Welcoming September with AdaptNI

As we move into September and the start of a new month, we’re looking forward to another busy period at AdaptNI – supporting people who are Deaf, have hearing loss or tinnitus across Northern Ireland to access employment, remain in work, develop their skills and plan their next steps.

Whether you are looking for support yourself, supporting an employee, working with a young person, or simply want to make your workplace or service more accessible, AdaptNI is here to help.

Our support is specialist, person-centred and built around communication access, removing barriers and helping people achieve their employment, education and training goals.

Already in work? WorkableNI can support you

Our specialist WorkableNI service supports people who are Deaf, have hearing loss or tinnitus who are already in employment and may benefit from additional support to remain and progress in work.

Support can include:

• One-to-one specialist employment support

• Workplace communication strategies

• Reasonable adjustments

• Support with meetings and workplace communication

• Assistive technology and equipment

• Access to Work guidance and referrals

• Support for employers and managers

• Deaf awareness and communication guidance

• Ongoing reviews to make sure adjustments continue to work

We work with both the employee and employer to find practical solutions that make the workplace more accessible.

Looking for work? SkillSET can help

Our SkillSET programme provides specialist employment and training support for people who are Deaf, have hearing loss or tinnitus.

Support is tailored to the individual and can include:

• CV development

• Job searching

• Application forms

• Interview preparation

• Confidence building

• Employability skills

• Training and qualifications

• Understanding reasonable adjustments

• Support to communicate your needs to an employer

• Help moving into employment, education or further training

If employment is your next goal, you don't have to work towards it alone.

Next Steps Transitions – supporting Deaf young people

Our Next Steps Transitions project continues to support Deaf young people as they think about life after school and their future opportunities.

We can support young people with:

• Exploring career ideas

• College, training and employment options

• CVs and applications

• Preparing for interviews

• Building confidence and independence

• Understanding workplace rights

• Reasonable adjustments

• Communication support

• Self-advocacy

• Preparing for the transition from school into adult services, education, training or employment

We work with young people individually as well as alongside schools, colleges, families and other professionals.

Our Next Steps Transitions work is funded by the Sign Language Partnership Group, and we are delighted to be continuing this support through to March 2027.

Access to Work assessments

Did you know that specialist workplace equipment and communication support may be available through Access to Work (NI)?

AdaptNI provides specialist Access to Work assessments for people who are Deaf, have hearing loss or tinnitus.

Depending on individual need and job role, recommendations may include communication support, specialist equipment, workplace alerting systems, assistive listening technology and other reasonable adjustments.

Our assessments focus on the individual, their communication needs and the actual demands of their workplace.

Deaf Awareness, BSL and communication training

Accessibility isn't just about equipment – communication and understanding matter too.

AdaptNI provides training for employers, teams and organisations, including:

• Deaf Awareness

• Communication Awareness

• Basic British Sign Language (BSL)

• Basic Irish Sign Language (ISL)

• Bespoke workplace sessions

• Accredited BSL training

• Practical guidance for managers and colleagues

Training can be tailored to your workplace and the communication needs of your employee or service users.

If you have a Deaf colleague or someone with hearing loss joining your team, we can also develop bespoke awareness training specifically around their role and workplace.

💜 Tinnitus support

Tinnitus can affect concentration, sleep, wellbeing and working life.

AdaptNI provides specialist tinnitus support, including one-to-one support and our tinnitus peer support sessions.

Our peer sessions provide an opportunity to meet others who understand, share experiences and learn practical strategies in a supportive environment.

Lipreading

Keep an eye on our website and social media as we prepare to launch our Lipreading support. This will provide opportunities to develop lipreading and communication skills while connecting with others with similar experiences.

Lipreading is not simply about "reading lips". Our sessions will look at wider communication strategies that can help people feel more confident in everyday conversations, social situations and the workplace.

Support for employers

You don't need to wait until something becomes a problem before contacting us.

AdaptNI works directly with employers across Northern Ireland to help create accessible and inclusive workplaces.

We can support with reasonable adjustments, communication strategies, assistive technology, Access to Work, workplace accessibility, Deaf Awareness, BSL/ISL training and individual employee support.

Sometimes a relatively small adjustment can make a significant difference.

🌟 September – let's make communication accessible

September is particularly special for the NI Deaf community, with International Day of Sign Languages taking place on 23rd September.

This year's also comes at an important time for Northern Ireland following the historic progress of BSL and ISL legislation.

It is a fantastic opportunity for workplaces, schools, services and communities to think about communication access and what meaningful inclusion looks like in practice.

Perhaps September could be the month your team learns its first few signs, reviews how accessible its meetings are, or starts a conversation with a Deaf employee about what would make communication easier.

Do you know someone we could support?

You don't need to know which AdaptNI programme is right before contacting us.

If you are:

Deaf, have hearing loss or tinnitus and would like employment, training or workplace support;

an employer or manager looking for advice or support for a member of staff;

a parent, teacher or professional supporting a Deaf young person with their next steps; or

an organisation wanting to improve Deaf awareness and communication accessibility –

we would love to hear from you.

September brings new starts, new routines and new opportunities.

At AdaptNI, we're looking forward to another month of breaking down barriers, improving communication access and helping people across Northern Ireland take their next step.

Find out more about all our services at www.adaptni.org.uk

AdaptNI – Specialist Jobs, Education and Training Support for the Deaf, hearing loss and tinnitus communities across Northern Ireland.