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News Updates with Ruthy
Fire Statistics for Hoteliers UK
I have researched the total number of hotel fires from 2015 to 2021, and I am delighted that the number of these has dropped down since I have been teaching Deaf Awareness and Basic Sign Language Training for Hoteliers over the past 12 years.
As part of the training, I demonstrate the specialised equipment to alert deaf guests in case of emergency.
I decided to teach Deaf Awareness training to hoteliers due to personal experience.
I was staying in a hotel when unbeknown to me the fire alarm went off. I was not alerted to the fire and was the only person left in the building, unaware of what was happening.
After discussing this with deaf friends, I was astounded as to how many of them had similar experiences. In total I have unfortunately experienced this three times in different hotels around the UK.
Please see the fire statistics figures: -
2015 / 16 = 334 hotel fires
2016 / 17 = 303 hotel fires
2017 / 18 = 306 hotel fires
2018 / 19 = 298 hotel fires
2019 / 20 = 295 hotel fires
2020 / 21 = 174 hotel fires
It is good to see that the number of these have dropped slightly each year, since I explained about fire alarms with strobe lights and vibrating pads to alert deaf guests in case of emergency. This had helped deaf guests to enjoy their break without having to worrying about fire risks.
It is important to always check the batteries of your fire alarms with strobe lights to make sure they are working each day.
Please do not hesitate to contact me if you wish to discuss this further or would like to book Deaf Awareness and Basic Sign Language Training for Hoteliers UK.
Thank you.
A message for all Hoteliers UK
Remember about 21 months ago, Robbie Williams evacuated from Mandarin Oriental Hotel, London. Come to think of it what about deaf people who can’t hear fire alarm?
My courses focus more on deafness and give more in-depth information, plus why not learn some basic sign language relevant to Hoteliers as well, I also demonstrate the simple pieces of equipment that are useful to guest(s).
There are over 15 million people in the UK with a hearing loss, and very few hotels that can fully accommodate their deaf and hard of hearing guests. As a profoundly deaf lady, I had the unfortunate experience of staying in a hotel whilst there was a fire. Even more overwhelming was the fact that I was not alerted to the fire; I did not hear the fire alarm, or the staff bang on my door. It was then that I decided to educate hoteliers on how to communicate and provide a safe environment for their deaf guests. I have unfortunately experienced these 3 times in different hotels around the UK.
Great news!
You know I have just come back from Brighton, the Grand Hotel! ! They have asked me to come back again in six months’ time to do more Deaf Awareness and Basic Sign Language Training !!
If you wish to book Deaf Awareness and Basic Sign Language Training for Hoteliers, please contact me or phone 07444 136415 to book!! We have some dates available in March/April.
Very exciting update!
I was so delighted to hear from Mr Robert Schouten from Skotel, to invite me to fly out to Amsterdam, to teach my first INTERNATIONAL Deaf Awareness and Basic Sign Language Training at Skotel, The Hague, in January 2019.
Look out for some photographs and feedback when I get back from The Hague in January.
Also, I will be teaching at The Winchester Royal Hotel, Winchester in January and The Caledonian Hotel, Newcastle in February. Look out for more news!!
If you wish to book the course, please contact me at ruthy@supportthedeafpeople.co.uk
Bespoke Hotels news!
On Tuesday 14th September, I will be teaching Deaf Awareness and Basic Sign Language Training Course at The Chester Grosvenor, a Bespoke hotel.
Look out for some photographs and feedback!
If you wish to book Deaf Awareness and Basic Sign Language Training, please contact me.
Good to be back - successful training!
It was nice to be back to The Grand Brighton, thank you Hilton Brighton for their hospitality!
Thank you again to The Grand Brighton to invite me! What a lovely group they were! They had enjoyed Deaf Awareness and Basic Sign Language course, more excellent feedback from them. We had some fun too!
If you wish to book the course, please contact Ruthy Fletcher, Support the Deaf People.
Excited to be back!
I can't wait to go back to The Grand Brighton next Monday/Tuesday to do Deaf Awareness and Basic Sign Language Training after our long Pandemic lockdown. The first training out of 16 hotel bookings so far.
Look out for the photos and feedback.
If you wish to book the course, please contact me.
Testimonial from Sam Iden, Fireco Ltd
Ruthy champions improved awareness of the issues that deaf people face everyday.
She is pro-active and tenacious and her passion knows no bounds.
Ruthy has recently taken it upon herself to highlight the lack of fire safety precautions for deaf people in hotels and B+B's and has been successful in helping major hotel chains review their policy and improve their safety, specifically when it comes to how deaf guests are evacuated in a fire.
Her work takes her all over the country, which she funds herself. She does this because she has experienced the problems she is helping to solve first hand.
At Fireco, we are grateful to know someone as passionate, caring and determined as Ruthy. She is an inspiration to myself and others here who have had the pleasure of working with her.
