We are a trusted provider of British Sign Language (BSL) communication support across London and the South East (Kent).
We support Deaf people and train CSWs through:
š BSL Interpreting and support services
š Job Club for Deaf professionals
š CPD-accredited training and Deaf Awareness courses Whether youāre a college, business, or organisation, we offer cost-effective, reliable BSL interpreting services tailored to your needs. Looking for work as a Communication Support Worker or Interpreter? Deaf Umbrella offers a supportive team, caring community, and meaningful employment opportunities in the Deaf sector. With 25 years of specialist experience, we focus entirely on Deaf support services, so we donāt spread ourselves thin. From emergency cover to ongoing placements, weāre here to help. We also offer:
āļø CPD-accredited online courses for CSWs
āļø Job support for Deaf professionals
āļø Deaf awareness training for UK workplaces and colleges
āļø Free resources and toolkits to build inclusive spaces
If you're ready to improve communication, confidence, and access, weāve got you covered.
01/04/2026
As part of our 25th celebrations, weāve put together 25 Deaf Awareness and Inclusion tips, one for each year of our journey!ā
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From small communication changes to bigger shifts in mindset, these tips are designed to make everyday life more inclusive.ā
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āØļøAnd hereās the best bit: some of the tips include links to extra resources, challenges, and deeper information. You canāt access those through the image on Instagram, but you can if you head to our blog.ā
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Find the full list and all the extra info via our link in bio.ā
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Thank you for 25 years of support, trust, and shared progressšā
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01/04/2026
Are your Deaf students ready for employment?
Many leave college without knowing:
ā how to apply for jobs
ā how interviews work
ā what support theyāre entitled to
Weāve created a free, practical guide to help you support them into the workplace with confidence.
š Download here:
Free practical guide for colleges on supporting Deaf students transitioning from education into employment. Learn how to prepare students for jobs, interviews, and Access to Work support.
31/03/2026
A gentle reminder.
Deaf Awareness Week training slots are limited.
Once they are gone, they are gone.
Most newsletters get openedā¦ and forgotten.
Ours donāt.
Our latest email reached a 57% open rate and a 25% click rate, while most industries sit around 2ā5%.
That tells us one thing clearly: people arenāt just opening. Theyāre engaging, because we donāt send noise.
Every email is built to teach something useful, raise real Deaf awareness, and give practical insight into BSL, interpreting, and communication in the real world.
Join the list and see for yourself:
About Us
30/03/2026
Language around deafness brings up a lot of feelings, and there is no single term that fits everyone.ā
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For many Deaf people, the term āhearing impairedā feels negative or medical, because it focuses on what they canāt do rather than who they are, and terms like ādeaf and dumbā are widely recognised as outdated and offensive. ā
Thatās why āDeafā or āHard of Hearingā are often preferred, especially within Deaf communities and cultural spaces.ā
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Remember that not everyone feels the same, and what matters most is respect, awareness, and choice.ā
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Words can empower, but they can also hurt when theyāre assumed, imposed, or used without understanding.ā
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The simplest and most respectful approach?ā
š Ask people how they prefer to be referred to.ā
š Listen.ā
š Use the language they choose.ā
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Thereās no single right term, but there are outdated and offensive ones.ā
And conversations like this help all of us learn š¬ā
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How do you prefer to be referred to, and why? Weāre listening.ā
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ā Alt text: Meme with text at the top reading: āMe every time I hear āHEARING IMPAIREDā or āDEAF AND DUMBā.ā Below is a still image of a woman lying in bed looking exhausted or unwell, covered by a patterned blanket. Over the image is the caption āJeeeeeeeeeeeeezzā¦ā, expressing frustration or exasperation.ā
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30/03/2026
Level up your CSW career with our online courses! Weāre experienced, and here to help you earn higher rates, win better placements and get noticed by employers.
Hear from past learners whoāve progressed fast and join them today!
Enrol now: https://deafumbrella.mykajabi.com/ šš
30/03/2026
āPlease contact me by email.ā
They call.
āI need an interpreter.ā
Itās booked last minuteā¦ or not at all.
āAccess to Work will support this.ā
Then the process becomes the barrier.
This is the reality many Deaf workers are still facing.
Weāve written about why Access to Work isnāt always working the way it should, and what needs to change.
Read more:
Access to Work is meant to remove barriers, yet Deaf workers still face them daily. Hereās whatās really happening.
29/03/2026
Not more scrolling.ā
Not more guessing.ā
But finally learning what your job actually is, so next term feels different.ā
Want a quick, practical way to make your workplace Deaf confident? In 60 minutes weāll show managers simple meeting adjustments, clear communication techniques, and the key legal points you need to know. Our Online Deaf Awareness Seminar is practical and focused on outcomes: fewer misunderstandings, better staff retention, and compliance you can trust.
Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Deaf Umbrella posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.
London & South East Region (Kent) provider of Sign Language Personnel.
If you are looking for reliable cost effective solutions for British Sign Language support staff in and around London and South East Area (Kent) then you have come to the right place.
If you are looking for work as a Communication Support Worker or Interpreter and you value a support network and caring employment community; we are your employers.
In the current economic climate cost cutting is a fact of life, many clients are looking to gain the maximum from their investment in such services - that is where we can help you.
Deaf Umbrella have been providers of specialist support for almost 20 years, we do not work in any other field supplying staff, that is why we are good at what we do.
Whether you need to cover sickness, short notice support, maternity cover or support whilst waiting to employ a new member of staff we can help.
š Business of the Year 2019 winners
š Online Business Award winners
by the Royal Borough of Greenwich Business Awards 2019.
