RNID Lipreading Campaign
Read my lips!
There is a postcode lottery in the UK for lipreading classes. Some areas have few or no classes, while other areas have extremely expensive fees.
We are campaigning to ensure that lipreading classes are widely available at little or no cost to the learner.
Lipreading is a vital skill for many people who are deaf or hard of hearing. It helps with communication and allows many people with hearing loss to remain in work and stay in touch with friends and family. It builds confidence and independence and helps to avoid social isolation.
The best way to learn to lipread is through regular classes by a qualified tutor. However, with provision of lipreading classes being patchy in some regions and fees that can be as high as £100 per term, some people are simply unable to attend a class.
What are we doing?
We are campaigning to improve this situation by:
Campaigning nationally for a change in the way that lipreading is classified for funding so fees can be reduced.
Working locally with students and teachers in areas where there are not enough classes or they are under threat of closure.
Making sure that everyone who could benefit from going to a lipreading class knows about them.
Paying Lip Service
We have released a report, Paying Lip Service, which highlights good and bad levels of provision of lipreading classes in England and Wales. This was produced in partnership with UK Council on Deafness, Association of Teachers of Lipreading for Adults and Hearing Concern LINK.
The biggest findings of the report were:
There are 450 lipreading classes in England and Wales with less than 5,000 people learning to lipread. This is despite there being 9 million people with a hearing loss, many of whom could benefit from a lipreading class.
One in five lipreading classes is under threat from closure over the next year, largely as a result of a lack of funding.
There are 15 regions in England and Wales that are identified as having particularly poor provision of lipreading classes, either because there are very few, if any, in their area or fees are incredibly high.
Read the full report here.
Latest news
November 2010: Dozens of RNID volunteers and members attended a one-off free lipreading class in Morpeth. There are currently no classes in the area and we were able to demonstrate to Northumberland County Council the huge demand in the area. We have now set up a meeting with Northumberland County Council and will be continuing to work with them to make sure that classes are made available to people who need them in the county.
September 2010: The report, Paying Lip Service, was released to highlight good and bad provision of lipreading classes throughout England and Wales.
July 2010: RNID campaigners protested outside County Hall in Dorchester to campaign for a change in the way that Dorset County Council assess lipreading students as to whether they are eligible for a free class. The current system is complicated, bureaucratic and treating people unfairly. Speaking to Councillors, we were able to demonstrate public support for a change and we attracted a lot of media coverage (external link, opens new browser window). We are now working to keep the pressure up on the Council to make the change.
April 2010: A new lipreading class (external link, opens new browser window) will be starting in Warrington in June as a result of the Campaigns Team contacting Warrington Council about the lack of lipreading classes in the area. This happened after an RNID member contacted the team to complain that the one class available was being shut down. If you are facing a similar situation in your area, please contact us using the details below.
January 2010: Our brand new lipreading campaigns pack has been launched. With new materials and information, this pack can help anyone who is struggling to access lipreading classes because of fees or lack of availability to campaign in their area. More details on how to request a pack.
November 2009: The Campaigns Team at RNID hosted a one-off free lipreading class in Lincoln for anyone who would benefit from lipreading. There are currently no classes in Lincolnshire so the event was to highlight the importance of lipreading and show there is a demand for classes to Lincolnshire County Council. The event was well attended with over 40 people participating in the class and representatives from the County Council, local media and Derek Clark MEP coming along to find out more about lipreading. We will now be continuing to work with the County Council to make sure that classes are set up throughout the county.
September 2009: Following letters from the Campaigns Team, local members and Annette Brooke MP, Poole Borough Council have now clarified their policy on lipreading classes. Anyone who is deaf or hard of hearing should now be able to access classes at a reduced cost of £10 for ten weeks.
May 2009: Following a coordinated campaign in partnership with our members, we have seen Essex County Council reintroduce free lipreading classes after previously bringing in fees of £186. After a concerted letter writing campaign to local MPs, a protest outside County Hall and a face-to-face meeting with the Council, we were delighted by the move made by Essex.
How can you help?
There are a number of ways you can get involved with this campaign:
Request a campaign pack or simply show your support for the campaign. (external link, opens new browser window)
Contact the Campaigns Team, using the details below, to share your experiences about lipreading classes.
If you are having trouble accessing a lipreading class because of fees or lack of classes in your area, you could write to your local authority or college, or to your local MP for support. There is guidance for doing this in our campaign pack.
If your class is under threat of closing, you could try contacting your local newspaper to see if they will take up the story. Encourage anyone else you know who is affected to do the same.
Looking for a lipreading class?
If you are looking for a lipreading class in your area, try one of the following:
Check the Association of Teachers of Lipreading for Adults (external link, opens new browser window) website
Contact your local authority or college to see if they run a lipreading class
If there is a hard of hearing club in your area, they may have details of your nearest class
For more information contact the Campaigns team:
Telephone 020 7296 8171
Textphone 020 7296 8001 ext 8171
Email: campaigns@rnid.org.uk
Join our Campaigns Network to stay up to date with all of our campaigns.