Useful Resources
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These links are to other websites and so the Grampian Deaf Children’s Society is not responsible for their content.
We hope you find these links to be useful!
National Charities & Groups
National Deaf Children’s Society
The National Deaf Children’s Society is our parent charity and is dedicated to providing support, information and advice for deaf children and young people, their families and professionals working with them.
Auditory Verbal UK
Auditory Verbal UK want to raise expectations and outcomes for deaf children.
They work to increase awareness, understanding and access to Auditory Verbal therapy by providing services directly to families and sharing our expertise with health and education professionals so that many more families can access Auditory Verbal therapy close to where they live.
British Deaf Association
The British Deaf Association is a deaf-led British charity that campaigns and advocates for deaf people who use British Sign Language.
Cochlear Implanted Children’s Support Group
An independent, voluntary group run by parents whose children have cochlear implants to help others whose children already have implants and those who are considering cochlear implantation for their child.
Deaf Action
Deaf Action is a deaf-led charity that supports and celebrates deaf people. The charity was established in 1835 and works with deaf people across Scotland and the South of England.
Their work is geared towards empowering all deaf people to achieve their potential and fully participate in society, with equality of rights, access and opportunity.
RNID
RNID are the national charity supporting more than 18 million people in the UK who are deaf, have hearing loss or tinnitus.
The Limping Chicken
The UK’s deaf culture, news and arts site! Laying eggs since 2012
Organisations in Grampian
Aberdeen School for the Deaf
Co-located with Sunnybank Primary School, Aberdeen School for the Deaf is a bilingual (Spoken English and British Sign Language/Sign Supported English) primary school in Aberdeen City supporting Deaf children and young people from Nursery through to Primary 7.
Their peripatetic outreach service is also based within ASfD and supports children and young people (0-19 years) with hearing loss across Aberdeen City.
We Too!
We Too! is a free, quarterly what’s on guide for families of children with a disability in Aberdeen City & Shire, serving a readership of 31,000.
We Too! is also a leading organisation for Relaxed Sessions in the area, sensory adapting environments to ensure sessions are as inclusive as possible, regardless of additional support need.
Aberdeenshire Council Hearing Support Service
Aberdeenshire Council Hearing Support Service is part of Education and Children’s Services’ Sensory Support Service.
They provide a peripatetic service for children and young people who are deaf, from birth to school leaving age within the Aberdeenshire Council area.
The Service is staffed by Hearing Support Teachers (Teachers of the Deaf), British Sign Language Communicators and an Early Years Deaf Support Worker.
North East Sensory Services
North East Sensory Services (NESS) is a leading provider of fully integrated joint sensory services in Scotland: delivering support to people who are Deaf or hard of hearing as well as those who were sight impaired or severely sight impaired.
Currently NESS supports over 6,500 people with sensory loss throughout Aberdeen, Moray, Dundee, Angus and Aberdeenshire.
Sign Language Resources
British Signs – Useful Signs
Provides online introductory courses in British Sign Language (BSL) courses.
Used by organisations around the UK, these courses are available on a ‘pay what you can’ basis and so can be a great way to get started with the basics of BSL.
Commanding Hands
Commanding Hands aims to help teach people British Sign Language (BSL) for free.
They want everyone to learn and use British Sign Language. The vast majority of our work is available to watch on online platforms such as YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, X and TikTok.
Sign BSL Dictionary
Search and compare thousands of words and phrases in British Sign Language (BSL).
Sign Dictionary
This Sign Dictionary is an online resource that lists thousands of words in English, and provides options for either equivalent signs in BSL or signed explanations if there is no direct one sign equivalent that carries the same meaning. When an English word has more than one meaning, different options in BSL are also provided.
Let’s Sign Dictionary, 2nd Edition By Cath Smith
The most significant publication of British Sign Language (BSL) vocabulary for 15 years. This extensively revised and updated edition is in paperback, A4 format, with 316 pages.
More than 1,000 new entries bring the total contents to over 2,400 clear line-drawing graphics, making this the most comprehensive, up-to-date print dictionary of modern BSL signs in contemporary use, with an Index of over 6000 words.
Communicating With Deaf Children – Communication Tips!
Use these helpful tips to engage with deaf children and young people in school, clubs and other social settings to create a deaf-friendly environment for everyone.
These tips were put together by our parent charity; The National Deaf Children’s Society.
Products, Services & Retailers
Deaf Identity
A fashion brand promoting deaf awareness, celebrating the diversity of deafness, and advocating for recognition and respect for people of all levels of deafness.
Definitely Wild
Stylish Headwear for Cochlear Implants and Hearing Aids
They are based in the cotswolds and strive wherever possible to support other UK companies when purchasing the best materials.
Hearoes
HEAROES is an independent, family run business providing skins and accessories for your hearing equipment. They are also working on a range of ‘learning to listen’ resources targeting the ling sounds.
Their business began after the birth, and diagnosis, of our second son. With two profoundly deaf children, we wanted to personalise their devices and encourage them to be proud of their equipment.
Around the same time they also began a blog www.mybionicboys.co.uk in order to offer support and reassurance to other families with hearing loss.
HitCreations4u – Etsy Shop
Makers of personalised clothing & gifts including printed totes, greeting cards, mugs , seat belt covers and British Sign Language gifts.
They are pleased to welcome custom orders.
Signature
Signature is a United Kingdom national charity and awarding body for deaf communication qualifications. Signature attempts to improve communication between deaf, deafblind and hearing people, whilst creating better communities.
Since the charity was formed in 1982, more than 420,000 people have taken a Signature qualification. All Signature qualifications are nationally recognised and accredited by Ofqual (The Office of the Qualifications and Examinations Regulator). They are the largest awarding body in the UK for deaf and deafblind qualifications.
Toy Like Me
ToyLikeMe is an arts and play not-for-profit organisation starting playful conversations with children about disability.
They celebrate the powers of disability representation in toys to boost self-esteem and grow open minds.
They are based in Norwich and York.