Training materials: The Mental Health Act Video for Deaf People

THE MENTAL HEALTH ACT VIDEO FOR DEAF PEOPLE
National Deaf Services
£19.99 (VHS or DVD)
www.forestbooks.com

STAR RATING: 4/5

Until this production came out there was no video about the Mental
Health Act 1983 – let alone one in BSL, writes Herbert
Klein.

BSL is the first or preferred language of about 75,000 deaf people
in the UK. It is a language that uses hand and body movement,
facial expressions and space.

Few mental health professionals use BSL which means deaf people do
not consistently get full information in their first or preferred
language.

The video will also help widen the understanding of hearing
professionals who may have little knowledge of deaf issues. To this
end it describes how to book interpreters, highlights differences
between deaf and hearing clients, and explains communication
tactics.

It is a positive step forward, but there is still a long way to go.
Deaf clients have difficulty in accessing many areas of
information, such as details on medication.

I hope that this video succeeds in encouraging people to think
about how they can become involved in making positive changes in
the health care of deaf people.

Herbert Klein is project manager for the Deaf Patient
Involvement Project