Cambridgeshire Deaf Association is running its third Sip & Sign workshop for deaf people living with Parkinson’s on Friday 18 September, from 1pm to 3.30pm at Cambourne Community Hub in Cambourne. British Sign Language (BSL) interpreters will be there throughout, and lunch is free.
What happens at the workshop
The session is deliberately informal. There is time to meet other deaf people affected by Parkinson’s and share experiences, information about equipment and aids that can make daily life easier, and a chance to tell us how you have found local health services — what has worked and what has not. What we hear feeds directly into the work we do with health partners.
You do not need to have been to the earlier workshops to come to this one. Carers, family members and support workers are welcome too.
Our work with Parkinson’s UK
CDA works in partnership with Parkinson’s UK. In January 2026 we launched the Parkinson’s Deaf Community Live Well Group, which we believe is the first support group in the country for people affected by both Parkinson’s and deafness. The first session ran at Cambourne on Friday 29 January 2026.
The partnership has grown since then. In June our team ran an exhibition stand at the Parkinson’s UK Walking Football Festival at Littleport, and in July our Communications Manager Matthew Wheeler was interviewed by That’s TV Cambridgeshire about the work. Further workshops are planned for later this year, and our own staff are taking Parkinson’s training this autumn so they can better support the people who come to us.
Why it matters
Deaf people living with a long term condition often face two barriers rather than one — the condition itself, and the difficulty of getting information about it in a language they can use. Parkinson’s information and support is usually delivered in spoken English, and BSL interpretation is rarely there unless somebody asks for it in advance. That leaves deaf people piecing things together from leaflets, or going without.
Come along
Friday 18 September, 1pm to 3.30pm, Cambourne Community Hub, Cambourne, Cambridgeshire. There is no charge and lunch is included.
If you would like to come, or you want to know more about the group, email enquiries@cambsdeaf.org.
And if you know a deaf person living with Parkinson’s, please pass this on. Not everyone sees social media or a poster in a waiting room.
