How Your Vote for GDA can Help Deaf And Hard Of Hearing People

Posted on 06 Mar 2023 by Emily Atkinson-Dalton
Gloucestershire Deaf Association (GDA) is taking part in the Discount Promo Codes charity poll this March to try and raise money for their work with deaf children and young people. GDA provides a range of services to support deaf and hard of hearing people including communication support, hearing aid maintenance, listening aid equipment, wellbeing and children and young people. Find out more about their incredible work below, and if you want to support this worthy cause then don’t forget to vote in our March poll for GDA. 



 

What Does GDA Do? 


GDA was established in 1919 to support Deaf people who use British Sign Language as their first and preferred language.  This usually means that Deaf People require BSL in place of written and spoken language, both of which are inaccessible due to poor educational experiences.  Also Deaf people do not view themselves as having a disability yet are part of a linguistic and cultural minority group, proud of their heritage and language.  This is in contrast to people who acquire hearing loss and are usually older and therefore likely to be experiencing emotional distress as their hearing deteriorates.  However, all deaf people face common barriers which include access to communication and information.  They are also at risk of social isolation which has been compounded by the pandemic.  Deaf people remained disadvantaged when lockdown started to lift due to the mandatory wearing of face masks which make lipreading an impossibility.

GDA works with people of all ages who are deaf and hard of hearing, providing practical and emotional support in a variety of ways. This includes helping people to access practical equipment, assisting them in finding employment, helping with communication, hosting social groups, providing advocacy and running lip reading classes. GDA are aware of the challenges that deaf and hard of hearing people face daily, as well as the need for families and employers to be aware of how hearing loss affects the lives of their loved ones and employees. 

 

What Services do GDA Offer?


Some of the practical and emotional support services that GDA offer include: 

Communication Support: Communication can be very challenging for those who are deaf or hard of hearing, affecting their day to day lives. GDA offers a variety of communication tools to help those living with hearing loss, including British Sign Language interpreters, speech to text operators, electronic notetakers, communication support workers, deaf blind communicators and lip-speakers. 

Hearing aid maintenance: GDA also offers hearing aid maintenance services to ensure that people with hearing aids can have them retubed, cleaned or have a battery change without it costing a penny. Find out more about their monthly or bimonthly clinics here and see where your local clinic is for hearing aid maintenance. 

gda hearing aid

Employment: GDA are also on hand to help with access to employment for people who are deaf or hard of hearing, offering support in finding work and making the workplace more accessible. They can help service users to find Access to Work funding, deaf awareness training for the workplace and find work and education opportunities. 

Equipment: There are many everyday work and home appliances that are not usable by deaf or hard of hearing people, and GDA helps service users to access essential equipment for their home and workplace. This includes equipment such as flashing doorbells, vibrating smoke alarms and TV listeners. They work alongside Gloucestershire City Council to provide these essential listening aids to people who need them. 

Social Events & Classes: They also run several Social Groups where people can connect with others and battle the isolation which is often felt by those who experience deafness and hearing loss. They also run other Events such as lip reading classes and support groups in Gloucestershire to help people learn key skills, meet friends and find support to share their experiences. 

Advocacy: GDA also offers advocacy for those who are deaf or hard of hearing, offering support in filling out forms, writing letters and querying bills. They work on behalf of the service user and help them access, query and understand important information which is often sent in inaccessible formats such as tax letters, bills and other correspondence. 



 

How Can I Contact GDA?


If you are in need of support, or want to find out more about their services, you can get in touch with their friendly team. You can reach out to GDA via their main telephone number 01452 372999 or 07875 610860 or email at [email protected].

 

How Can I Support GDA?


This March you can support GDA by voting for them for free in our charity poll. Head to our Homepage now and cast your free vote, and you could help GDA to win a donation of 20% of our profits this month. 

You can also volunteer for GDA by becoming a befriender who keeps deaf people company and carries out errands as required. 

 

How Can I Find Out More about GDA?


If you are interested in finding out more and/or supporting our work, please visit the GDA website.

So, do GDA have your vote? If so, make sure you cast your vote before midnight on the 31st of March so your vote counts. Share the poll with friends and family to help GDA get more votes, and you can help deaf and hard of hearing people in Gloucestershire to access essential practical, emotional and social support services. 

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