Scotland’s LGBT Helpline now supports Deaf people using British Sign Language (BSL). This national helpline has supported lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people since 2009 and becomes the first LGBT helpline accessible to the deaf community.
Run by LGBT Health and Wellbeing with funding from the Scottish Government, the helpline provides information and emotional support to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people and their families, friends and supporters across Scotland. It also provides support to those questioning or wanting to discuss their sexuality or gender identity. With email and live chat options also available, the helpline supported 1,155 people last year. However Deaf people who do not have English as their first language have been unable to use the service until now.
LGBT Health and Wellbeing worked with Contact Scotland and Deaf Action to make the service inclusive to LGBT Deaf people. Helpline staff and volunteers received Deaf awareness training as well as training in using Contact Scotland – the Scottish Government’s nationally funded BSL interpreting video relay service (VRS). The service enables BSL users to communicate with non-BSL users by interpreting their conversation in real time.
Learn more about health and wellbeing in the LGBT community here. A report called “Deaf and LGBT discussion” and may other reports can be accessed in this link.
