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Results from our 2nd pulse survey of the impacts of the pandemic on the Deaf community

Health and Wellbeing |

At SignHealth we continue to be concerned that the Coronavirus pandemic has disproportionately affected the Deaf community, and that many of the issues we are facing are ignored or unnoticed. In August 2020 we conducted our first pulse survey and have now followed up with another collected in February 2021.

Survey results for the deaf survey respondents who have had Covid-19

  • 50% found the experience traumatic.
  • 56% were unaware that financial support is available for some people asked to isolate due to Covid-19.
  • A third had used BSL Health Access (recently closed) to communicate with health professionals.
  • 50% report symptoms of long-Covid.

The results below reflect the 38 responses from deaf people who have had Covid-19.

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General findings

60 deaf people participated in our second pulse survey, 38 of which had tested positive for Covid-19 at some point.

  • Deaf people contacted by Test & Trace report the system was very difficult to engage with (the majority of those contacted said the system kept calling them, without any alternative format for receiving the information and no option for responding)
  • Communication with healthcare professionals in hospitals in the UK was reported to be ‘very difficult’

Compared to the previous pulse survey (August 2020):

  • Fewer deaf people report social isolation as a major problem (though it still remains the biggest impact of the pandemic for deaf people).
  • Access to healthcare services and medication appears to have improved very slightly.
  • Reports of poor mental health remain largely the same.

Support in the midst of the crisis

SignHealth has taken on new activities and services to ensure we can support the health and wellbeing of Deaf people under the shadow of a global pandemic.

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