Back Back

Barriers found for Deaf people accessing menopause services

23/01/2024
Sarah-Brown-full-size

Sarah Bown, Senior Lecturer in Interpreting: BSL/English is featured in the Advanced HE magazine as their member spotlight for her work on how Deaf people face barriers to accessing menopause services. 

In 2018, Sarah Bown approached BID Services to undertake what was then pioneering and innovative research with people whose first or preferred language is BSL and people from the hard-of-hearing community.  A call was made to these communities to invite them to participate and share their experiences of menopause and healthcare access/treatment, via workshops and questionnaires.

Approximately 100 people responded, and the findings from this research enabled BID services to evidence the need to deliver community-based menopause education and training for the communities they serve. As of 2023 and 2024, BID has teamed up with My Menopause Centre and these communities are now receiving bespoke education and training workshops delivered by a qualified My Menopause Doctor and translated by sign language interpreters - for the very first time. 

Throughout 2024, Sarah Bown, BID Services, and My Menopause Centre will continue to work together to further this initiative for Deaf, BSL, and hard-of-hearing communities.   

Read the member spotlight feature. 

Listen to the Supporting Inclusive Boards programme podcast. 

Advanced-HE-1080x1920

For more information please contact the Corporate Communications Team.

Share this release