Grŵp delivers pioneering deaf studies webinar

Grŵp Llandrillo Menai and the Prison Officers Association have successfully delivered a deaf studies webinar to public-sector organisations across Wales.

The webinar provided an introduction to deafness, addressing common misconceptions, as well as exploring assistive technologies and the role of language-service professionals.

It was delivered by the Grŵp’s Deaf Studies/BSL Co-ordinator Abi Woodyear to organisations including the prison and probation services, fire and police services, and local councils.

One participant from the South Wales Fire and Rescue Service said: "The session was extremely useful, and it was great to understand the technologies that were available.

"The personal examples that came out of the discussions got the points across in a very easy-to-understand way. I will certainly be speaking with my colleagues about attending similar events."

Another added: "The forum was useful, friendly, and the presenter was very engaging. It was really useful for our team to stop, reflect, and think about our practices when we're out and about delivering our community safety message in the wider community."

The webinar was also praised by a participant from the Justice sector, who said: “It was very relaxed and informative. I think people learn and listen better when sessions are delivered like this, and I enjoyed this format."

The webinar was a collaboration between Grŵp Llandrillo Menai and the Prison Officers Association’s WULF (Wales Union Learning Fund) Project.

The project is focused on all staff who work in the prison and probation service in Wales, with the objective of providing learning and skills development opportunities.

Abi said: “We are thrilled with the success of the Deaf Awareness webinar and the positive feedback we've received.

“Our collaboration with POA's WULF Project has been instrumental in our efforts to promote accessibility and inclusivity, and we look forward to continuing to work together on similar initiatives in the future.”

For more information about Grwp Llandrillo Menai’s Deaf Awareness or British Sign Language courses, contact Abi Woodyear A.woodyear@gllm.ac.uk

For more information about POA Learning WULF programmes visit https://poalearning.cymru/ or contact Nigel Williamson nigel.williamson@poauk.org.uk