y byd am y canu rhan fwyaf o bobl ar yr un pryd. Dywedodd prif weithredwr SignHealth Steve Powell: "Mae ein prosiect record y byd sign2sing yn ymgais i dorri record y byd am y rhan fwyaf o bobl canu ac arwyddo cân ar yr un pryd.

"Mae mwy na 500 o ysgolion wedi cofrestru hyd yn hyn ac rydym wrth ein bodd Craigfelen cynradd yn cymryd rhan yn y digwyddiad hefyd." Y newyddion am y digwyddiad eisoes yn lledaenu'n gyflym ac rydym yn gobeithio dorri ein record bresennol ac yn cynnwys mwy na 150,000 o bobl ifanc, tra bod hefyd yn codi ymwybyddiaeth o fyddardod a gwaith yr ydym yn ei wneud ar SignHealth. "

Yn gynharach eleni, 94,489 o blant yn cymryd rhan yn y digwyddiad, malu y record flaenorol a oedd yn sefyll yn 13,418. Bydd y singalong hefyd yn codi arian i'r elusen, gyda rhodd o £ 1 o bob person sy'n cymryd rhan yn mynd tuag at SignHealth.

Bydd yr ymgais i dorri'r record yn digwydd ym mis Chwefror.

Deaf Club Vote undecided

Continued rumblings of discontent at the newport Deaf club in Brynglas continue. Members already feeling insecure after their 36yr old deaf club was closed by Social Services, and despite relocation that wasn't entirely supported, they have recently seen young deaf walk out of their alloted premises.

Members asked social services to come to the club to discuss issues. Originally SS suggested the Beechwood House venue, which was rejected outright as an damp cellar, with vermin, that was an danger to any elderly attending. The Brynglas All Saints church was suggested as an stop-gap for the older deaf, and the Brynglas FE Centre for the youth. This was not welcomed originally because it divided the clubs up. Older deaf could not attend the same area as the youth did because of access issues.

Deaf were incensed, then when SS went to media stating the move had been welcomed by deaf people and they were happy, an letter from a club member was published refuting the statement as SS spin. At the meet yesterday a number of deaf made it clear this was not the case at all, and they had in effect been misled by social services via the 'temporary' statement, in reality they were just told take it or leave it after they took that up.

Members took it in turn to complain that while the current venue was an room, it wasn't a club, and the social services had contributed to the break up of the deaf community in Newport by stealth. Young deaf were not allowed after a day's work to attend the Church venue nor, at weekends or evenings to meet up either. That is why they went to the other venue, but clearly found it inhibited interaction and was shared with other disability areas.

SS suggested an return to the Alway area via the new Alway Centre there, but this was felt just swapping one room for another, was unsuited to deaf need, and it wasn't clear about access. Some deaf complained that far from the Original club closure being necessary as being expensive to justify and the land sold for housing, in fact young disabled had been seen using the premises afterwards, and deaf felt SS lied to them. If the building could not be validly sustained, then why were deaf moved out and disabled moved IN ? Such was the disagreement an vote was suggested as to change venue or not, which itself was not welcomed as many felt the alternative venue wasn't suitable either.

The vote was eventually taken of the 20 elderly there, the result was an direct split down the middle, with church-going deaf/HI preferring to stay where they are and other deaf wanting an more suitable alternative that would bring the deaf community of Newport back in one place, it was argued the church could still hold services wherever deaf went. In the absence of any clear majority it seems inconclusive. It was pointed out the present room was up an steep hill, two serious accidents had already occurred that needed hospital treatment since deaf started there. Basically in very poor weather older deaf people wouldn't risk attending.

Whilst an special bus was available for the least active, many deaf preferred to make their own way there. As it is, an busy road has to be crossed by deaf/disabled old people which presents risks for the less active.

