We thought we would put together an article to discuss one of the most asked questions… “I would love to work with deaf people; what are the career opportunities?”
Here are some links for you to take a look at that will showcase a range of jobs working with the deaf community.
It is worth remembering that statistically, one in six people of the population is deaf or has a hearing loss, so completing a Deaf awareness or sign language course will always be useful. This is especially true for those who do customer service jobs or have a lot of contact with the general public.
Visit Signature for training information.
What careers are available for Deaf people, and how can I find out more?
British Sign Language (BSL)/English Interpreters, Deafblind communicator guides, Speech-to-text reporters, and Notetakers. The NRCPD (National Registers for Communication Professionals with Deaf and Deafblind People) covers information on these careers.
British Sign Language (BSL)/English Interpreters
The Association of Sign Language Interpreters has more information on BSL/English Interpreting
Lipspeakers
The Association of Lipspeakers has some additional information on lipspeaking.
Audiologists
Please visit ( http://www.baaudiology.org/Careers/What-is-Audiology.aspx) for further information on Audiology.
Speech and Language Therapists
In order to find out more about training to be a speech and language therapist, you can contact the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists or the NHS website (http://www.nhscareers.nhs.uk/details/Default.aspx?Id=288)
Teacher of the Deaf
In order to become a teacher of the Deaf, you must first train as a teacher and then do further training. It is useful to gain experience working with Deaf children previous or alongside your training; see The British Association of Teachers of the Deaf.
Social Workers
If you are interested in becoming a social worker with Deaf people, you first have to train as a social worker in the same way as you do if you want to be a teacher. You have to do a degree first, and more information can be found in the Department of Health
Various work within a Deaf organisations such as Action on Hearing Loss, British Deaf Association (BDA) or the National Deaf Children’s Society (NDCS).
General jobs within Deaf companies or organisations are quite often advertised on Deaf UK jobs, which is a mailing list you can subscribe to online. If this is the route that interests you, it may be worth contacting the human resources departments within various organisations to see the opportunities.
