Healthcare trust commits to improving access for Deaf people
On Wednesday 17 May South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust (SWFT) signed the British Sign Language (BSL) Charter. This demonstrates the organisation’s commitment to improving the access and rights for Deaf BSL Users.
Designed by the British Deaf Association, the aim of the charter is to remove direct and indirect discrimination, empower local Deaf communities and resolve conflicts between service providers and Deaf people.
The Trust recognises the adoption of the Charter will bring a new dimension to communication with the people that use their services and members of staff. This will enable equal access to healthcare services for Deaf people.
Director of Nursing Helen Lancaster and Director of Human Resources Ann Pope signed the Charter on behalf of the Trust. The Charter includes 5 pledges:
1) Consult formally and informally with the local Deaf community on a regular basis
2) Ensure access for Deaf people to information and services
3) Support Deaf children and families
4) Ensure staff working with Deaf people can communicate effectively using British Sign Language
5) Promote learning and high quality teaching of British Sign Language
Helen Lancaster said “I am delighted to be making a public commitment on behalf of South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust to be improving our services using the Charter.
“BSL is a vibrant, full and living language, which is central for Deaf People and their personal identity and we are looking forward to working very closely with the local Deaf Community.”
Damian Barry, Director of Community Development and Operations from the BDA added: “The BSL Charter is Important on two counts: it is a clear message to the local Deaf community that their language (British Sign Language) is accepted and that the signatory organisation has made a commitment to improving access to its services using the Charter. The BDA is delighted that South Warwickshire NHS Foundation joins a growing list of organisations all over the UK committed to ensuring that Deaf people do not miss out on essential services because of the lack of access. It also demonstrates that the Trust is fulfilling its commitment to the NHS England Accessible Information Standard.”
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