New BSL Cancer Screening Videos Help Break Down Barriers for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Communities

UHNM Cancer Screening Services have partnered with local deaf and hard of hearing communities and specialist deaf services to develop a suite of British Sign Language (BSL) cancer screening videos. Covering bowel and lung cancer screening, the videos have been co-produced with BSL users to ensure information is accessible, inclusive and easy to understand. The bowel screening video was recently premiered at a local deaf and hard of hearing community day, where attendees were delighted to see cancer screening information available in BSL and welcomed the move towards more accessible healthcare resources. Janina Barnet from the Staffordshire Lung Cancer Screening Team said: “Everyone deserves access to clear, accessible health information. By working alongside our local deaf and hard of hearing communities, we’ve been able to create resources that better meet their needs and help ensure more people can benefit from potentially life-saving cancer screening programmes. It was fantastic to see such a positive response when the bowel screening video was premiered, with many attendees telling us how valuable it was to have information available in BSL.” This collaborative project is helping to break down communication barriers, tackle health inequalities and ensure more people can make informed decisions about cancer screening. The programme will continue to expand in the coming months, with a breast screening BSL video currently being finalised and expected to launch soon. Watch the BSL cancer screening videos here: www.uhnm.nhs.uk/hospitals-and-services/bowel-cancer-screening-programme/ www.uhnm.nhs.uk/hospitals-and-services/lung-cancer-screening-programme/