Last month, the HeX Productions team organised a D/deaf awareness training course in conjunction with Director of ablemedia and Deaf Awareness Trainer/British Sign Language translator, Memnos Costi.
At the event were a number of delegates from private and public sector bodies across Nottinghamshire, all wanting to know more about accessibility for Deaf people or people with hearing loss.
Who is Memnos Costi?
Memnos, who delivered the course, has been involved in raising awareness of the deaf community for a number of years. Age only 16, he started a television career on the BBC’s BSL current affairs show, See Hear, which he is still involved with today. In 2002, he played for the Great British Football and Futsal squad and has also appeared in the BBC drama, Holby City, alongside his daughter.
Committed to breaking down the barriers that the Deaf community face, Memnos also set up ablemedia, a company that specialises in delivering high-quality sign language translations and deaf awareness training to organisations across the globe. To date, he’s worked with a number of high profile organisations including the UK government.
Testimonials…
In attendance was Victoria Watkins, Assistant Marketing and Communications Officer for Newark and Sherwood District Council who said: “Memnos was very interactive and the course was engaging throughout. I learnt so much about the Deaf community and culture, British Sign Language, tips on communicating with Deaf people and ways of making websites and marketing materials more accessible.
“I’ve told the rest of my team about how informative the course was and how we can make our own website much more accessible. There are certainly many steps for us to take before we can make our own website accessible for the Deaf community but I’m hoping we will be able to start making progress thanks to this course.”
Leanne Morgan, an employee of a Global bank, who also attended the course commented: “It was fantastic, informative, eye-opening and I enjoyed every minute. I have taken so much away from the day and it’s sparked something inside that has made me want to make a difference. I would recommend everyone to attend and defy anyone not to come away and feel the need to improve what they do for our Deaf friends. Memnos is so passionate and it’s contagious!”
HeX’s very own Accessibility Director, Zara Gemmell, said: “It’s safe to say that everyone who attended the event was able to take something back to their organisation with an attitude of improving and making their websites, customer journeys and services more accessible for the Deaf community.
“It has been fantastic to have Memnos deliver this course for us. It’s truly been an inspirational experience and we hope that everyone who attended will be able to make amazing changes to the way they approach, sell to and talk to those with disabilities.”
Interested?
If you are looking to improve your organisation’s offering to the Deaf community or learn more about the Deaf community and how your business can help, visit ablemedia’s website (www.ablemedia.uk) to get in touch with Memnos and his team. As part of our own commitment to accessibility, we have launched a monthly event in Nottingham for people who are interested in or want to know more about making digital services more accessible for disabled people. You can register for free tickets here.
