Celebrating Deaf Awareness Week at our Jarrow drop‑in

Blog by Oliver Wood, Co-Production Support at Your Voice Counts

As part of Deaf Awareness Week, our Jarrow drop‑in welcomed a special session led by Jodie McCarthy as part of our Lottery Funded Community Voice project. Everyone had fun, and it turned into one of our most engaging mornings yet.

Jodie shared her personal experiences as a hard-of-hearing person, giving the group a chance to hear first-hand what hearing loss is like. Her openness sparked thoughtful questions from the group, and we talked about getting support, how to communicate, and, most importantly, how to order a pizza!

One of the highlights of the session was Jodie’s introduction to British Sign Language (BSL). She taught the group a selection of basic signs, giving everyone a chance to practise and understand how powerful even a few simple signs can be in making communication more accessible. There were plenty of smiles and laughter as the group learned to finger‑spell their own names.

Sessions like this are at the heart of what Community Voice aims to do, creating spaces where people can learn from one another, challenge assumptions, and build stronger, more inclusive communities. Judging by the enthusiasm in the room, this workshop did exactly that.

A huge thank‑you to Jodie for leading such an inspiring session, and to everyone who took part. We’re already looking forward to building on this energy with more opportunities to learn and connect.

#DeafAwarenessWeek