It has to be said decisions made earlier to acceded to SS suggestions of an alternative venue should have been resisted at day one. Also that young deaf were not willing to fight for an club venue, and wanted to drink in pubs instead. Which apparently is the reason they walked out of their last venue. Quite obviously elderly deaf would not risk attending an club late at night where drink was. One deaf member of the Thursday club was angry the vote taken was itself not democratic and questioned if the Tuesday deaf club would be allowed to vote too, as they used the same venue, there was confusion over this, and confusion if they would then be allowed to vote twice as members attended both clubs.

When it was decided one elderly deaf woman should NOT vote because she was said not to understand the issue, again complaint was made, as those votes could have changed the vote result, it was that close. At present no other venue has been suggested, so no change. Although the NO lobby at the deaf club intends to challenge social services again. Some have threatened to leave the club.

Welsh/Cymraeg


Parhau rumblings anfodlonrwydd yn y clwb casnewydd Byddar yn Brynglas parhau. Aelodau eisoes yn teimlo'n ansicr ar ôl eu clwb byddar hen 36yr ei gau gan y Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol, ac er gwaethaf adleoli nad oedd yn llwyr gefnogi, eu bod wedi gweld yn ddiweddar cerdded ifanc byddar allan o'u mangre alloted.

Gofynnodd yr Aelodau gwasanaethau cymdeithasol i ddod i'r clwb i drafod materion. Yn wreiddiol SS Awgrymodd y lleoliad Tŷ Beechwood, a gafodd ei wrthod yn gyfan gwbl fel seler llaith, gyda fermin, fod yn berygl i unrhyw oedrannus sy'n mynychu. Mae'r Brynglas Mae pob eglwys Saint Awgrymwyd fel stop-bwlch ar gyfer y byddar hŷn, ac yn y Ganolfan Addysg Bellach Brynglas gyfer yr ieuenctid. Nid oedd hyn yn Croesawyd wreiddiol am ei fod yn rhannu y clybiau i fyny. Ni allai hŷn fyddar fynychu'r un ardal â'r ieuenctid gwnaeth oherwydd materion mynediad.

Byddar yn gynddeiriog, ac yna pan aeth i SS cyfryngau yn datgan y symudiad wedi cael ei groesawu gan bobl fyddar a oeddent yn hapus, llythyr oddi wrth aelod o'r clwb ei gyhoeddi gwrthbrofi'r y datganiad fel SS sbin. Yn y cyfarfod ddoe â nifer o bobl fyddar yn ei gwneud yn glir nad oedd hyn yn wir o gwbl, a oedd ganddynt yn cael effaith ei gamarwain gan y gwasanaethau cymdeithasol drwy gyfrwng y 'dros dro' datganiad, mewn gwirionedd roeddent yn gwybod dim ond mynd ag ef neu ei adael ar ôl iddynt gymryd bod hyd.

Cymerodd yr aelodau ei fod yn ei dro i gwyno, er bod y lleoliad presennol oedd ystafell, nad oedd yn clwb, ac mae'r gwasanaethau cymdeithasol wedi cyfrannu at y torri ar y gymuned fyddar yng Nghasnewydd yn llechwraidd. Nid oedd ifanc byddar a ganiateir ar ôl diwrnod o waith i ddod i'r lleoliad nac Eglwys, ar benwythnosau neu gyda'r nos i gyfarfod chwaith. Dyna pam y maent yn mynd i'r lleoliad arall, ond hyd yn amlwg ei rwystro rhyngweithio ac yn cael ei rhannu gydag ardaloedd anabledd arall.

SS Awgrymodd dychwelyd i'r ardal Alway drwy'r Ganolfan Alway newydd yno, ond roedd hyn yn teimlo dim ond un ystafell gyfnewid am un arall, yn anaddas i angen byddar, ac nid oedd yn glir ynglŷn â mynediad. Mae rhai pobl fyddar cwyno fod ymhell o'r clwb gwreiddiol gau ei angen fel rhai ddrud i gyfiawnhau ac y tir a werthwyd ar gyfer tai, mewn gwirionedd anabl ifanc wedi cael eu gweld yn defnyddio'r adeilad, a byddar yn teimlo SS dweud celwydd iddynt. Os na allai'r adeilad gael ei gynnal yn ddilys, yna beth oedd yn fyddar symud allan ac anabl symud MEWN? Roedd cymaint o anghytundeb pleidlais Awgrymwyd mwyn newid lleoliad neu beidio, sydd nid yn ei hun yn ei groesawu gan fod llawer yn teimlo nad oedd y lleoliad yn addas arall chwaith.

