What we do
DDS has valuable experience in seeking out and bringing together people who have become socially excluded and isolated because of their hearing loss. Through communication techniques, advice and support our reintegration programmed “Life After Deaf” has shown that early intervention reduces the incidence of mental health problems and has enabled late deafened adults to have a better quality of life and gain equal access to services.
- Community Support Groups including lip reading, 11 throughout County Durham, kept small to enable our members to get the maximum amount of benefit from the Support they receive. We have a bespoke evening group for those who work full time or have other commitments during the day preventing them attending a different group.
- 1:1 and family support/home visits. Understanding and making changes to cope with hearing loss
- Dealing with Deafness rehabilitation weeks (brief synopsis below)
- Resource centres in Horden and Keller Court, both are BT Try Before You Buy centres. We also have products from Sarabec and Action on Hearing Loss to try. Products we have available for you to try include
- Louder Telephones (both cordless and corded models)
- Personal Listeners (Loops)
- Doorbells
- Alarm Clocks
- Tinnitus Relaxers
- 1:1 and group support for people with Tinnitus (noises in the ears and head)
- CI Friendship group. These are informal meetings for people considering having or who have had a Cochlear Implant or would just like to know more about the process.
- Benefits Support for PIP/ Attendance Allowance/ ESA and Universal Credit for those with acquired hearing loss including Sign Posting to welfare rights /access to work if required
- Health related projects - eg information on Type 2 diabetes for those with hearing loss.
- One off events such as visits by the Bionic Ear - please keep a look out for specific events
Other projects are: Yoga, Crafts, Walking Groups, Specialist Groups for members with dual sensory loss, Social Group and basic communication via IT
All our groups are free to attend but we do ask all participants to become members of Durham Deafened Support and pay a donation of £10 each year membership fee.
Dealing with Deafness (DWD) Rehabilitation week
Dealing with Deafness is a five day non-residential rehabilitation week, aimed at helping people with hearing loss and their families to deal with the traumatic effect that hearing loss can . have. The week is supported by palantype (speech to text) enabling all attendees to access the course.
The course covers topics that will help deafened people and their partners, families or close friends to understand more about deafness and how to deal with the anger, anxiety, fear and frustration associated with acquired hearing loss.
Topics covered include:
- Commu
nication skills/deaf awareness - Cochlear Impant - a users perspective
- Tinnitus/balance problems
- Welfare Rights
- Keep safe - Police and Fire Brigade
- Hearing dogs for deaf people
- Relaxation
We encourage the deafened person to be accompanied by a relative, partner/spouse as their lives have also been affected by the person's hearing loss.
Our feedback from this course has been exceptional, please find a taster of some of the feedback we have obtained.
"I regained my self esteem and my identity"
"As a hearing partner I went along to support my husband, never realising how much benefit I would get from the week!"
If you are interested in coming along or know someone who could benefit please contact us in the first instance on 0191 5183358 or E-mail us using our contact form. Places are allocated on a referral only basis.
Dealing with Deafness Rehabilitation Weeks occur three times throughout the year. The next Dealing with Deafness Rehabilitation Week will take between the 20th to 23rd March 2023. Please let us know, sooner rather than later, if you would like to attend as places fill up fast. Further weeks are likely to take place in June 2023 and September/October 2023.