Hi, I’m Nancy, a qualified Lipspeaker, Lipspeaker with Sign, Electronic Notetaker for Deaf and Hard of Hearing adults and Lipreading teacher. As part of my qualifications I have undergone training to ensure I follow the code of conduct to work in a professional, ethical, helpful and flexible manner, maintaining confidentiality at all times being mindful of the importance of the role I am engaged in.
I am a member of the governing bodies NRCPD and ATLA.
I have over 20 years experience in Hotel Management where I completed my CIPD – HR Masters qualification. This is also where my love for British Sign Language began when I passed BSL L1 back in 2006. I did this to gain a better understanding of the assistive technology that the hotels offered and to learn how to communicate with deaf guests that visited our hotels.
FeelHear was set up in the Summer of 2018 when I moved to the New Forest to start my new career in the deaf world. While completing my qualifications I began working with vulnerable deaf adults in supported living. These clients are now good friends of ours and feature in some of my signed song performances featured on my YouTube channel.
Being a music lover I would sing my way through my shifts and even though my ‘crew’ couldn’t hear me they would dance along to my singing. Amazed by this I decided to sign songs for them and their reaction was beautiful. They said they could feel the music through my performance. Hence the name of my company FeelHear.
They are also regulars at our New Forest Deaf Club and can often be seen signing away to existing members and giving new members a wonderful warm welcome to their club.
Based in Milford on Sea with my wonderful partner Jon and beautiful stepson Sam, they too are huge ambassadors of the deaf world, raising awareness with charity events and getting involved in deaf socials.
Lipreading classes, Introduction to BSL workshops, Deaf Awareness workshops, Signed song performances, Communication support.
If you are deaf, disabled, or struggle to hear or take notes; a Lipspeaker, Lipspeaker with additional sign or Notetaker could provide the service you need. Funding is available through the Disabled Students Allowance (DSA) or Access to Work (AtW).
With the BSL Act 2022 being passed; your school/business may benefit from Deaf Awareness Training or an Introduction to British Sign Language Course. Details are below. Please get in touch.
This course is made up of 12 one hour workshops run over a 12 week period or two school terms. workshops can be tailored to suite existing timetables. The course covers, introduction to BSL, the new BSL Act, the deaf community, deaf awareness, fingerspelling, names, words, numbers, handshapes, sentences and by the end small conversations in BSL.
This is a 1-hour workshop on Deaf Awareness and an introduction to the BSL Act 2022. Ideal to tag on to a monthly team meeting. This training covers; introduction to the new BSL Act, awareness of the deaf community, communication tactics with deaf (D) and hard of hearing (d) people; considerations on environment, physical body and natural gestures when communicating with D/deaf colleagues, guests, clients and friends. Delivered in person or virtually.
Lipreading classes empower people with hearing loss to live independent and fulfilling lives. They offer an opportunity to:
A ‘Lipspeaker’ is a hearing person who has been professionally trained to be easy to lipread.
Lipspeakers clearly reproduce the shapes of the words and the natural rhythm and stress used by the speaker. They also use facial expression, gesture and, if requested, finger spelling, to aid the lipreader’s understanding. This practise is known as ‘Lipspeaking’.
Lipspeaking using Additional Signs is for those who prefer to lipread but may use some BSL to help support the meaning.
The Lipspeaker should have a minimum qualification of Level 2 BSL to offer this communication support.
ENT’s produce a real-time summary of what is said using an ordinary laptop computer. This can be linked to a second device for the client to read from or live streamed via a URL link where the client can adjust the font, colour and style of the typing.
Notetakers provide accurate notes in a variety of formats and work in a number of settings including professional, conference, community, medical and academic.
For concerts, festivals, weddings, parties and panto.
‘This side of my business is for pure joy and fun. There are over 100 signed songs on my YouTube and TikTok channels. I have enjoyed performing classics from the 50’s and 60’s at deaf parties to performing on the big stage alongside McFly. I have also recorded children’s rhymes.
The dream is to be on stage with Westlife one day…
