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BBC NEWS | UK | Scotland | Glasgow, Lanarkshire and West | Health tips pilot for deaf people
An online pilot scheme to improve the health of deaf people is being launched by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.
About 30 video clips have now gone live on the health board's website, using British Sign Language (BSL) to give health information.
The short clips feature deaf presenters offering information on topics ranging from how to find a GP to how to make a complaint.
The clips can be accessed at www.nhsggc.org.uk
In total, there are an estimated 163,100 people living in the area who are deaf or hard of hearing.
About 1,000 people rely on BSL to access information.
Jac Ross, the health board's corporate inequalities manager for disability, said: "Expecting a deaf person to deal solely in written English is putting unnecessary barriers in the way.
"Evidence shows that ultimately this has a negative impact on the health of deaf people.
"They tend to have more health problems and don't go for help as promptly as hearing people."
She said deaf people were also less likely to pick up on general health messages.
"For example, a hearing person might notice an advert talking about safe drinking levels, which a deaf person won't," she said.
"You take for granted all sorts of health information, but for deaf people it's not that simple and this is our way of redressing the balance."
'Greater confidence'
The scheme is supported by Deaf Connections, Scotland's oldest charity for deaf people.
Experts from the organisation translated the health information into BSL and were filmed for the video clips.
Chief executive Gordon Chapman said: "By giving health information in the language that they understand, we will go a long way towards empowering deaf people and helping them to make decisions which will have a direct impact on the quality of their lives."
Catriona Lafferty, health promotion worker with Deaf Connections, added: "As a deaf person, I find it very difficult to access any information on the Internet because it is written in English.
"Accessing information in BSL would give me greater confidence and I think it is great that NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde are making the effort to make their website accessible for me and for other deaf people.
"I am sure that once deaf people are aware that this facility is available, then they will start to use it on a regular basis."
An online pilot scheme to improve the health of deaf people is being launched by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.
About 30 video clips have now gone live on the health board's website, using British Sign Language (BSL) to give health information.
The short clips feature deaf presenters offering information on topics ranging from how to find a GP to how to make a complaint.
The clips can be accessed at www.nhsggc.org.uk
In total, there are an estimated 163,100 people living in the area who are deaf or hard of hearing.
About 1,000 people rely on BSL to access information.
Jac Ross, the health board's corporate inequalities manager for disability, said: "Expecting a deaf person to deal solely in written English is putting unnecessary barriers in the way.
"Evidence shows that ultimately this has a negative impact on the health of deaf people.
"They tend to have more health problems and don't go for help as promptly as hearing people."
She said deaf people were also less likely to pick up on general health messages.
"For example, a hearing person might notice an advert talking about safe drinking levels, which a deaf person won't," she said.
"You take for granted all sorts of health information, but for deaf people it's not that simple and this is our way of redressing the balance."
'Greater confidence'
The scheme is supported by Deaf Connections, Scotland's oldest charity for deaf people.
Experts from the organisation translated the health information into BSL and were filmed for the video clips.
Chief executive Gordon Chapman said: "By giving health information in the language that they understand, we will go a long way towards empowering deaf people and helping them to make decisions which will have a direct impact on the quality of their lives."
Catriona Lafferty, health promotion worker with Deaf Connections, added: "As a deaf person, I find it very difficult to access any information on the Internet because it is written in English.
"Accessing information in BSL would give me greater confidence and I think it is great that NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde are making the effort to make their website accessible for me and for other deaf people.
"I am sure that once deaf people are aware that this facility is available, then they will start to use it on a regular basis."