Deaf Awareness Week 2026
This week (4-10 May) marks Deaf Awareness Week, and this year’s theme is ‘Right to understand - Together, we break barriers’.
The aim of this year’s Deaf Awareness Week is to break down the barriers that are holding back full accessibility for those with hearing loss.
The deaf community often faces significant barriers to communication, which can lead to social isolation, limited employment opportunities, and reduced access to essential services. These barriers can include a lack of access to sign language interpreters, limited captioning and subtitling in videos and online content, and a general lack of awareness of the communication needs of deaf individuals. Learn more about Deaf Awareness Week on the Signature website.
To mark the week, Katie from our John Denmark Unit (JDU) has produced a series of videos to raise awareness and highlight how to support deaf people. You can watch the videos below.
The John Denmark Unit provides a high standard of specialist NHS mental health services for adult deaf people. It is one of only three NHS providers offering community and inpatient mental health treatment for deaf adults in the UK. A video tour of the unit is available to watch below.
Video: Overview and aims of Deaf Awareness Week
Video transcript
This year’s Deaf Awareness Week runs from 4–10 May 2026. This year’s theme is ‘Right to understand – Together, we break barriers’.
The aim of this year’s Deaf Awareness Week is to break down the barriers that are holding back full accessibility for those with hearing loss.
The theme highlights the richness and resilience of deaf culture and gives a voice to those within the community that deserve recognition.
The Deaf community often faces significant barriers to communication, which can lead to social isolation, limited employment opportunities and reduced access to essential services.
These barriers can include a lack of access to sign language interpreters, limited captioning and subtitling in videos and online content, and a general lack of awareness of the communication needs of deaf individuals.
To address these issues, this year’s Deaf Awareness Week will focus on raising awareness of the communication needs of the deaf community and advocating for greater access to communication tools and services.
It will encourage individuals, organisations, and governments to work together to create a more inclusive society where deaf individuals have the same access to communication as their hearing counterparts.
Through education, awareness raising and advocacy, we can break down the communication barriers that prevent deaf people from participating fully in society.
Let’s work together to create a world where access to communication is a fundamental human right for everyone, regardless of their hearing ability.
Video: How to support deaf people
Video transcript
How to support deaf people
Educate yourself. Many people remain unaware of what life is like for a deaf person and the struggles they face.
Familiarise yourself with education materials and the different types and causes of deafness.
Find out what adjustments you can make to reduce stress and improve wellbeing. They might be small shifts – but they can make a big difference to the deaf community.
Tips for speaking to someone who is deaf
There are several things you can do to improve communication with deaf people. Try the tips:
- Don’t say it doesn’t matter
- Speak one at a time
- Don’t speak too slowly or quickly
- Smile and relax
- Keep your mouth on show
- Speak clearly without shouting
- Face towards the person while you’re speaking
- Repeat if you need to do so
- Ask what helps – many deaf people have different communication approaches, and some may use combined methods like hearing aids, lip reading and British Sign Language (BSL)
Don’t let worries about saying the wrong thing or approaching the topic stop you from having the conversation altogether. Instead, simply ask how they communicate and what you can do to help. This way you’re respecting their needs and finding out what works.
An open conversation
It’s important to let your deaf peers know that support is available should they need it – and whenever possible check in with them yourself.
When communicating with a deaf person, it is important to maintain eye contact, use clear and concise language, and avoid speaking too quickly.
It is also helpful to be patient and willing to repeat or rephrase information as needed.
By having an open conversation and being mindful of the person’s communication preferences, you can help create a positive and supportive learning environment where all deaf people can thrive.
Video: 12 reasons to learn sign language
Video transcript
- Sign language brings people together
- You can make new deaf friends
- Hearing parents can communicate with deaf children
- You can communicate through windows
- Sign language is a 3D language
- You can sign underwater
- Sign language is a great way to express yourself
- You can talk across a room without shouting
- Sign language is beautiful
- You can eat and use sign language at the same time
- Sign language is counted as foreign language credit
- You get a useful skill for employment
