Deaf Awareness Week 2025

“Beyond Silence”

This year's theme is “Beyond Silence”. 

The goal of Deaf Awareness Week is to tackle the obstacles that prevent full accessibility for those with hearing loss, while celebrating the rich culture and resilience of the Deaf community, giving recognition and a voice to its members.

Being aware of the challenges faced by the Deaf community, like difficulties in communication, experiences of discrimination and limited access to information and resources, this week aims to raise awareness to create a fairer society.

Inclusivity and accessibility 

Moray House School of Education and Sport (MHSES) and the University of Edinburgh are committed to tackling these issues through our community initiatives, BSL Language Plan and Inclusive Learning programmes. 

The University of Edinburgh is the only UK university providing a Deaf Studies module. Shauna Flannigan, who graduated last year with an Inclusive Education (Deaf Learners) Postgraduate Diploma, said, "This module was of the utmost importance to me as a Deaf person, as it has supported me to better teach the children I work with in developing their Deaf identity and self-worth."

CALL Scotland (Communication, Access, Literacy and  Learning) is based within Moray House. CALL empowers children and young people with additional support needs, including Deaf people, by providing resources and support for families and professionals. They help learners engage with the curriculum through assistive technology and offer professional learning to enhance the use of tools for Deaf students, aiming to maximise their potential.

This year, Dr Audrey Cameron, Chancellor’s Fellow at MHSES, helped to create ground-breaking new signs that allow members of the Deaf community to join in vital discussions around climate change, helping to break barriers many face within the Deaf community.

A collaborative approach

Colleagues and students from Moray House have shared their experiences. Student Adviser Alison Hendry shows us what a typical day on campus is like for her and her hearing dog, Gerry. 

Current student Fiona Stewart describes her experience studying at Moray House and what she is doing for Deaf Awareness Week.

We are proud of our fantastic colleagues and students dedicated to supporting the Deaf community. By collaborating, we can all make a positive difference. 

Related information:

Inclusive Education           

CALL Scotland

How we designed sign language for climate science

BSL Language Plan

Dr Audrey Cameron

Institute for Education, Teaching and Leadership (IETL)