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Is your local area paying lip service to lipreading? Tell us now!

Lipreading is a vital communication skill that can help people avoid social isolation and live life to the full. We’re calling on you to tell us about the provision of lipreading classes in your area. Tell us if you would like to learn how to lipread and if you are learning now.

Please complete our online form and you will help others who want or need to learn how to lipread across the UK.

What’s the problem?

Lipreading is a vital communication skill if you are deaf or have hearing loss. It could help you avoid social isolation and live your life to the full. The best way to learn how to lipread is with a qualified tutor. However, in many areas there are few or no classes or classes can be very expensive. We are working to lobby the government to recognise the importance of this valuable skill – and to make sure there is enough funding for everyone with hearing loss who could benefit. We have also been working with local authorities to highlight the desperate need for classes.

What do we want?

• local authorities to recognise the importance of lipreading to local people with a hearing loss and respond to local need by providing classes.
• anyone with a hearing loss to be able to learn to lipread, attending a local class at little or no cost to them.
• everyone to be aware of how beneficial lipreading classes are for people with a hearing loss.
• more teachers to be trained to teach lipreading classes.
• the government to halt the current decline in lipreading provision and make funding available.

In 2010 we conducted research which highlights good and bad levels of provision of lipreading classes in England and Wales. We found there was extremely poor provision given the number of people who could benefit from learning to lipread. There were 420 lipreading classes in England and an estimated 4485 people attending a class. One in five of the lipreading classes was at risk of closure in the following 12 months as a result of several reasons - including lack of funding. For more information, please read our Paying Lip Service report (PDF).

In 2011 we reviewed the situation to see what impact funding cuts may have had on lipreading provision in England. We found the number of classes had decreased by 8% in the year. There was also a massive 10% drop in the number of learners. In some regions there are still very few classes available and in other areas there are no classes at all. We discovered a further one in five of the lipreading classes are under threat in the next year with class costs reaching £240 for the year. This increased cost reflects class numbers dropping due to an increase in fees. In the past year we have been contacted by students, tutors and learning providers giving feedback to us about the rise in costs. This has led to learners not being able to afford to enrol on courses and classes closing because there is seen to be a low level of demand.

Help us make lipreading classes accessible!

• raise this issue in your local area, send us an email with your details to request a campaign pack.
• tell us if you would like to lipread or you are lipreading so that we can build a map of the UK.
• share your story. 

If you have a story to tell about your experiences of lipreading or if you are unable to find a class, please get in touch. Your story could inspire others to try lipreading and persuade local authorities to ensure classes are available.