Sara Mackay and her team at the Alzheimer’s Society Wales have been making significant strides in raising dementia awareness within the Deaf community through their Dementia Friends in Wales Project, which was funded from April 2018 to September 2023. This initiative aimed to increase dementia awareness among those under-represented in dementia services and improve understanding of their unique needs.
Key Achievements:
- BSL Deaf and Dementia Awareness Workshops: Developed and delivered 20 workshops, attended by 181 members of the Deaf community.
- BSL Resources: Produced culturally adapted BSL films and translated the Alzheimer’s Society’s Symptoms Checklist into BSL. These resources include:
All Wales Deaf Mental Health and Wellbeing Group 