Card created to provide support during police emergencies as part of steps in improving barriers within deaf communities

A card has been created that supports deaf people when they are involved in a police emergency.

Imagine being in the middle of a traumatic experience, officers have been called, and help finally arrives. The scene is chaotic, officers are talking, lights are flashing, but for you, there is just silence.

For members of the deaf community, the reality of this situation can be a real cause for anxiety and is what motivated the development of the card.

The card, which reads “I am deaf” and includes a QR code to Video Relay Service (VRS), SignVideo, has been created by Cambridgeshire police and the Cambridgeshire Deaf Association (CDA).

The launch coincides with Deaf Awareness Week, which started Last Monday – and this year’s theme was ‘beyond silence’, encouraging greater understanding of the diverse ways deaf and hard-of-hearing communities communicate.

The card will form part of the force’s toolkit to aid accessibility for the deaf community. Alongside Police Link Officers for Deaf people (PLODs) and the Pegasus scheme.

Cambridgeshire officer PC Jake Weldon, who initiated the project, said: “I began working with CDA to understand how we can better support the deaf and hard-of-hearing community and what current accessibility gaps there are.

“One issue that was raised was the anxiety felt by deaf people around face-to-face contact with police in an emergency.

“In particular, the ability to quickly communicate that someone is deaf and ensure officers can communicate with people as quickly as possible in an emergency.

“While some great tools already existed, we wanted to find an additional solution to support the person involved in an incident and the officers attending.

“We have therefore worked with CDA to develop small cards that people can carry and use to quickly identify that they are deaf. Providing a QR code which officers can scan to go through to SignVideo and get assistance from an interpreter.

“Having a diverse range of communications methods that support all of our communities is so important, and it is an area of work we are keen to evolve in the future.”

Andy Palmer, chief executive for CDA, said: “Access to police and justice is a key issue for deaf people.

“The community wants to feel safe, and a big part of that is being able to communicate with the police whenever needed.

“We welcome this initiative and look forward to continuing our productive relationship with Cambs Police.

“This initiative compliments the existing video relay service in use, the PLOD scheme, and BSL999, which people can use to contact the police in an emergency.”

The cards will be distributed to members of the deaf community by CDA.