Now hear this: Glenn champions cause of deaf community - The Redditch Standard

Now hear this: Glenn champions cause of deaf community

Redditch Editorial 31st May, 2020 Updated: 31st May, 2020   0

LIVES are being put at risk in lockdown Redditch and across England through a failure to engage with the deaf community, says local activist Glenn Faeroy.

“People have killed themselves and been put in danger because they simply don’t know what is going on,” said Glenn, from Winyates.

“I went to the bank the other day and they were all wearing masks. I didn’t know what they were saying to me and then they got a bit iffy.

“And this is happening all over, so deaf people often prefer to stay at home, but then they’re isolated and prey to all sorts of stresses and anxieties.”




Glenn, part of the award winning Redditch group ‘It’s a Sign’ is part of a legal action against the government in England over its lack of sign language interpreters at its daily coronavirus briefings.

It grew from the Twitter campaign #WhereIsTheInterpreter? and has developed into a mass action.


“The BBC says people can use subtitles, but many members of the deaf community have poor English because when they were younger people thought they were just stupid, not suffering from a serious condition.

“The BBC need someone doing British Sign Language which is different from subtitles – it’s the most crucial thing in the entire country and in England we do not have access to it.”

That’s not the case in the devolved parliaments, where, for example, Nicola Sturgeon’s Scottish government provides a BSL interpreter.

Closer to home, Glenn believes Redditch businesses are missing a trick by failing to engage with the deaf community.

“It would be nice to see the shops doing more – I used to run courses at the library but they petered out.

“Deaf people like to shop like everyone else and if they saw someone with a ‘Deaf Friendly’ badge then that would make it more accessible and I’m sure people would come to Redditch to shop if they knew that.”

To contact Glenn, text 07401 603087.

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