PROTESTERS took to the steps of County Hall to call for improved access to lip- reading classes.

The protest, organised by the Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID), saw campaigners calling for Dorset County Council to abandon unnecessary ‘bureaucracy’ so more deaf and hard of hearing people can benefit from the vital service.

RNID spokesman Alan Dalziel said: “Dorset County Council has got an unfair and inappropriate system in place which prevents people getting the concessions they are due for lip- reading classes.

“If you turn up with a hearing aid or statement saying you have hearing loss they don’t accept it and you are asked to go for a completely separate assessment by social services.”

Mr Dalziel said Dorset’s approach was ‘unprecedented’ and urged the council to take a more simple approach like in neighbouring Bournemouth where anyone declaring a hearing loss is automatically entitled to a £10 concession for lip reading classes.

He said: “We are asking the council to get rid of the bureaucracy.”

Mags Chue, who tutors lip- reading classes in Dorchester, Weymouth and Bridport, said lip reading skills were essential for people with hearing loss.

She said: “It’s an absolute lifeline for people with hearing loss, which is the most socially isolating condition people can have.”

Elizabeth Messer, a lip-reading teacher from Gillingham, said: “It is a life skill. You need to keep doing it in order to cope in the community.

“At the moment the lip-reading classes cost £45 per term and for people on limited income it actually prevents people from coming to classes.”

Protesters were wrapped in red ribbon, representing the red tape they face in order to get to classes.

Dorset County Council’s head of cultural services Paul Leivers said: “Lip reading is important.

“Classes in Dorset are provided by private tutors and by the county council’s Dorset Adult Learning (DAL) service.

“Individuals can request an assessment from the sight and hearing team within social care services. If they meet our Fair Access to Care Services (FACS) criteria at ‘substantial’ or ‘critical’ level of need, we can provide financial assistance to cover the costs of a lip reading course.”

Mr Leivers added: “We are currently looking at a number of options to develop provision for lip-reading.”