Using the telephone

You can get advice from Deaf Action on the right landline telephone for you.

If you have a mobile phone, you can also use the Relay UK app, which is a free text relay service.

Text to speech technology

If you find it difficult to hear conversations, there are many great pieces of equipment you can use. Deaf Action can give you advice on these. You can also download a speech to text app on your smartphone, such as Live Transcribe.

Deaf Action equipment service 

If you live in the City of Edinburgh Council area and have a diagnosis of hearing loss you are entitled to certain pieces of free equipment. Contact Deaf Action for more information.  Staff can also demonstrate and advise on equipment for you to purchase yourself.

Phone: 0131 556 3128 
SMS: 07775 620 757
Email the specialist equipment team at Deaf Action

Smart Home

Edinburgh Health and Social Care Partnership’s Smart Home has an extensive selection of technology to demonstrate to Deaf people or people with hearing loss which can help:

• keep you safe
• keep you connected
• keep you participating in- and out-doors
• keep you well
• keep you informed.

The Smart Home is open for 1 to 1 essential face to face appointments at this time.

Please email Annie Seath, Senior Care & Support Worker for Digital Technologies, for more information.

Managing your hearing loss

This six week course runs for two hours each week. Suitable for people with a hearing loss and their partners/friends. For more information email Deaf Learners. Courses are currently suspended due to coronavirus.

Hearing Link Services: one-to-one support

Hearing Link’s one-to-one support is delivered for people with hearing loss by experienced volunteers who offer lived or professional experience of hearing loss. They can signpost to services that can help a person with acquired hearing loss and their families to adjust to the challenges of their hearing.

If you need support and you’re not sure what steps to take email the Hearing Link Service helpdesk for more details.

Hearing Link Services: LinkUps

LinkUps are free support groups that have been designed by people with lived experience of hearing loss, for others with hearing loss and their families and friends. They are run by Hearing Link, which is part of Hearing Dogs for Deaf People. LinkUps are delivered in the following ways:

• LinkUp Groups (in person): These are for groups of up to 15 people. They take place in a residential setting and usually take place over a weekend. Speech-to-text reporting and hearing loop is provided.
• LinkUp Online (over a secure online platform): For smaller groups of up to eight people over a secure, easy-to-use online platform. Live captioning and speech-to-text reporting are provided. These groups are suitable if you have working commitments or are unable to travel to one of our in person sessions.

The aim of a LinkUp is simple. They are a chance to explore the challenges of living with hearing loss, share solutions and find out about technology or equipment that can make life a little bit easier.

Visit the LinkUps page of the Hearing Link Services website for details of the next groups taking place in Scotland.

Hearing Dogs

Hearing Dogs for Deaf People provide specially trained assistance dogs to help people with hearing loss. Hearing dogs alert their partners to sounds, provide support and companionship, and can accompany their partners to places pet dogs are not usually allowed such as hotels and restaurants. Hearing dog partners are provided with ongoing support and welcomed into a local and online community of fellow partnerships.

Visit the Hearing Dogs website.

Services for Deafblind people

Deafblind Scotland provides advice, support and a guide/communicator service. The guide/communicator service is available across Scotland. The service is tailored to meet an individual’s needs. It changes lives by enabling people to remain involved in their own community by:

• ensuring equal access for individuals living with dual sensory impairment or Deafblindness
• promoting independence
• providing stimulation
• encouraging integration into the community.

Guide/communicators are highly skilled individuals, trained to be the eyes and ears of a deafblind person. They relay information, facilitate communication with others and ensure they are able to get about safely. They are neutral, alert and give information, not advice, without prior selection or processing.

Visit the Deafblind Scotland website.

Help to get online

Get Online provides 1:1 support in five weekly sessions at different library locations. Bring along your laptop, tablet or smartphone and learn how to make the most of digital technology and the internet.

Help with benefits

Deaf Action’s advice line can provide advice on welfare benefits including checking benefit eligibility, applying for benefits, querying and challenging decisions.

Safe and sound project

The safe and sound project offers Scottish landlords and Deaf tenants (BSL users, hard of hearing, Deafblind, deafened) access to information and advice on the property rental market.

Find more information and contacts for services across Edinburgh by selecting from the options below.