Empowering Deaf women through accessible menopause support

The menopause can be an incredibly complex, emotional and isolating period in a woman’s life. While discussions about menopause are becoming more frequent on television, in the press, and even in workplaces, there remains a significant amount of confusion about what menopause truly entails, the symptoms one might experience, and how best to manage them.

BID Services is a charity which works to remove barriers and deliver services which enable and empower those who are D/deaf, hard of hearing, sight impaired, deafblind or have other disabilities to live full lives.

BID identified a critical gap through research conducted by the University of Wolverhampton: Deaf and hard of hearing women often lack access to essential information and support regarding menopause. For example, information presented in British Sign Language (BSL) is scarce.

Since the summer of 2023, BID Services has partnered with My Menopause Centre to enhance awareness and understanding of menopause symptoms and treatments within Birmingham’s Deaf and hard of hearing community.

Interactive workshops for enhanced understanding

BID conducted seven workshops focused on key topics related to menopause. These workshops covered a range of subjects, from understanding the menopause and Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) to managing symptoms through diet and exercise, as well as addressing loss of libido and contraception.

All workshops were delivered in English by a specialist menopause doctor from My Menopause Centre, with BSL interpreters ensuring the sessions were fully accessible.

Creating accessible digital resources

Recognising that not everyone could attend the workshops in person, they recorded the sessions and created a suite of accessible digital menopause resources. These include videos in BSL, audio, and with subtitles, all available in an information library.

BID also developed videos addressing frequently asked questions about menopause and explaining various terms that individuals may encounter during their menopause journey. These resources were developed collaboratively with the Deaf community, My Menopause Centre, BSL interpreters, and experts from the University of Wolverhampton, including Sarah Bown and Kristiaan Dekesel, specialists in Interpreting and Deaf Studies.

Empowering through collaboration

Debbie Lang, Sensory Services Manager at BID Services, explained the impact of these resources:

“Many women told us that when they were given medical leaflets and websites to look at, they had difficulty understanding them. By creating these resources in collaboration with the Deaf community, Deaf women have told us they will help empower them to have these conversations and improve their health outcomes by increasing understanding around the menopause and bringing together commonly used signs and their meanings.”

BID hope these resources will prove invaluable not only to the Deaf community across the UK but also to BSL interpreters and health professionals, enhancing their ability to provide accessible information and support.

Partnering for greater impact

BIDs collaboration with My Menopause Centre also involved Holland & Barrett, who helped develop and promote these resources and raise awareness about the need for accessible menopause support for Deaf and hard of hearing individuals. Through this partnership, they aim to break down barriers and promote health equity by improving access to vital health information and services.

Research-driven initiatives

This project stemmed from a research proposal by Sarah Bown from the University of Wolverhampton, conducted in 2018/19, with support from BID Services. The research highlighted the stark lack of accessible menopause support and information available to D/deaf women, with only around 7% reporting access to information in BSL and 60% feeling uninformed about menopause.

You can view the menopause resources here. 

To view the full article about this project (BSL translation included) and the research from the University of Wolverhampton please visit:

https://www.bid.org.uk/menopause-information-library-for-the-deaf-community/