Roedd y bleidlais Cymerwyd y pen draw am yr henoed 20 yno, roedd y canlyniad yn rhaniad yn uniongyrchol i lawr y canol, gyda eglwys-fynd fyddar / HI yn well ganddynt aros lle y maent yn cael eu ac eisiau fyddar eraill ddewis arall mwy addas a fyddai'n dod â'r gymuned fyddar yng Nghasnewydd yn ôl mewn un lle, dadleuwyd y gallai yr eglwys yn dal i gynnal gwasanaethau lle bynnag y byddar aeth. Yn absenoldeb unrhyw mwyafrif clir mae'n ymddangos amhendant. Cafodd ei sylw at y ffaith yr ystafell presennol yn creu rhiw serth, dwy ddamwain difrifol wedi digwydd eisoes bod angen triniaeth yn yr ysbyty ers fyddar ddechrau yno. Yn sylfaenol mewn tywydd gwael iawn na fyddai pobl fyddar hŷn risg yn mynychu.

Er bod bws arbennig ar gael ar gyfer y lleiaf gweithgar, dewis llawer fyddar i wneud eu ffordd eu hunain yno. Gan ei fod, ffordd brysur gael ei groesi gan bobl fyddar hen / anabl sy'n peri risgiau ar gyfer y llai actif.

Mae'n rhaid dweud penderfyniadau a wnaed yn gynharach i gytuno i awgrymiadau SS o leoliad arall ddylai wedi cael eu gwrthod ar y diwrnod cyntaf. Hefyd, nad oedd yn ifanc byddar yn barod i ymladd dros lleoliad clwb, ac eisiau i yfed mewn tafarndai yn lle hynny. Pa mae'n debyg yw'r rheswm iddynt gerdded allan o'u lleoliad diwethaf. Ni fyddai pobl fyddar yn eithaf amlwg yn oedrannus risg yn mynychu clwb yn hwyr yn y nos lle'r oedd yfed. Mae un aelod byddar o'r clwb Dydd Iau yn flin y bleidlais a gymerwyd yn ei hun yn ddemocrataidd ac nid cwestiynu os byddai'r fyddar Dydd Mawrth clwb gael yr hawl i bleidleisio hefyd, gan eu bod yn defnyddio yr un lleoliad, cafwyd dryswch ynghylch hyn, a dryswch pe byddent wedyn yn cael ei hawl i bleidleisio ddwywaith fel aelodau yn bresennol ddau glwb.

Pan benderfynwyd NI ddylai un wraig oedrannus fyddar pleidleisio oherwydd ei bod yn dweud na i ddeall y mater, unwaith eto cwyn yn cael ei wneud, gan y gallai rhai pleidleisiau wedi newid y canlyniad pleidlais, roedd yn cau. Ar hyn o bryd nid oes unrhyw leoliad arall wedi cael ei awgrymu, felly dim newid. Er bod y lobi NA yn y clwb yn bwriadu byddar i herio gwasanaethau cymdeithasol eto. Mae rhai wedi bygwth gadael y clwb.

Footnote: The old deaf club site at Alway is now under demolition.

Newport Social Services wrongly referring deaf people ?

An response from the Lighthouse Project re deaf people being referred to as 'deaf support' by Newport SS. Last post this project was listed as an charity by SS, it is not).

"Thank you for your email.

I can give you some information about The Lighthouse Project. It is not a charity but a housing-related support service commissioned by Newport City Council's Supporting People Team to deliver services to vulnerable adults in Newport. The Council has a contract with Taff Housing Association to provide the service. The service can support individuals in a number of ways all of which should be linked to their housing needs, but in general one of its main aims is to support people to manage their accommodation and promote their independence.

