Deaf Umbrella

07/09/2026

🧐A Deaf colleague joins a meeting. No captions have been switched on.

🧐Someone talks to the interpreter instead of the Deaf person.

🧐A colleague says, “Never mind, I’ll tell you later.”

🧐Someone shouts across the office to get their attention.

🧐A video is played during training without captions.

Deaf awareness is what happens in the everyday moments.
Is your team prepared?

Book Deaf Awareness Training with Deaf Umbrella.

07/09/2026

Think about how many things you do every day without wondering whether you'll be able to access the conversation: Going to the cinema. Listening to a podcast. Joining a work meeting. Going to a party. Sitting in a classroom.

If you're hearing, you probably don't think twice about most of them. That's "hearing privilege".

We've refreshed one of our most-read articles with more everyday examples and, importantly, some simple ways hearing people can use that awareness positively.

No guilt. No judgement. Just a chance to notice things we might never have noticed before 💜

💬 Hearing people: what's something you can do easily that you'd never thought of as a privilege?

👉 Read more:

07/09/2026

Make sure that you know the difference between make eye contact and stare😂⁠
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Eye contact in Deaf culture is vital for communication.⁠
Remember that deaf people listen with their eyes, and vision is one of the most useful tools they have to receive information.⁠
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That's why one of the top tips when communicating with a deaf person is to make sure you have the deaf person's attention and make eye contact before you start speaking.⁠
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Did you know that in the Deaf community, once you break eye contact, you are no longer listening to the other person? This is considered to be rude and disrespectful.⁠
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07/09/2026

It sounds like a simple question, but questions like this come up regularly during Deaf Awareness Training, often from people who genuinely want to communicate well but are worried about getting it wrong.

This is why good Deaf Awareness Training needs to give people space to ask the questions they may be uncomfortable asking anywhere else.

Planning staff training this autumn? We’re now taking bookings for Deaf Awareness Training for teams and organisations.

Enquire about training → www.deafumbrella.com/deaf-awareness-training

04/09/2026

Many Communication Support Workers (CSWs) are expected to step into classrooms and simply… figure it out as they go.

What does the tutor expect from me?
Am I supporting my Deaf student appropriately?
Should I step in here or step back?
Where does my responsibility end?

That constant second-guessing is exhausting.

Professional confidence doesn’t mean knowing everything. It means understanding your role clearly enough to prepare well, recognise your boundaries, make appropriate decisions and reflect on your practice.

So instead of hoping you’re doing the right thing, you have a professional framework to work from.

That’s the shift our Becoming a Professional Communication Support Worker course is designed to support: helping CSWs develop greater clarity around their role, preparation, professional boundaries, ethical practice and the standard of service they provide to Deaf students.

👉 Learn what professional CSW practice really looks like.

Link in bio or DM us.

03/09/2026

Fast-moving discussions where everyone talks over each other are difficult for everyone.⁠
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For Deaf employees using interpreters or captioning, they're almost impossible to follow.⁠
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1. Slow the pace.⁠
2. Avoid interrupting.⁠
3. Let one person finish before the next starts.⁠
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Everyone benefits from clearer communication.⁠
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03/09/2026

Many employers think making meetings accessible is complicated, but it isn't.

Often, it's the small habits that make the biggest difference, like sharing the agenda, pausing between speakers, and sending notes afterwards.

Our free checklist walks you through it all. Download it here:

Download our free Inclusive Meeting Checklist and discover practical tips to make meetings more accessible for Deaf colleagues and improve communication.

02/09/2026

😂 Every recruiter dreams of finding great candidates.⁠
Some just... outsource the hard part.⁠
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Our recruitment process takes time, experience and a lot of skill testing because we genuinely want the best support for Deaf students.⁠
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It's flattering that people trust our judgement. It would just be even more flattering if they didn't wait until we'd already done all the work 😅

02/09/2026

What a month! We’ve welcomed lots of new students to our CSW courses, seen colleges investing in their teams ahead of the new academic year, and worked with organisations wanting to make their workplaces more Deaf-aware.

This month's newsletter brings together practical guidance for CSWs, colleges, employers, Deaf jobseekers and new BSL learners, alongside our most popular content and free resources from August.

💌 Read it now here, and subscribe so the next one lands straight in your inbox:

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02/09/2026

New to British Sign Language (BSL)? 🤟 How many of these did you already know?

👀 Look at the person, rather than watching their hands.
🙋 Fingerspell your name when you introduce yourself; don't invent your own sign name.
😊 Facial expressions matter much more than you might realise.
👋 A wave or gentle tap on the shoulder can be a perfectly normal way to get someone's attention.

And please... no “Never mind, it wasn't important.” 🙈

Learning BSL is also an opportunity to learn about the Deaf community and culture behind the language.

We've gathered some of our favourite do's and don'ts for new BSL signers into one easy guide.

💬 Experienced signers: what's one thing you wish you'd known when you started learning BSL?

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Starting to learn British Sign Language? From eye contact and facial expressions to sign names and getting a Deaf person’s attention, these practical do’s and don’ts will help you communicate with more confidence and understand the Deaf culture behind BSL.