Molly Berry: Why Lipreading Awareness Week is so important

I’d like to tell you something about Lipreading and Managing Hearing Loss classes, which is their full title. 

These classes are aimed at anyone who struggles to hear, whether they wear a hearing aid or not. Hearing loss can affect anyone of any age, but there is no community for people with hearing loss, and little sympathy or understanding in the wider community. Lipreading classes can provide that missing community.

At a lipreading class you will meet others with similar problems. You will learn to improve your lipreading skills, we all lipread a bit, which will help you hear better.

You will learn checking and coping strategies, you will find out about such things as captioned theatre and subtitled cinema, equipment, like streamers that work with hearing aids, and equipment that can be provided free by the local authority as well as smoke alarms provided and fitted by the fire brigade.

You will also be told about organisations that provide services for us, and lots more, and we laugh a lot. It’s good to laugh together, all too often we feel we are being laughed at!

The problem is far too few people who would benefit from a class, actually know about them, so that is why we hold a Lipreading Awareness Week.

 Lipreading Awareness Week this year starts on Monday 9th September, and lipreading tutors across the country are offering free taster sessions. A list of these free tasters and of lipreading classes throughout the country are available on the Atla (Association of teachers of lipreading to adults) website, www.atlalipreading.org.uk 

As well as the free tasters, this year we are issuing a Lipreading Challenge.

To take part in the Lipreading Challenge all you have to do is, organise an event, coffee morning, tea party, or make a work meeting into an event, BUT, everyone who attends must wear earplugs! 

This is a fun way to learn how to include someone with hearing loss, and as there are millions of us, you are bound to know someone who is struggling. We have a leaflet with tips for How to be a hearing aid, and Ways to help yourself on the other side. Disposable earplugs are very cheap, and are available from Connevens or Action on Hearing Loss, and at most chemists including Boots. 

If you decide to hold an event, do let us know about it, email mb.lipreading@gmail.com or classes@atlalipreading.org.uk 

Have fun!

By Molly Berry, Lipreading Tutor, Chair of atla (Association of Teachers of Lipreading to Adults). 

For information on classes nationwide taught by qualified tutors, go to the ATLA (The Association of Teachers of Lipreading to Adults) website at: www.atlalipreading.org.uk