The service is not aimed at deaf people or those with a sensory impairment. It is a generic service aimed at vulnerable adults who live in Newport with an assessed housing support need. However, there is currently a small number of deaf people on the service and four members of the support team are currently undertaking BSL training in order to be able to communicate and support these people more effectively (3 x support workers are in year 1 of BSL level 2 and 1 x support worker is in year 2 of BSL level 2).

Referrals to the service should be made to the Supporting People Team and can come from professionals on behalf of their clients or directly from individuals needing support."

Not only are deaf people still being referred to this project, but it appears the support is not really qualified to support deaf people. Stage 1 and 2 is really low qualification (Beginner). We (Byddar Cymru), thank the Lighthouse Project for clarifying what it does, and now refer BACK to Social Service regarding adequate and proper support for deaf people in Gwent.

In accepting legal responsibility for providing qualified support to deaf people, it would appear Newport is NOT adhering to that law, but referring deaf people anywhere but there, regardless if having the training and awareness of deaf people and their communications or not. whilst they play legal games, deaf people at Newport are being left without proper help. They are saying we have to provide help, but NOT, where from, and can refer deaf elsewhere and still meet legal obligations, clearly, here they have referred people on to an area that admits it cannot meet that need.

Welsh/Cymraeg

Wasanaethau Cymdeithasol Casnewydd yn anghywir cyfeirio pobl fyddar.
Mae ymateb gan y Prosiect Goleudy bobl fyddar yn ail yn cael eu cyfeirio atynt fel 'gefnogi fyddar' gan Gasnewydd SS. Neges ddiweddaraf y prosiect hwn wedi'i restru fel elusen gan SS, nid yw'n).

"Diolch am eich e-bost.

Gallaf roi rhywfaint o wybodaeth am y Prosiect Goleudy. Nid yw'n elusen ond tai sy'n gysylltiedig â gwasanaeth cymorth a gomisiynwyd gan Gyngor Dinas Casnewydd Tîm Cefnogi Pobl i ddarparu gwasanaethau i oedolion sy'n agored i niwed yng Nghasnewydd. Mae gan y Cyngor gytundeb gyda Chymdeithas Tai Taf i ddarparu'r gwasanaeth. Gall y gwasanaeth cefnogi unigolion mewn nifer o ffyrdd y dylai pob un ohonynt fod yn gysylltiedig â'u hanghenion tai, ond yn gyffredinol un o'i brif amcanion yw cefnogi pobl i reoli eu llety a hyrwyddo eu hannibyniaeth.

Nid yw'r gwasanaeth hwn ar gyfer pobl fyddar neu rhai sydd â nam ar y synhwyrau. Mae'n wasanaeth cyffredinol ar gyfer oedolion sy'n agored i niwed sy'n byw yng Nghasnewydd ag angen cefnogaeth tai a aseswyd. Fodd bynnag, ar hyn o bryd mae nifer fach o bobl fyddar ar y gwasanaeth a phedwar aelod o'r tîm cymorth ar hyn o bryd ymgymryd â hyfforddiant Iaith Arwyddion Prydain er mwyn gallu i gyfathrebu a chefnogi y bobl hyn yn fwy effeithiol (3 gweithwyr cymorth x yn cael eu ym mlwyddyn 1 o Iaith Arwyddion Prydain Lefel 2 ac 1 gweithiwr cefnogi x ym mlwyddyn 2 o BSL Lefel 2).

