Deaf Awareness Week: Inclusive Community Training connects volunteers
Deaf Awareness Week runs from 4-10 May 2015 and the theme this year is Connect and Communicate.
Action on Hearing Loss says that hearing loss is a major public health issue affecting 10 million people, one in six of the UK population. That number is expected to grow to 14.5 million by 2031.
People confronting deafness, tinnitus and hearing loss face challenges every day that impact their quality of life.
The English Federation of Disability Sport (EFDS) recognises the importance that inclusive communications play in participation to increase deaf people's participation in sport and physical activity.
And Sainsbury’s Active Kids for All Inclusive Community Training is a great way to connect.
For minimal cost, you can attend a three-hour face-to-face session with a qualified tutor, designed to improve the skills and confidence of those who support disabled people to help them to be more active.
Inclusive Community Training, part of Sainsbury’s Active Kids for All scheme, is a creative, informal and informative workshop. It is designed to improve the skills and confidence of those who support disabled people to be more active.
Described as “fun, interactive and interesting” by past participants, Sainsbury’s Inclusive Community Training has dozens of further sessions arranged for 2015.
A core principle of Sainsbury’s Inclusive Community Training is about ability, not disability. EFDS believes that this ethos, coupled with the tools introduced throughout the training, supports those that work with disabled people in various settings to introduce physical activity and sport.
The training itself purposefully does not focus on one specific impairment group, but instead focuses on developing the fundamentals that support inclusive delivery for all.
Kat Southwell, Active Kids for All manager, added:
“Through the programme, we have been engaging with a large number of individuals and organisations that aren’t traditional providers of physical activity and sport, but have the opportunity and desire to support healthier lifestyles.
“Two examples are the National Deaf Children’s Society and Action on Hearing Loss. Both relationships are relatively new but collectively we’re really keen to explore the role that Sainsbury’s Inclusive Community Training can play in providing guidance and knowledge to those that support people of all ages with hearing loss to engage in physical activity and sport.”
Sainsbury’s Inclusive Community Training continuously looks to build new relationships to further in impact of the training.
We will keep you posted as to the progress of our work with the National Deaf Children’s Society and Action on Hearing Loss – if you would like to explore similar opportunities with EFDS contact Kat Southwell on ksouthwell@efds.co.uk.
You can read more about Sainsbury’s Inclusive Community Training on the EFDS website, and there is a wealth of information about Deaf Awareness Week online.
