A Bury hospital worker who has been deaf his whole life and uses his skills to support other individuals has spoken about his experiences.

Trevor Borthwick-Hare is the communication and translation specialist at Cygnet Hospital Bury, which offers a range of mental health services for deaf people.

The 69-year-old has shared his story as part of National Deaf Awareness Week, which runs until Sunday, May 12.

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Trevor, who communicates via British Sign Language (BSL), said: “I was born profoundly deaf, this is a genetic, inherited condition as both my parents, brother and sister were all deaf.

“I have two hearing aids to support me the noise backgrounds and have good lip-reading skills to the point I can engage in conversation with anybody.”

Cygnet provides specialised services for deaf and hard of hearing people as well as those with complex mental health needs.

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Trevor, who attended the Elmete Hall School for the Deaf in Leeds before studying at Durham University, said: “The biggest challenge of being deaf is experiencing the barriers to inclusion and equality.

“Being deaf is normal to me, it is all I have ever known.

“So all of my experiences of deafness are positive.

"In fact, the biggest misconception is that deaf people are not proud to be deaf. That deaf people want to be cured. That deafness should be pitied.

“That isn’t true at all. I am incredibly proud to be deaf.

“Of course, being deaf can bring unique challenges that not everyone will experience but it should also be celebrated, and every person needs to be valued.”

Trevor supports patients at Cygnet Hospital Bury to have access to information so they can participate safely and as fully as possible in their care to achieve outcomes required to be discharged from hospital and continue their care pathway successfully.

He added: “The most fulfilling part of my job is to see how my adaptations are supporting patients with their recovery. I do these to the best of my ability and to the highest standard possible to match their needs.”

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Discussing how businesses and the wider society can become more inclusive to the deaf community, Trevor added: “It is really important that employers do not give deaf people any barriers, particularly for promotion and progression.

“Find out what adjustments you can make to reduce stress and improve wellbeing.

“They might be small shifts - but they can make a big difference to the deaf community.

“It would be fantastic to see more deaf people as directors of large organisations, which would hopefully inspire others and make deaf people realise that anything is possible.

“It would also be lovely for many hearing people to learn sign languages that will enable them to communicate with deaf people in the UK.

“BSL should be in the education curriculum for hearing children to learn. It will help deaf children to communicate with their peers and lead to fewer incidents of bullying in the school and community.”