Dylai cyfeiriadau at y gwasanaeth gael eu gwneud i'r Tîm Cefnogi Pobl, a gall ddod o weithwyr proffesiynol ar ran eu cleientiaid neu yn uniongyrchol gan unigolion sydd angen cymorth. "

Nid yn unig y mae pobl fyddar dal i gael eu cyfeirio at y prosiect hwn, ond mae'n ymddangos nad yw'r cymorth yn gymwys iawn i gefnogi pobl fyddar. Cam 1 a 2 yn gymhwyster isel iawn (Dechreuwyr). Rydym yn (Byddar Cymru), diolch i'r Prosiect Goleudy ar gyfer egluro yr hyn y mae'n ei wneud, ac yn awr yn cyfeirio at ÔL Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol ynghylch cefnogaeth ddigonol a phriodol ar gyfer pobl fyddar yng Ngwent.

Yn derbyn cyfrifoldeb cyfreithiol am ddarparu cefnogaeth gymwys i bobl fyddar, byddai'n ymddangos NID Casnewydd yn cadw at y gyfraith, ond yn cyfeirio pobl fyddar yn unrhyw le, ond yno, ni waeth os bydd yn cael yr hyfforddiant ac ymwybyddiaeth o bobl fyddar a'u cyfathrebu neu beidio. tra byddant yn chwarae gemau cyfreithiol, pobl fyddar yng Nghasnewydd yn cael eu gadael heb gymorth priodol. Maent yn ei ddweud yn rhaid i ni ddarparu cymorth NID, ond, lle mae o, a gallant gyfeirio byddar mewn mannau eraill ac yn dal i fodloni'r rhwymedigaethau cyfreithiol, yn glir, dyma eu bod wedi cyfeirio pobl ymlaen i ardal sy'n cyfaddef na all ddiwallu'r angen hwnnw.

Cuts to deaf services AGAIN !

Recent requests by vulnerable Deaf in Gwent for support has been met with a big NO by social services. Many deaf have instead, been referred on to the 'Lighthouse project' an charity with this remit:

People who access the Lighthouse Project are typically from socially and economically deprived communities, and a large portion have children, are isolated, suffer from low self-esteem and have little or no skills designated by the Government as NEETS (no education, employment, or training).

Our purpose is to engage and support those who would normally miss out and fail to be picked up by the system, and thus they fail to benefit from the services that are available to them.

Our aim is to breakdown barriers to personal development, improve family life, alleviate poverty, and tackle the negative effects of social deprivation and hardship. We believe in supporting people to reach their full potential; whoever that may be, regardless of their age, race, ethnicity, religion, belief, or circumstance.

We seek tackle locally and nationally identified barriers and needs, and provide specifically tailored whole person focused services and relevant interventions.

Do we deaf see ourselves as this ? and why are we being referred to the vagarious charitable support with no experience in deaf issues ? As yet we don't know how these people apply communication support, and certainly we have never seen this charity involved at all in the deaf communal level. Can this charity cope with deaf who have an very distinct view of their own need, and will demand them ? What happens when this charity loses its funding ? most are due to !

WELSH/CYMRAEG


Ceisiadau diweddar gan Byddar sy'n agored i niwed yng Ngwent ar gyfer cymorth wedi bod yn cyfarfod â DIM mawr gan y gwasanaethau cymdeithasol. Mae llawer o fyddar gael yn lle hynny, cael eu cyfeirio ymlaen at y 'Goleudy prosiect' elusen gyda'r cylch gorchwyl:

Mae pobl sy'n defnyddio'r Prosiect Goleudy yn nodweddiadol o gymunedau difreintiedig yn gymdeithasol ac yn economaidd, ac mae cyfran fawr oes gennych blant, yn cael eu hynysu, yn dioddef o hunan-barch isel a bod â sgiliau ychydig neu ddim a ddynodwyd gan y Llywodraeth fel NEETS (dim addysg, cyflogaeth, neu hyfforddiant).

Ein pwrpas yw ennyn diddordeb a chefnogi'r rhai fyddai fel arfer yn colli allan ac yn methu â eu codi gan y system, ac felly maent yn methu â manteisio ar y gwasanaethau sydd ar gael iddynt.


