One in three UK Jews shut out of community life, warns deaf charity in urgent call to action

One in three UK Jews may be unable to fully access vital community services including health, social care, education and emergency support, warns the
Jewish Deaf Association as it marks Deaf Awareness Week (4-10 May).

The community’s sole support service for people who are deaf or living with hearing loss has issued an urgent call for community organisations to do more, as it announces the nationwide expansion of its training programme to support 33 per cent of UK Jews who are deaf, have hearing loss or tinnitus.

Today, hearing loss affects more than half of people aged 55 and nearly 80 per cent of those over 70, with around three quarters of those who could benefit from hearing aids not using them.

JDA says that a lack of awareness and basic adjustments in some organisations continues to create barriers for thousands of people across the community. Simple issues such as relying on phone only contact are leaving people unable to engage with the support they need.

The warning comes as the Board of Deputies launched a new Commission on Disability Inclusion in the Jewish community, a step welcomed by JDA. The head of its Engage department, Padraic Garrett, said: “Often organisations believe they are accessible to people with hearing loss, but the reality experienced by individuals is very different. The UK Jewish community is fortunate to have a strong network of organisations across health, emergency services, social support and care, but accessibility for people who are deaf or have hearing loss cannot be assumed.

“Hearing loss is an invisible barrier, and if it is not actively considered, it is missed, leaving people excluded. When communication is not clear or inclusive, people begin to withdraw, stepping back from services, volunteering and community life altogether.”

To date, JDA has trained more than 300 staff and volunteers across almost 20 organisations, including Chai Cancer Care, The Paperweight Trust, Jewish Blind and Disabled, Hatzola North West Ambulance Services, Reach by Nightingale Hammerson, Jewish Care, the United Synagogue, Finchley Reform Synagogue, Jewish Volunteer Network, the Association for Jewish Refugees and World Jewish Relief.

Chief executive Sue Cipin said: “Many people with hearing loss across the community are still unable to access the services they need, because awareness and accessibility are not where they should be. Our aim is to give organisations the tools to support people with hearing loss properly, so no one is excluded from the community.”