Deaf Awareness Week
2nd – 8th May 2022
Ruthy was invited to do a presentation held at Eccleston Place, Eccleston Yards, Victoria to give a talk about Deaf Awareness and provide Basic Sign Language Training for all General Managers on Wednesday 4th May from 6.00 pm – 8.00 pm.
12 delegates attended and it was a successful training event.
A big thank you to Emma Jenkins from Donnington Valley Hotel, Vineyards who organised this.
ruthy@supportthedeafpeople.co.uk
Deaf woman 'outraged' as she says GP surgery would not provide interpreter
Ruthy Fletcher needed an interpreter for her coronavirus vaccine appointment
See the article from Lincolnshire Live below
A deaf woman was left outraged after she says her doctor's surgery did not provide her with an interpreter for her coronavirus vaccine appointment. Ruthy Fletcher, who lives in Retford, moved to the area from Bolton in 2019 and signed herself up to the GP surgery at Riverside Health Centre.
In anticipation of receiving her vaccine, Mrs Fletcher says she contacted the surgery on three separate occasions in February while her interpreter rang on her behalf on February 22 to explain that Riverside Health Centre would need to book the services of an interpreter for Mrs Fletcher's jab.
On Monday, March 8, she says she received a text message providing her with a phone number she was told to contact in order to book an interpreter for her coronavirus vaccination which would be taking place a week later.
Mrs Fletcher, who works as a qualified teacher of deaf awareness and basic sign language, says that this task is not her responsibility though and needed to be undertaken by the doctor's surgery.
She explained: "It is not for me to phone them as interpreters are professionals and need paying for their service".
"They will not just turn up to an appointment because I ask them to, they need a booking so they can be assured of receiving their payment".
"I explained this to them and on March 12 they said that as a company they do not fund the action of getting an interpreter. They also said that I needed to let them know if I wanted to keep my appointment for Monday so they could send me an information leaflet via email - 'My chance to get the jab'."
Mrs Fletcher says that, under the Equality Act of 2010, she was entitled to have an interpreter at the appointment.
"I was outraged. I have never known a doctor's surgery refuse or not know anything about the process of booking an interpreter," she added.
"My old doctor's surgery in Bolton, who have know me since birth, have been excellent and always booked an interpreter at the same time as appointments were booked. I am concerned now that whenever I want to attend Riverside Health Centre to see a doctor in the future that they may not have an interpreter there for me to help me communicate."
Mrs Fletcher says that having realised that her doctor's surgery was not going to provide her with an interpreter, she contacted the Nottinghamshire Deaf Society to request one. She says that she arrived at the Retford Hospital not knowing where to go and with no interpreter to help her find the vaccination area.
Thankfully for Mrs Fletcher, Nottinghamshire Deaf Society texted her just 10 minutes before her appointment saying that they had found an interpreter who would be able to assist her via FaceTime during the vaccination.
Lincolnshire Live approached Riverside Health Centre for a comment on this matter however they said that they were unable to confirm or comment on individual cases as it would be a breach of confidential information.
The spokeswoman added that patients who are registered with GP surgeries can contact their individual practice for a copy of their complaints procedure and they were confident that the practice would do their best to address the concerns.
For NHS England - Doctors, Dentists, Opticians, Hospitals
When there is a Deaf patient(s) attending for medical appointments or meetings, you will need to pay for a BSL Interpreter, and make those arrangements through the Nottinghamshire Deaf Society.
This differs from me attending in my capacity as a self-employed person running my own business, "Support The Deaf People", teaching Deaf Awareness and Basic Sign Language to educate the medical staff on communication with Deaf people. Under this circumstance I have arranged for my own interpreter to be present with me, who is paid for their service through a government scheme called Access to Work.
But under normal circumstances, a Deaf patient will not be making their own arrangements to bring an interpreter to a medical appointment.
During lockdown, Ruthy recounts a recent experience at a shop in town where she was accidently cut in front of a queue
Ruthy Fletcher moved from Bolton in Lancashire just 12 months ago and has taught deaf awareness and basic sign language training for over ten years. The 57-year old relies on lipreading and sign language to communicate and says compulsory mask wearing during the pandemic has left many within the deaf community feeling isolated.
She recounts a recent experience at a shop in the town when she accidentally cut in front of the queue.
"During lockdown, I went into a store to buy some paint", said Ruthy. "I was standing in the two metre circle waiting to go to the counter and unbeknown to me I was being shouted at by one of the staff members".
"I could see people staring at me and I looked round to see a staff member shouting - I got the impression - at me".
"I asked her if she could remove her mask and speak to me face to face so I could understand what she was saying. She refused and carried on shouting at me to get to the back of the queue, as there was a gentleman standing behind me".
"Thankfully two lovely shop staff saw this and told me to follow them as they would serve me. But I remember feeling hurt, angry, and annoyed."
Ruthy is in a number of social media groups for the local deaf community who throughout lockdown have been sharing their stories of the challenges they have faced.