Ein nod yw chwalu rhwystrau i ddatblygiad personol, gwella bywyd teuluol, lleddfu tlodi, a mynd i'r afael ag effeithiau negyddol o amddifadedd cymdeithasol a chaledi. Rydym yn credu mewn cefnogi pobl i gyrraedd eu potensial llawn; pwy bynnag a allai fod, beth bynnag yw eu hoed, hil, ethnigrwydd, crefydd, cred, neu amgylchiadau.

Rydym yn ceisio mynd i'r afael yn lleol ac yn genedlaethol rhwystrau a nodwyd ac anghenion, ac yn darparu gwasanaethau penodol wedi'i deilwra sy'n canolbwyntio person cyflawn ac ymyriadau perthnasol.

Ydyn ni'n gweld ein hunain byddar fel hyn? a pam ydyn ni'n cael eu cyfeirio at y gefnogaeth elusennol vagarious heb unrhyw brofiad o faterion pobl fyddar? Hyd yn hyn nid ydym yn gwybod sut mae'r bobl hyn yn berthnasol cymorth cyfathrebu, ac yn sicr nid ydym erioed wedi gweld yr elusen hon yn rhan o gwbl yn y lefel cymunedol byddar. A all yr elusen hon ymdopi â byddar sydd â barn wahanol iawn eu hangen eu hunain, a bydd y galw nhw? Beth sy'n digwydd pan fydd yr elusen hon yn colli ei ariannu? mae'r rhan fwyaf yn ddyledus i!

Recent Senedd Debate on Hearing loss

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 Action On Hearing Loss—formerly the Royal National Institute for Deaf People—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 HERE

WELSH/CYMRAEG


Mae'r Cudd-Gwrandawiad Anabledd Materion yng Nghymru:

Mike Hedges: Yr wyf yn falch o gael y cyfle hwn i gyflwyno dadl fer ar y materion sy'n effeithio ar bobl sydd naill ai fyddar neu'n drwm eu clyw yng Nghymru. Fel y gwyddoch, mae hyn yn anabledd cudd; pan fyddwch yn gweld pobl yn cerdded i lawr y stryd, ni allwch ddweud os ydynt yn fyddar oni bai eu bod yn cael eu llofnodi. Fethiant person i ateb yn cael ei roi fel arfer i lawr i anfoesgarwch yn hytrach nag byddardod. Hyd yn oed yn y cyfnod wleidyddol gywir, bydd pobl yn dweud pethau fel 'Ydych chi'n fyddar?' Ac, hyd yn oed nawr, gall colli clyw fod yn y gasgen o jôcs digrifwr yn. Fy ngobaith yw na fydd y ddadl hon dim ond tynnu sylw at bwysigrwydd y pwnc hwn, ond mae hefyd yn ysgogi trafodaeth trwy gyfnewid syniadau am y ffordd orau i fynd i'r afael â'r rhwystrau sy'n wynebu rhai sydd â nam ar eu clyw.

Diolch i Aelodau, o flaen llaw, am fynegi diddordeb mewn cymryd rhan yn yr hyn rwy'n gobeithio y bydd yn dadl adeiladol. Rwyf felly wedi cytuno i roi Ann Jones, Jenny Rathbone, Rebecca Evans, Mark Isherwood a Suzy Davies munud i gyfrannu at y ddadl hon.
Daeth Rhodri Glyn Thomas I'r Gadair am 18:10
Cymerodd Rhodri Glyn Thomas y Gadair ar 18:10

Gweinidog, yn ôl ymchwil gan yr elusen Gweithredu Colli Clyw Ar-gynt Sefydliad Cenedlaethol Brenhinol Pobl Fyddar Bobl-amcangyfrifir bod tua un o bob chwech o bobl yn y DU yn cael rhyw fath o golli clyw, gydag arbenigwyr meddygol credu bod tua 4 miliwn o bobl ar hyn o bryd heb ei ddeiagnosio. Yma yng Nghymru, amcangyfrifir bod mwy na 480,000 o bobl naill ai yn fyddar neu'n drwm eu clyw, a bydd y nifer yn codi flwyddyn ar ôl blwyddyn.

Y ffurf fwyaf cyffredin o golli clyw yn gysylltiedig ag oedran. Sefydliad Iechyd y Byd yn rhagweld bod, erbyn 2030, bydd y dechrau colli clyw i oedolion fod yn un o'r beichiau clefyd 10 uchaf yn y DU diabetes a chataractau uchod. Yng Nghymru, cafwyd rhai llwyddiannau nodedig a datblygiadau o ran cefnogi pobl sy'n fyddar neu'n drwm eu clyw. Rhaglenni hyd yn hyn yn cynnwys y rhaglen sgrinio newydd-anedig, a ddaeth i rym ar draws Cymru yn 2003. Mae hyn yn rhoi Cymru ar y map fel arweinydd mewn gwasanaethau newyddenedigol, gan fod y cyntaf o'r gwledydd cartref i weithredu'r cynllun hwn. Yn 2004, Llywodraeth Cymru unwaith eto arwain y ffordd trwy gydnabod Iaith Arwyddion Prydain, ac yna cyflwyno cyngor ar arferion gorau ar ddarparu gwasanaethau yn Iaith Arwyddion Prydain yn y sector cyhoeddus. Yn 2007, gwelsom y Gweinidog dros iechyd yn cyflwyno'r rhaglen mewnblaniad yn y cochlea a, yn fuan wedi hynny, mae'r Llywodraeth Cymru sefydlu rhaglen cymorth cynnar i wella cyflwyno gwasanaethau i blant anabl a'u teuluoedd.

LINK

Luke in the Swim...

LUKE Nixon excels in his sport. Still only 16, he is one of a promising batch of youngsters representing Wrexham Swimming Club and has competed for the club at both district and national level.

Luke currently holds eight short course and eight long course Welsh records and has also represented Wales and Great Britain all over the world, from Germany to Taiwan.

The youngster from Rossett has just completed his UKCC Level 1 Teaching Aquatics and is awaiting the result of the exam. He also has a qualification in sailing, scuba diving and mini-polo, all achieved while studying for his GCSEs.

All the more remarkable because Luke is partially deaf.

Far from letting his disability hold him back, the teenager is now helping other disabled swimmers through the Swim Ability Stage 5+ sessions at Rhosnesni Leisure Centre for young children with hearing impairments.

Luke is able to help swimmers by providing support in the water as well as acting as an excellent role model for the children.

WELSH/CYMRAEG

LUKE Nixon rhagori yn ei gamp. Still dim ond 16, ei fod yn un o swp addawol o bobl ifanc yn cynrychioli Clwb Nofio Wrecsam ac wedi cystadlu ar gyfer y clwb ar lefel dosbarth ac ar lefel genedlaethol.

Luke hyn o bryd mae eight cwrs byr ac wyth chofnodion cwrs Cymraeg o hyd ac mae wedi cynrychioli Cymru hefyd a Phrydain Fawr ar draws y byd, o'r Almaen i Taiwan.

Mae bachgen ifanc o Rossett newydd gwblhau ei Lefel 1 UKCC Dŵr Addysgu ac yn aros am ganlyniad yr arholiad. Mae ganddo hefyd gymhwyster yn hwylio, sgwba-blymio a mini-polo, i gyd a gyflawnwyd wrth astudio ar gyfer ei arholiadau TGAU.

Mae'r holl fwy rhyfeddol gan fod Luke yn rhannol fyddar.

Yn hytrach na gadael ei anabledd ddal ef yn ei ôl, yr arddegau yn awr yn helpu nofwyr anabl eraill drwy Cam 5 Gallu Nofio + sesiwn yng Nghanolfan Hamdden Rhosnesni ar gyfer plant ifanc â nam ar eu clyw.

Luke yn gallu helpu i nofwyr drwy ddarparu cefnogaeth yn y dŵr yn ogystal â gweithredu fel model rôl rhagorol ar gyfer y plant.

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.