Deaf students collaborate with RNLI to deliver bespoke awareness training
Students from the Deaf Academy have partnered with the local RNLI to deliver a bespoke Deaf Awareness training session focusing on water safety.
The training took place in the lead up to Deaf Awareness week (5th – 9th May), which highlights the communication barriers faced by Deaf individuals and their impact on accessing vital information that can be life-saving.
The students, aged 19 upwards, taught RNLI lifeguards BSL (British Sign Language) phrases essential for water safety, as well as key communication tips. These tools allow lifeguards to communicate effectively with Deaf individuals, ensuring water safety for all, especially as the summer months approach.
In return, the RNLI lifeguards shared crucial safety guidance to help our students protect themselves in water environments.
Mark Stocks, Partnerships and Community Manager, said: ‘We are very grateful that our local RNLI lifeguards joined us for Deaf Awareness and some basic BSL training with our Post 19 students at the Academy, as well as delivering some water safety and beach awareness to them. We look forward to further such inclusive community collaborations as we approach our 200 year anniversary.
'This partnership emphasises the importance of accessible communication and encourages individuals, businesses and organisations to become more Deaf-aware. Together, we advocate for an inclusive and safe community for everyone.'
Tim Treloar, RNLI Water Safety Education Manager said: 'Educating children and young people about water safety is fundamental to saving lives at sea and a core part of the RNLI’s prevention work.
'It was a real privilege to deliver this essential life skill to students at the Academy. In turn our water safety, our lifeguard teams were given an incredible opportunity to learn some key BSL phrases which could be crucial to keeping beach goers safe.
'These phrases can be shared across the RNLI to enhance the opportunity to communicate with Deaf individuals to ensure everyone has a safe day at the beach.
'Last week (2 May) the RNLI lifeguards returned to the Academy to deliver a bespoke Meet the Lifeguards session using much of the BSL they learnt earlier during their previous visit.'
Tim added: 'This programme is very important to us leading up to the summer season where we see so many families bring their children to the wonderful beaches in this area. It encourages families to plan their visit and to choose a lifeguarded beach.
'We teach children how to Float to Live, the risks in the water and on the beach, and how to seek help in an emergency. We aim to increase children’s awareness of the potential dangers that exist around the coast, such as being aware of the weather conditions and changing tides, along with the ability to identify beach flags.'
Notes to editors
The Deaf Academy is a unique provision in the UK, offering a specialist curriculum, teaching, support and care to Deaf young people (aged 9 to 25), the majority of whom have accompanying additional needs.
Originally established in Exeter in 1826, the Academy, moved to its state-of-the-art home in the Devon town of Exmouth in 2020. The Academy is currently planning a series of community celebrations to mark its 200th anniversary in 2026, as the oldest Deaf school in England.
It is rated Good, with outstanding features, across all areas of its provision - for its School and College students, for its residential care, and for its provision for its young people living in its children’s home, Rolle House in Exmouth.
As a charity, the Academy provides a range of services to Deaf young people and their families including education, residential care, and support. In addition, it is also involved in research and development and training for professionals working with Deaf young people.
The Academy embraces change and strives to develop and improve its services. It opened Fearnside House, its 19-25 year old provision and the only one of its kind in the country, in September 2023.
· For more information, please visit https://thedeafacademy.ac.uk/
· To view the Academy’s latest prospectus, see: https://online.1stflip.com/dqcy/3olf/
You can read about the Academy’s long-term vision and goals in its Strategic Plan 2023-2028 here: https://thedeafacademy.ac.uk/strategic-plan-2023-2028/
Key facts about the RNLI
The RNLI charity saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 146,000 lives.
Learn more about the RNLI
For more information please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, X, TikTok and YouTube. News releases, videos and photos are available on the News Centre.
Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries
Members of the public may contact the RNLI on 0300 300 9990 (UK) or 1800 991802 (Ireland) or by email.