A stall was set up as part of Deaf Awareness Week
Merton’s sensory impairment team set up stall in the civic centre last Friday as part of Deaf Awareness Week.
The team, who assist those with hearing, visual, or dual sensory loss living in Merton, were visited by around 150 members of the public in their campaign.
Councillor Linda Kirby said: “Our sensory impairment team provide an invaluable support service to our residents who have sight and hearing difficulties.
“It is great to see them raising awareness of the challenges faced by people with sensory impairments and the services we can offer them.”
The team helps those in need with special devices, one alerting the person to a caller at their door, and others helping them listen to television or radio.
One in six people in the UK are deaf or hard of hearing, while by 2031 there will be an estimated 14.5 million people with hearing loss.
Every Wednesday from 2-4pm the team also provides a ‘Drop In’ service at the civic centre for people who use British sign language.
In late June there will be other stalls and events for Deafblind Awareness Week held across the country.
“Perception of deafblindness is quite low,” said James Gosling, PR Manager at Sense, a deafblind charity.
He added that awareness is raised to ensure appropriate adjustments to social care are made, while shops also need to be made sufficiently accessible.
