Today, Friday 8th March is International Women’s Day.
We support many children, men and women who are Deaf, hard of hearing, blind, partially sighted and deafblind, infact we support over 8,000 people in Surrey!
To celebrate this International Women’s Day, we are featuring four inspirational women that have sensory impairments, but have not let that hold them back from pushing the boundaries and achieving what they want.
First up is Celebrity Chef, Food and Lifestyle TV Presenter, Yvonne Cobb, who is Deaf. Yvonne is breaking down barriers in the kitchen and on TV as the first Deaf female reporter for BBC News. Yvonne has attended our Deaf Coffee Mornings and presented to our Deaf group, sharing her story and encouraging them to never give up on what they would like to achieve.
Picture credit: Surrey Live
Next to be featured is para-cyclist, Lizzi Jordan. Lizzi lost her sight after contracting E.coli food poisoning. She won gold in the Para-Cycling Track World Championships in 2023 and is currently training in the hope to be selected for the upcoming Paralympics this year. We supported Lizzi with tech training after she left hospital, showing her how to use all the accessibility features on her iPhone so she could keep connected with family and friends. Our Tech Trainer, Gary, also supported Lizzi with computer training, showing her how to use many accessibility features, software and apps that are designed for people who are vision impaired. You can read more about Lizzi’s story in our magazine, Signpost, which is available to Signpost Spring Summer 2023
The third lady to be featured in our International Women’s Day campaign, is British Sign Language Teacher, Catherine. Thanks to Catherine, more people can communicate in British Sign Language, improving inclusion. Catherine also works as a Communicator Guide for the charity, giving support to people who are deafblind.
Last but by no means list is Nicky Greenhill. Nicky has Stargardt eye condition meaning she has no central vision but that hasn’t stopped her horse riding from an early age, or achieving her dreams of competing for Team GB in 2008 in Para Dressage. We have supported Nicky with tech training, showing her how to use various apps and software designed for people who are blind or vision impaired. You can read more about Nicky’s story in our magazine, Signpost which is available to download at Signpost Winter 2023 Large Print.
All four women are featured in our social media channels on Facebook, Instagram and X.
