Patron's Message:

The DWHO is organised by and for women who use British Sign Language to share and access health information. We established the organisation originally on a regional basis as a Project in 1988 and became a national Organisation and registered Charity in 2000.

Our Northern Group is based at Gateshead Library (kindly offered by Gateshead Council) where we meet monthly, usually Saturday morning. The meetings are organised by Gillian Harrison, she's a Senior Clerical Assistant at Gateshead Library.

We are a self-help, volunteer group and raise own funding with raffles. Membership has grown since 1988. We invite volunteer presenters from various health organisations or with health related knowledge and skills. Sometimes we organise a day out – it’s good for our health. Thanks to Durham, Gateshead and Newcastle Council donations for interpreters when presenters attend our group.

Whenever possible we meet, collaborate and support other Deaf womens’s groups, for example the Leeds Deaf Women’s health group. We raised money to send to RDWIN (RDWIN - Regional Deaf Women Initiatives Network in Kenya) to enable them to buy a laptop.

I have been very pleased to see how our group has thrived. We continue to support each other in the north and northeast and to have access to information in our language. Our language is vital to our wellbeing as it is the way we live our lives.

If you would like to support our organisation please see the address on the contact page.

Judith Collins DWHO Patron

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Who are we?

A group of Deaf women who share and access information about health issues.

Where are we?

We are part of the national organisation that meet monthly in the North East

What are our aims?

To bring all Deaf women across the North East to the group

To improve awareness of the health needs of Deaf people among health professionals

To campaign for better information and access to health and main services for Deaf women