Useful Information

The Sensory Team at DMBC provide a service for deaf and hearing impaired people. They will assess your requirements. They may be able to offer help at home, such as training and advice in everyday skills. A Social Worker can put together a Care Plan tailored to individual needs which could include special equipment like a Minicom or Door Alarm. For further information you can contact:
The Sensory Team
P.O. Box 251
Council House
College Road
Doncaster
DN1 3DA
Tel/Textphone: 01302 737 701
Fax: 01302 736 937
SMS: 0797 903 1116

Some companies such as British Gas, British Telecom and the Water and Electricity Companies have special services for people who are deaf and hearing impaired. Contact your supplier for further information.

Hearing Aids

To obtain a hearing aid on the National Health Service, first go to your own doctor who will refer you to an Ear Nose and Throat (ENT) Specialist at your local hospital. The Specialist will examine your ears and take a medical history. An Audiologist will continue the assessment by testing your hearing with an audiometer. The record of your hearing loss will be presented on a chart called a Audiogram. If a hearing aid is required the Audiologist will discuss options with you. They may also take impressions of your ears, so that individual ear moulds can be made. An appropriate hearing aid will be selected for you.

Buying A Hearing Aid

If you do not wish to wait for an NHS appointment, which could take several months or you require a smaller in-the-ear aid which is not generally available through the NHS, private hearing aids can be obtained through a registered hearing aid dispenser.
Amplivox
Ultratone
Hearing Care Centre
17 Netherhall Rd
Doncaster
Tel: 01302 321 957

Remember that a hearing aid is no more than a sound amplifier, whatever the advertisements may say. Hearing aids help most people with a hearing loss, but no aid can restore your natural hearing.

Induction Loop System

An induction Loop System comprises of a loop of cable, an amplifier and either a microphone or a direct connection to a sound source. If a hearing aid is switched to its "T" setting, a tiny coil within the aid responds to the magnetic waves sent out from the loop. This enables someone with a hearing aid to tune in to just what they want to hear without interference from background noise.

Infrared Loop System

An infrared loop system consists of a transmitter and a listening receiver. Sound is fed to the transmitter in the same way as with an induction loop system - either by a direct electrical connection or via a microphone. It is then transmitted to you as an invisible infrared light.

Textphones

A variety of Textphones are available enabling deaf people to contact other text users. Text Telephones comprise of a keyboard and a small screen and may be used over the telephone network.

Text Relay

Text Relay is a telephone service enabling deaf, hearing impaired, deaf blind and speech impaired people access to the same kind of telephone service that hearing people enjoy.

Text Relay also enables hearing people to ring deaf people.

For further information contact:
Tel: 0800 7311 888
Textphone: 0800 7311 888
E-mail: helpline@textrelay.org

Text Relay Rebate

Due to the nature of Text Relay calls and typing speed, they can take longer than a voice call. For this reason, if you are deaf, hearing impaired or speech impaired, you may be able to get a refund for the text part of your calls. Please contact your telephone provider for further details.

Doncaster BSL Interpreting Service
BID Services
Deaf Cultural Centre
Ladywood Road
Birmingham
B16 8SZ
Tel: 0121 246 6134
SMS: 07984 683 182
Email: interpreting@bid.org.uk
Website: www.doncaster-interpreting.org.uk

If you are a resident in Doncaster and need support with communication you may be eligible to receive free communication support, via a new service funded by DMBC and NHS Doncaster, for a range of appointments, including health, social care, council, welfare rights, parents meetings, funerals and other appointments.

Schools and Colleges

Doncaster School for the Deaf
Leger Way
Doncaster
DN2 6AY
Tel: 01302 386 733
Fax: 01302 386 724
Reception: 01302 386 700
Website: www.deaf-school.com
Entry at 3 - 16 Years of age.
This is a residential and day school for deaf and partially hearing people.
The school is firmly committed to a total communication policy.
This includes a sign language system, finger spelling, speech, lip-reading, amplification, gesture, facial expression and body language.

Doncaster College For The Deaf
Leger Way
Doncaster
DN2 6AY
Tel: 01302 386 700
Fax: 01302 361 808
E-mail: enquiries@ddt-deaf.org.uk
Website: www.deaf-college.com
College entry at 16 Years of age.
The college offers wide opportunities in further and higher education, vocational training, work experience and job training.
Specialist Staff and links with the local colleges.
The college has two Employment Liaison Officers.

Other Local Organisations

Doncaster & District Deaf Society
(Deaf Centre)
Milton Walk
Doncaster
DN1 3QG
Minicom: 01302 321 874
Email : pat-raikes@btconnect.com
Point of social contact, information and meeting place for members of the deaf community.

