Most domestic fires occur during the night, so what happens if you are deaf or hard of hearing and taken out your hearing aids to go to sleep?
A third of people with a hearing loss say they would have difficulty waking up to a conventional alarm, especially considering most remove their hearing aids before they go to sleep each night. Almost a quarter (23%) say they would even struggle to know if the alarm went off during the day.
Everyone needs a working smoke alarms and more specifically, for people who are deaf or hard of hearing to have special smoke alarms. If you are living in rented accommodation, you may have standard smoke alarms which are unsuitable for you.
If you are deaf or hard of hearing, or know someone who is and could benefit from our help, please contact our deaf person's community safety advocate on 01429 872311. They can visit your home and give fire safety advice and arrange for to fit a free smoke alarm that meets your particular needs.
Each year, Deaf Awareness Week (in mid-May) is an ideal opportunity for those who know anyone who is deaf or hard of hearing, to make sure they have right smoke alarms that meet their needs.
