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Gwnewch y Pethau Bychain - Make One Small Change - May Pledge

Posted on : 13 May 2022

Each month we will be challenging staff and residents to make one small change to help to further their use and understanding of the Welsh language and to ensuring Caerphilly County Borough remains an inclusive place to work and live.

This month we have two separate pledges, one for the Welsh Language and one for Equalities, both can be found below- we do hope that you will be able to get involved.

This month I pledge to start and end all Teams meetings using British Sign Language.

In support of Deaf Awareness Week which took place 2nd-8th May 2022, we would like to take the opportunity to raise awareness about deafness, hearing loss and tinnitus during this month and explain how you can support people you work with.

There are around 12 million people who are deaf or have hearing loss which means that one in five adults in the UK is directly affected, you are likely to meet someone every day, even though you might not be aware of it.

People who are deaf, have hearing loss or tinnitus can face different communication challenges whilst working from home, which can lead to frustration and loneliness.

If you work from home, you might find it useful to talk to your colleagues about how they can best communicate with you over video and voice calls. It may be helpful to share these tips:

If on a video call, make sure you are in a well-lit area but don’t sit with a light source behind you. This can put your face into shadow and make it harder for someone to lipread.
Face the camera and don’t cover your mouth while speaking.
Make sure that only one person is speaking at a time. This can also help make sure captions are more accurate if they are used.
Mute your microphone when you are not speaking to reduce background noise.
Make use of chat functions that might exist when using video or voice software. They can help to clarify details, especially with numbers.

This month I pledge to listen to a Welsh radio station.

Music is a great way to introduce yourself to a new language. From friendly greetings to catchy songs, having a Welsh radio station on whilst cooking or doing the school run is the perfect way to pick up some of the language. Give it a go and see how you get on.

For more information about the Make One Small Change campaign and monthly pledges, follow @CaerphillyCBC on Facebook and Twitter.

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