Doncaster Deaf Action Group
Fax: 01302 536 247
Contact: C. Mary Jones (secretary)
The group represents the interests of the Deaf Community in Doncaster and District by campaigning for better services and providing services for deaf people.

National Organisations

British Tinnitus Association
Ground Floor
Unit 5
Acorn Business Park
Woodseats Close
Sheffield
S8 0TB
Minicom: 0114 258 5694
Fax: 0114 258 2279
E-mail: info@tinnitus.org.uk
Website: www.tinnitus.org.uk
Freephone: 0800 0180 527
The association works for the relief and cure of permanent head noise.
It also offers help, advice, support and information to people with Tinnitus, their families (no carers).

Hearing Dogs For Deaf People
The Grange
Wycombe Road
Saunderton
Princes Risborough
Bucks
HP27 9NS
Tel:/Textphone: 01844 348 100
Fax: 01844 348 101
E-mail: info@hearing-dogs.org.uk
Website: www.hearing-dogs.org.uk
Hearing Dogs For The Deaf People train carefully selected dogs to alert severely, profoundly or totally deaf people to the everyday sounds which hearing people may take for granted, such as alarm clocks, doorbells, telephone, smoke alarm, baby alarm, cooker timer etc.

Action on Hearing Loss - RNID
19 - 23 Featherstone Street
London
EC1Y 8SL
Helpline: 0808 808 0123
Helpline Text No: 0808 808 9000
Admin Voice: 0808 7296 8000
Fax: 0207 296 8199
E-mail: information@hearingloss.org.uk
Website: www.actiononhearingloss.org.uk
Action on Hearing Loss aims to enable deaf people to enjoy equal opportunities.
They provide a range of services including communication support services, training and information.

National Deaf Childrens Society (NDCS)
15 Dufferin Street
London
EC1Y 8UR
Helpline: 0808 800 8880 (Freephone)
Tel/Minicom: 020 7490 8656
Fax: 020 7251 5020
E-mail: helpline@ndcs.org.uk
Website: www.ndcs.org.uk
Information and help line open:
Monday-Friday 9.30am-5pm.
The National Deaf Children's Society is an organisation of families, parents and carers which exist to enable hearing impaired children and young people to maximise their skills and abilities, it works to remove the barriers which hinder this process.
They also have advisors for education, benefits, technology, careers and higher education.

SENSE for deafblind people
101 Pentonville Road
London
N1 9LG
Tel : 0845 127 0060
Text: 0845 127 0062
Fax: 0845 127 0061
E-mail: info@sense.org.uk
Website: www.sense.org.uk
SENSE is the leading National Charity that supports and campaigns for children & adults who are deafblind. They provide advice and information and services as well as specialist information to deafblind people, their families, carers and the professionals who work with them. They also support people who have sensory impairments with additional disabilities.

Hearing Link
27-28 The Waterfront
Eastbourne
East Sussex
BN23 5UZ
Tel: 0300 111 1113
Fax: 01323 471 260
SMS: 07526 123 255
E-mail: enquiries@hearinglink.org
Website: www.hearinglink.org
People-centred charity offering one-to-one support, advice, access and inclusion to all deaf and hard of hearing people whose main mode of communication is speech.

Deafblind UK
National Centre for Deafblindness
John & Lucille van Geest Place
Cygnet Road
Hampton
Peterborough
PE7 8FD
Info and Advice Line: 0800 132 320
Tel: 01733 358 100
Fax: 01733 358 356
Textphone: 01733 358 100
E-mail: info@deafblind.org.uk
Website: www.deafblind.org.uk
Deafblind UK works with all other bodies to improve the social conditions of deaf blind people.
It promotes contacts between deaf blind people and the public to try and create a more understanding attitude towards them in the public mind.
It also provides information and advice on relevant problems

Equipment Manufacturers and Suppliers

Sarabec Ltd
15 High Force Road
Middlesborough
Cleveland
TS2 1RH
Tel: 01642 247 789
Minicom: 01642 244 148
Fax: 01642 230 827
E-mail: mail@sarabec.co.uk
Website: www.sarabec.com
Sarabec are manufacturers and suppliers of equipment for deaf and hard of hearing people.

Action on Hearing Loss Shop
Tel: 01733 361 199
Fax: 01733 361 161
Textphone: 01733 238 020
E-mail: solutions@hearingloss.org.uk
Customer Service
Direct Line: 01733 361 199
Action on Hearing Loss are dedicated to providing a whole range of interesting and practical products for those who are deaf or hard of hearing.

DIAL Disclaimer
Whilst all the information given in this fact sheet was correct at the time of going to press,
DIAL Doncaster cannot be held responsible for any subsequent changes.