Nine health service staff in Letterkenny recently completed Irish Sign Language (ISL) training to enable them to communicate better when working with deaf and hard of hearing fellow employees of the health service, patients and clients.
The staff, who took time to learn how to sign, were presented with Irish Sign Language (ISL) Quality and Qualification Ireland (QQI) Level Three awards at a special presentation held at HSE offices in Letterkenny.
It is fitting that the awards were presented during Irish Sign Awareness Language Week which runs from 16th – 24th September.
The nine were amongst a group of 39 healthcare staff in Dublin, Galway, Letterkenny and Cork who received the qualification. The learners include therapists, audiologists, social workers, paramedics, nurses, doctors and staff working in customer services and administration.
The qualification gives staff a basic foundation in Irish Sign Language to enable them to improve their experience when working with deaf/hard of hearing colleagues, clients and customers as well as parents and family members who use ISL (Irish Sign Language).
The course and examination was facilitated by the Irish Deaf Society ISL Academy. The initiative is part of the HSE’s commitment to supporting diversity for all HSE staff and service users. It has been led by the Diversity, Equality and Inclusion function within the HR division of HSE.
While the Level Three certificate will help staff to communicate better with deaf and hard of hearing colleagues, clients and service users, it should be noted that it is not intended to substitute for the more advanced ISL interpreter qualification gained via a TCD degree programme under the Centre for Deaf Studies.
A guide for Health Service Managers and Employees to support employees who are deaf or hard of hearing is being being launched this week, and details of the staff who have attended the training will be made available in this guide. For further details follow @HSE_HR
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