New free guide for deaf people

The booklet will help thousands across the Scottish Borders

A groundbreaking new resource for people with hearing difficulties has been launched by Scottish Borders Council and NHS Borders.

The booklet, Hearing difficulty?, contains information on services for the region's population of people who are deaf or hard of hearing.

The data was compiled by People with hearing difficulties, social workers and health professionals.

The booklet is free from health centres and other local offices.

It includes advice on managing deafness, contacts for advice on benefits, employment, housing and safety, lip reading and sign language classes, the causes of deafness and audiology checks.

In a population like ours in the Borders, it could mean that there are 14,000 people who have some difficulty with hearing that affects their lives Michael Moore MP for Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk

It also details contacts for local and national organisations whose job it is to advise and help people with hearing difficulties.

Michael Moore, MP for Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk, said: "One person in seven suffers some kind of hearing loss.

"One in three is over 60, and for the over-80s that goes up to one in two. It's very worrying.

"In a population like ours in the Borders, it could mean that there are 14,000 people who have some difficulty with hearing that affects their lives."

Andrew Lowe, SBC director of social work, described the new booklet as "a very good opportunity to promote the issues of deafness".