From being unable to lip read, to some services now only available over the phone, navigating the pandemic as a deaf person has been challenging.
"There's a massive gap in communication between hearing and deaf people in the UK" said Ruthy.
"Most people have no idea what to do. It was really frustrating during the daily updates for deaf people in England, as for many their first language is British Sign Language".
"There were interpreters for Scotland and Wales updates, but none for England. We had no idea what was being said and what the guidelines or rules were. We had to rely on news coverage and asking our friends to tell us what is happening".
"We felt more frustrated regarding face mask as we can't hear (for those with partial deafness) or lip read. We need to ask people to remove their mask for us to lip read".
"I know lots of people are panicked when asked that and some refuse to remove their mask. It give us more anxiety, panic and causes upset".
"We try to follow the rules but we feel more frustrated as if we feel that we are left out."
Ruthy says that many in the deaf community carry a card explaining they are deaf, which asks people to remove their masks at a safe distance and speak clearly without shouting.
She says that see-through face masks are very useful in helping deaf people communicate and says there needs to be more deaf awareness across the country.
In a bid to tackle this issue, Ruthy has set up a sign language course for people to enrol on in Retford, to help more people learn sign language to better communicate with the deaf community.
"I feel that many businesses and shops need to know more about deaf awareness. Many have no idea how to support and communicate with deaf people within the work place. It can be very confusing."
Ruthy will be holding sign language and deaf awareness courses at The Bay Tree Bistro in Retford on Friday, September 4 from 11am to 3pm and The Leaky Teacup on Thursday August 27, Thursday, September 3 and Friday, September 4 from 5:30pm to 9:30pm.
If anybody is interested in Ruthy's course, contact her at:
ruthy@supportthedeafpeople.co.uk
Clear lip face masks, shields, and communication cards are vital for deaf awareness during the pandemic.
See below for information on where you can source them from.
1. Breathe Easy
Breathe-Easy agreed to provide the clear lip face mask to deaf people. If you know of anyone who is deaf/hard of hearing, who is interested in finding clear lip face masks, then take note of below information.
10% discount - £14.40 Lip-reading with behind the head strap.
15% discount - £13.59 Lip-reading with behind the ear strap.
https://www.breathe-easy.info/our-face/lip-reading-face-masks
2. Seahawk Ltd Face Mask
The price is £12.55 each, including VAT.
Postage is free on orders of 5 or more.
The face masks are washable and reusable.
karen.hunter@scottgroupltd.com
3. Bounce Back Solution
V-19 Shield. It is reusable, and wraps around the full face for better protection.
Allows people to see your facial expressions.
It is washable, reusable, easy to sanitise, and recyclable. Easy fit, and resizable, as you can cut it down to fit the length of your face.
Email: kim.roe@circagroup.co.uk
The cost is £1.95 for each shield. No VAT, and the minimum order is normally 5, although I am happy to do 3 as I don't think it will impact the postage cost.
The cost for postage based on 5 in a tube is shown here:
4. Shelbourne Dangos Ltd
Our prices are:
£23.99 per unit, (including postage and packaging and one free ear strap extension).
Discounts:
Orders of 50-99 masks, we offer a 20% discount, the price is £19.99 per unit, (including postage and packaging and one free ear strap extension).
Orders of 100-999 masks, we offer a 25% discount, the price is £17.99 per unit, (including postage and packaging and one free ear strap extension).
Orders of over 1000 masks, we offer a 50% discount, the price is £11.99 per unit, (including postage and packaging and one free ear strap extension).
All orders must be made via email:
info@shelbournedangos.co.uk
5. Advanced Plastics Shield
You can email Jack if you wish to order one or more.
jackcarr@advanced-plastics.co.uk
See below:
6. Communication Card
Communication Cards/Tips for you to show hearing people with full face mask that you need help - to ask them if they can do basic sign, gestures/points, write things down.
Please contact me:
ruthy@supportthedeafpeople.co.uk
£5.00 with postage stamp
DEAF AWARENESS IN HOSPITALITY / HOTELIERS held at Ziferblat, Manchester
Wednesday 27th September 2017
I am delighted to say that the event was a great success! All attendees enjoyed themselves and tried their hand at sign language! Many hotel managers who attended are now keen to arrange the full course plus invest in the specialist equipment too!!
Thank you to everyone who came on the day and I do hope to run more events around the UK in the future!
If any hoteliers are interesting in attending another event in your area next year – please let me know.
Please don’t hesitate to contact me on ruthy@supportthedeafpeople.co.uk
Campaign for BSL Act 2022
BSL Act event today in Central London - As a member of the Deaf Community I really hope we will get a breakthrough and have our own recognised language made into law. Good luck everyone let’s fight, 20 years been too long! #BSLActNow We need more people to come and campaign BSL (British Sign Language) Act. We need more Interpreters, News Interpreters, like Rose on Strictly Comes Dancing, and many more to support the Deaf People.
