Jubilee Party organisers to ensure residents with hearing loss are included

Charity urges Rochdale’s Diamond Jubilee Party organisers to ensure residents with hearing loss are included in celebrations

Action on Hearing Loss is urging the organisers of Diamond Jubilee celebrations in Rochdale to ensure their parties are fully accessible and inclusive of residents who are deaf or hard of hearing.

People with hearing loss can often find it difficult to follow conversations during social occasions – particularly when there is background noise or music – so the charity is promoting deaf awareness tips to help party organisers improve the experience of local residents who have problems hearing.

Chief Executive of Action on Hearing Loss, Jackie Ballard, says: “Hearing loss affects the majority of people who were born on or before Her Majesty The Queen started her reign in 1952, and many avoid big social occasions because they struggle to hear in noisy situations and when speaking with people who are not deaf aware.

“We encourage Diamond Jubilee party organisers in Rochdale to follow our basic deaf awareness tips to ensure friends and neighbours with hearing loss don’t miss out on the weekend’s royal celebrations.”

Action on Hearing Loss is encouraging party organisers to make their event more accessible by following the charity’s deaf awareness tips:

• Make sure you have the person’s attention before you start speaking.
• Places with good lighting (so that you can be lipread) and little or no background noise are best for conversations.
• Face the person so you can be lipread and speak clearly, using plain language, normal lip movements and facial expressions.
• Check whether the person understands what you are saying and, if not, try saying it in a different way.
• Keep your voice down as it’s uncomfortable for a hearing aid user if you shout and it looks aggressive.

If you struggle to hear conversations during social events, take Action on Hearing Loss’s five minute hearing check by visiting www.actiononhearingloss.org.uk/check or calling 0844 800 3838.