Lipspeaker UK

29/05/2026

September might still feel far away but many future university students are already accepting offers, applying for DSA, arranging accommodation, and starting to think about what university life will actually look like.

For deaf students, that transition can come with extra layers that are not always talked about enough.

Fast moving lectures. Group discussions. Communication fatigue. Noisy social environments. Accessibility barriers. Trying to figure out support systems while also preparing for a huge life change.

We’ve created a new article exploring some of the real experiences deaf students may face at university and practical ways to prepare for them.

Whether you are a BSL user, lipreader, use hearing technology, captions, or a mix of communication methods, we hope this helps students feel more prepared.

Read here 👇

Starting university as a deaf student can feel overwhelming. Explore practical advice on DSA, accessibility and communication support.

28/05/2026

Not all accessibility changes need to be big.

One of the professionals we work with is a BSL user working in hospital theatres. She wanted deaf patients and colleagues to be able to identify her easily, so she designed custom theatre headwear featuring “British Sign Language” wording.

What started as a practical idea has also become a real conversation starter and a reassuring point of connection for deaf patients coming through theatre.

Representation matters.

Sometimes something as simple as being seen and recognised in your own language can help reduce anxiety and help people feel more comfortable in unfamiliar clinical environments.

Small changes can make a big difference.

Alt: A smiling woman wearing festive red theatre scrubs and a purple surgical cap with “British Sign Language” text printed on it. She is standing in a hospital setting wearing an NHS lanyard and giving a thumbs up.

27/05/2026

Tonight, we welcome the next cohort of future Lipspeakers to our Signature Approved Lipspeaker Training.

Every new cohort represents more future communication professionals facilitating communication access in work, education, healthcare, events, and everyday conversations.

We cannot wait to meet everyone this evening and begin the journey together.

Good luck to all of our new students as you start your training. We are excited to support you over the coming months.

26/05/2026

Lipreading is a highly skilled and mentally demanding way of accessing communication.

A Lipspeaker is a trained communication professional who repeats speech clearly and naturally, working with deaf people who lipread.

For many deaf people, English is their first language and lipreading is their preferred way of communicating.

Lipspeaking is not just about accessing words. It can support more natural conversation, clearer communication, and stronger human connection in workplaces, education, healthcare, meetings, and everyday life.

Not all deaf people use BSL. Not all deaf people lipread and not all deaf people use hearing technology. Communication is not one-size-fits-all.

22/05/2026

This week, there was some hopeful news around Access to Work.

Recent reporting from journalist Liam O'Dell shared that hundreds of new Access to Work advisors are being recruited to help tackle ongoing delays and backlogs.

For many deaf people, that news will feel encouraging.

However, new research published by and also highlights the reality many deaf people are still currently facing behind the scenes.

The findings included:

• 37% of BSL users said their award was reduced despite no change in their work or communication needs
• 37% waited four months or more for a decision
• 13% waited over ten months
• 41% said communication professionals were expected to work solo where two were needed
• Almost half rated their experience with their case manager as poor or very poor

These are not just statistics.

They represent deaf people trying to do their jobs, attend meetings, progress in their careers, and work on equal terms with hearing colleagues while also battling delays, uncertainty, inaccessible systems, and reduced communication support.

Access to Work can be transformational when it works properly.

It's important to remember that accessibility is not just about having a scheme in place. It is about whether people can actually use it reliably, fairly, and without added exhaustion.

We hope the additional recruitment leads to meaningful improvement for deaf people across the UK.

Read the full results here: https://tinyurl.com/2m6kbuvt

New RNID and DeafATW research shows Access to Work is failing BSL users, with long delays, award cuts and reduced support. We’re calling for urgent reform.

21/05/2026

Huge congratulations to Michael Woods on successfully summiting Everest and becoming the first UK deaf mountaineer to achieve this incredible milestone.

A few years ago, Lipspeaker UK was proud to support Michael during the earlier stages of his Everest journey. Watching that ambition become reality is something really special.

This achievement represents years of determination, resilience, preparation and belief.

Congratulations Michael from all of us at Lipspeaker UK. An extraordinary achievement and an inspiring moment for the deaf community and beyond.

20/05/2026

The programme for the Norfolk Deaf Festival is now LIVE and it looks fantastic.

We are proud to be sponsoring and exhibiting at this year’s festival and cannot wait to be part of such an important community event.

The festival takes place at The Forum Norwich on Friday 26th and Saturday 27th June from 10am to 4pm, welcoming deaf, deafblind and hearing people of all ages.

There is so much happening across the two days, including:
• DeafRave performances with deaf DJs and vibrating vests
• workshops and taster sessions
• deaf comedy with John Smith
• visual circus performances
• story time and illustration activities with Lucy Rogers
• lipreading, BSL and deafblind awareness sessions
• youth filmmaking workshops
• organisations and charities from across the sector

Many of the workshops are free but spaces are limited, so booking ahead is recommended.

If you are local to Norfolk, this is a brilliant opportunity to connect, learn, celebrate deaf culture, and discover services and support available within the community.

We would love to see you there.

Find the full programme and booking information via The Forum Norwich website: https://tinyurl.com/5n8uk5s9

Norfolk Deaf Festival celebrates the world of hearing loss with informative, interactive fun.

19/05/2026

They all look almost the same on the lips… but they are completely different words.

This month’s lipreading challenge focuses on one of the trickiest parts of lipreading: vowel sounds.

Can you work out all 5 words?

You might be surprised how difficult it becomes when the lip pattern barely changes.

Drop your guesses in the comments.

This challenge is a simplified educational example designed to highlight specific lipreading skills and the technical challenges involved. It is not intended to reflect everyday lipreading conversations. Not all deaf people lipread and not all deaf people use sign language.

18/05/2026

This weekend marked a huge milestone for our current cohort of students studying the Signature Level 3 Certificate in Lipspeaking.

After months of training, practice, assessments, feedback, and development, the students completed their final assessments on Saturday.

Lipspeaking is a highly skilled profession that plays an important role in communication access for many deaf people, particularly those who lipread. Training the next generation of qualified Lipspeakers is something we are incredibly proud to be part of at Lipspeaker UK.

We know how much hard work, resilience, and dedication goes into reaching this stage, and every student should feel proud of what they have achieved so far.

Now we wait for the results from Signature. We are keeping everything crossed for positive news in the weeks ahead.

Well done everyone.

15/05/2026

A great day at DeafEXPO and the British Deaf Association Conference at the NEC Birmingham today.

There was such a strong atmosphere across the event, lots of important conversations, networking, learning, and shared experiences all in one place.

A particular highlight was seeing the BDAYouth Conference taking place alongside the main event. It was brilliant to see young deaf voices taking the lead to organise a brilliant line up with some really engaging speakers and important topics being discussed throughout the day. Fantastic programme planned for tomorrow too!

14/05/2026

Access to Work recently removed email communication as a standard contact method, while stating that deaf people could still request it as a reasonable adjustment.

The problem is; the process to request that adjustment often relies on phone contact in the first place.

Now, what we are seeing with some of our clients is even more concerning.

Some deaf lipreaders are being told that they must use VRS to contact their advisor; despite explaining that they do not use BSL and have requested email communication instead.

VRS is an essential service for many deaf BSL users and should absolutely be available.

But not all deaf people use BSL.

Some deaf people rely on lipreading, spoken English, and email communication to access services independently.

Accessibility cannot mean replacing one barrier with another.

If a deaf person requests email communication as a reasonable adjustment, that request should be understood and respected; not redirected towards a service that may not be accessible for them.

Communication access must work for BSL users and non-BSL users alike.