Deaf and Signed Resources

The challenges faced by D/deaf women in accessing menopause information

The partnership comes following a study by the University of Wolverhampton that revealed a majority of D/deaf women (60%) do not have sufficient access to menopause health information in British Sign Language (BSL). More than half of D/deaf women (55%) are not aware that the symptoms they are experiencing could be attributed to the menopause, and 90% of D/deaf women have revealed they have no awareness of treatment options.^[1]

There are around 188,000 people who use BSL as their first language in the UK, with the majority being under 55, and 49% female.^[2] Women whose first or preferred language is BSL often experience health inequalities and due to inaccessible services and information, many lack access to help and support. Until now D/deaf women only had access to secondary interpreted content which often does not come with explainers of the signs and terms associated with the menopause. 

In response, in collaboration with our partners, we have developed a free, online accessible resources guide^[3] which will be hosted here on our website, the BID website and the H&B Menopause Hub. (BID 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)

The uniquely curated resources provide BSL signs that explain the menopause, the symptoms and meaning behind them. These also include Frequently Asked Questions and a suite of videos explaining the many different terms people will come across when they start their menopause journey, as well as common symptoms, healthcare and lifestyle advice, all using an aligned set of signs to explain the terms.

This is in addition to the free videos of the workshops we ran live with BID, covering topics from understanding the menopause and Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) to how food and exercise can help you manage menopause symptoms, as well as sleep, loss of libido and contraception. All workshops were delivered in English by a menopause specialist doctor from My Menopause Centre, with BSL interpreters. The videos for the first four workshops can be found below, with the others to follow.

Huge thanks also to Nigel Denby, of Harley Street at Home for his support on the nutrition workshop, and Mel Berry of Her Spirit for the exercise one.

Menopause Q&A – Dr Clare with BSL

In these videos, My Menopause Centre’s co-founder, Dr Clare Spencer, answers the questions people often ask about the menopause. BSL is provided throughout.

What is the menopause?

What causes the menopause?

What are the symptoms of the menopause?

What is HRT?

Different types of HRT

Why is HRT important?

Benefits of HRT

HRT side effects

Is HRT safe?

Risks of HRT

Menopause glossary in BSL

The following videos provide answers to common questions about the menopause and explanations about words you might come across related to the menopause. All resources have British Sign Language (BSL), subtitles and audio. These resources will be expanded as the partnership with BID progresses.

What is the menopause? An introduction to menopause and how you know it’s beginning.

Perimenopause – the stage before menopause. But what makes it different?

Postmenopause – once you’ve gone through the menopause transition, you stay in postmenopause.

Menopause symptoms – from hot flushes to mood changes, everyone experiences menopause differently. Here’s what you might notice.

Menopause causes – here we explain the connection between periods and menopause, plus why your periods might become irregular.

Menopause workshops

The following are recordings of the live workshops we ran with BID. They provide more in-depth information about the menopause, symptoms, treatment and looking after your health and wellbeing. All workshops were delivered in English by the wonderful Dr Ramiya from My Menopause Centre, with BSL interpreters. The videos for the first four workshops can be found below, with the others to follow.

Huge thanks also to Nigel Denby, of Harley Street at Home for his support on the nutrition workshop, and Mel Berry of Her Spirit for the exercise one.

About the workshops and our partnership with BID

The menopause explained – what it is,  symptoms and treatment options

Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) – different types of HRT, the side effects and how it can help to improve your menopausal symptoms

Eating well in the menopause transition (with Nigel Denby, Founder of Harley Street at Home)

Menopause and sleep

Poster with key research findings

The following poster contains key findings from research that was conducted by BID Services Birmingham, the University of Wolverhampton and My Menopause Centre. It was first shared at the 2024 annual British Menopause Society conference: