Adults in the north who have developed hearing loss are being encouraged to take charge of their conditions by attending local lip reading taster classes later this month.
Two sessions, which are free of charge, will be run in Dingwall as part of this year’s Lip Reading Awareness week from September 14-19.
Lip Reading Awareness week aims to highlight the enormous social and psychological benefits that learning to lip read can provide to those who have had full hearing in the past.
The classes are open to all adults, both those with hearing loss and their partners, spouses, work colleagues and anyone looking for information on how to communicate with someone who has hearing loss.
As well as tips and techniques the sessions will also provide the opportunity for those with different levels of hearing loss to meet and share experiences.
People with acquired deafness can feel excluded and frustrated as well as suffer a loss of confidence and independence but lip reading classes provide them with support and enable them to meet others in similar situations.
Liz Kraft, speech and language therapist for NHS Highland, said: “Many people misunderstand hearing loss. It’s invisible but it can completely change your life. There are about 10 million people in the UK with a hearing impairment and, while modern hearing aids are very good, they are not a cure and it is still very easy to become isolated.
“Deaf, deafened or hard of hearing people, who do not use sign language, and are not part of the deaf community, can struggle to stay in touch with their own language, English, and be part of any community.
“Lip reading and managing hearing loss classes have been shown to be of huge benefit and allow anyone with hearing loss to do the very best they can to help themselves.”
Session one starts on September 14 in Room 21 at Dingwall Academy from 7.30-9pm and session two starts on September 17 in Dingwall Health Centre from 12pm-1.30pm.
For more information contact Liz Kraft on 07748761802 or email Elizabeth.kraft@nhs.net