‘Deaf Awareness, The Public Service & The ISL Act 2027’ – with Rethink Ireland

Overview – what was the project

2025 was a milestone for Cork Deaf Association and Deaf Awareness training across Cork City & County. Funded & supported by Rethink Ireland, CDA improved the social inclusion of Deaf and Hard of Hearing people through upskilling frontline workers across a variety public bodies and public services. The first of it’s kind in Ireland, this innovative and unique initiative targeted social disadvantage from a bottom-up educational approach, improving the capacity of public organisations delivering services to Deaf and Hard of Hearing people through awareness raising, education and signposting pathways for follow-up support.

Why it was needed

The project  was initiated in response to the National Disability Authority’s (NDA) report on the operation of the ISL Act 2017, published in January 2023. NDA’s report revealed significant shortcomings in the implementation and awareness of the ISL Act among public bodies, raising serious concerns about persistent systematic barriers faced by Deaf people when accessing essential public services.

This project promoted the rights, inclusion, and well-being of d/Deaf and Hard of Hearing people by addressing critical gaps in the implementation of the ISL Act 2017. It represents an essential step toward dismantling systemic barriers and ensuring equitable access to public services.

Tailored Workshops – how it worked

In-person workshops and online webinars were designed and facilitated by an Advocacy & Social Work team, experienced in Deaf culture. The project was both led and facilitated by staff from the Deaf & Hard of Hearing community.

In addition, the project included the development of an online CPD programme, “Deaf Awareness in Your Role”, hosted on HSeLanD, HSE’s national e-learning platform for health and social care professionals.

This project created bespoke workshops to help each public body to improve communication and engagement for their specific service. For example, a County Council Officer dealing with a housing application, a Garda interviewing witnesses and a Doctor discussing a course of treatment are very different scenarios, and it would be of more benefit to the public servant involved for the Deaf Awareness Training to be focused on specifics that are relevant to their daily work.

Content – What was covered

To address these gaps, the Cork Deaf Association developed this project to promote Deaf awareness and upskill public services across Cork County and Cork City using the following modules:

  • Deaf Community in Ireland
  • ISL, Terminology & Concepts in Deaf culture
  • Social Exclusion & Barriers Accessing services
  • Legislation & Legal Obligations
  • Guidance on Engaging and Communicating with the Deaf Community
  • Booking and Working Irish Sign Language Interpreters
  • Follow up Services

 

Public Bodies – who participated

Including frontline staff, management & executives, the project reached a wide variety of public bodies across Cork city and county. These public bodies work daily in the community providing a wide range of services to the general public. They also provide services to many Deaf and Hard of Hearing people on a daily basis.

Benefited:     630+ Individuals         18 Public Bodies          23 Public services

 

“The long-awaited legislation which recognises ISL as a native language of Ireland is a huge step in the right direction but as we all know there is so much more work to do.  The Deaf Awareness Training is of enormous benefit and the feedback I have received from colleagues has been a huge encouragement, showing lack of awareness through no fault of their own and how much it has impacted them so far.  I have high hopes going forward and I want to thank the Cork Deaf Association for all they do and for presenting this training in our department.” – Anonymous testimonial

“My team leads came away from the session full of ideas, enthusiasm, and a renewed commitment to doing more in this space. The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, and everyone truly appreciated the opportunity to learn and reflect.” – Anonymous Testimonial

 

Would your organisation & team benefit from this custom tailored Deaf Awareness Training?

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