"DIFFICULTIES OF THE HEARING IMPAIRED FALL ON DEAF EARS" - GIDLEY

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Fri 30th May 2008

Hampshire MP Sandra Gidley MP today hit out at the government for failing to provide enough support for deaf people to gain employment.

Figures show that a deaf or hard of hearing person is two-and-a-half times more likely to be unemployed than a hearing person, and that employers are eight times more likely to employ a person with a criminal record than to employ a deaf person.

In addition, there are currently only 211 interpreters fluent in British Sign Language (BSL) in the country, with only 12 in Hampshire. There is also no government funding available to help support the £15,000 cost of becoming a BSL interpreter. Yet in response to a parliamentary question, government minister Stephen Timms painted a rosy picture of the support available.

Commenting, Sandra, who is also Liberal Democrat Public Health Spokesperson, said:

"It is outrageous that the government is so blasé about the provision of support to help deaf people into employment when it is clear that it is not having the desired effect.

"I have spoken to people in my constituency who have had significant problems accessing the support on offer - mainly due to a lack of interpreters. The local branch of Pathway to Work are willing to help deaf people, but often can't because of the cost of providing an interpreter, which is invariably not included in their budget.

"Its all well and good saying that Access to Work will provide funds for an interpreter and other support when the deaf person is in work, but if it won't fund an interpreter for the job interview, it makes it almost impossible for a deaf person to get into work in the first place.

"If the government is serious about hitting its target of taking 1 million people off incapacity benefit by 2015, then it must do much more to prevent deaf people being left behind."

ENDS