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A new free online training programme designed to help health and care workers better support deaf and hard of hearing patients has been launched.
Developed by experts at Swansea University in collaboration with deaf community groups across Wales and Swansea healthcare students, the All-Wales Deaf Awareness eLearning Package aims to improve understanding of deafness, break down communication barriers and help create more accessible healthcare services.
More than half a million people in Wales are deaf or hard of hearing, representing around 19 per cent of the population, according to the Royal National Institute for Deaf People. However, many continue to face challenges accessing health and social care because staff often lack deaf awareness training and confidence in communicating effectively with deaf patients.
Project lead Dr Julia Terry of Swansea University said: "Deaf and hard of hearing people can face a wide range of barriers when accessing healthcare, which can contribute to delayed diagnoses, reduced access to services and poorer health outcomes.
"Research shows that many healthcare professionals receive little or no training on deaf awareness during their education. As a result, they may not always recognise the communication challenges that deaf and hard of hearing patients experience or know how best to support them.
"We worked closely with deaf communities across Wales to ensure the training programme reflects real-life experiences and highlights the barriers people can encounter when accessing healthcare. These can include being asked to telephone in response to appointment letters or struggling to follow conversations when staff are focused on computer screens rather than facing patients directly. By sharing these lived experiences, we hope to help healthcare professionals better understand the practical changes that can make services more accessible and inclusive."
"Feedback from Swansea University healthcare students who piloted the training has helped us create a resource that is engaging, relevant and practical. Our aim is to give current and future healthcare professionals the confidence and skills to communicate effectively with deaf and hard of hearing patients, helping to improve patient experiences and outcomes across Wales."
The training package consists of two self-paced courses, both available in English and Welsh. Participants complete a short quiz at the end and receive a certificate on successful completion.
- Deaf Awareness Essentials is a 30-minute introductory course featuring videos, interactive content and practical guidance on topics including types of deafness, common communication barriers and ways to improve communication with deaf patients.
- Deaf Awareness Plus is a more comprehensive course that takes approximately two to three hours to complete and provides a deeper understanding of deaf awareness and inclusive healthcare practice.
Dr Terry added: “No one should experience poorer health or social care simply because they are deaf or hard of hearing. By increasing awareness and understanding, we can help ensure that communication is never a barrier to receiving high-quality care.
"Although the training has been developed specifically for health and social care workers and students in Wales, the courses are free and open to everyone, and will soon be available through the NHS Wales training platform. Improving deaf awareness benefits all of society, and we hope these resources encourage more people to develop the knowledge and confidence needed to communicate effectively with deaf and hard of hearing individuals."