The Hearing Impairment Service (HIU) is based at Bury Central Library and provides a library and information services plus many additional resources for Deaf and hard of hearing people, their families and professionals working to assist them. The unit is staffed by a librarian and library assistant both of whom have British Sign Language (BSL) skills and who are able to offer a range of other communication methods.
Staff at the unit are available to provide training on computer use and can offer information on other services to assist Deaf and hard of hearing people.
As well as providing an extensive collection of books on all aspects of deafness (including : Deaf Culture; Sign Language; medical topics; education; welfare; English skills and biography) the unit also provides :
- Word processing
- Internet
- Web cam
- textphone
- Induction loop
- Subtitled videos
- TV and video with closed caption video reader and teletext
- Journals
Plus an extensive Resource Collection - This includes many aids to everyday living for both Deaf and hard of hearing people including: loop systems; telephone amplifiers; domestic equipment such as alarm clocks with flashing light and vibrating pad; person to person transmitter; closed caption video readers and textphones. All equipment is available for people to borrow to try in their own homes.
We also have a Web Cam facility for people to try, allowing Deaf people to communicate with other organizations, friends and family using BSL.
Children - The Hearing Impairment Unit has a variety of resources for Deaf and hard of hearing children and their families.
- We have fiction books, Picture books with Sign Supported English Such as 'Spot goes to School'.
- Picture/signed dictionaries.
- Subtitled videos for the whole family to enjoy
- Signed and subtitled videos with books for young children to help with English skills such as, 'My First Red Picture Book', 'Big Animals' and 'Kippers Toy Box'
- Computer use for leisure and homework
We have a second Hearing Impairment Unit at Whitefield Library, which contains a smaller collection of the same resources held at Bury.
Opening Times for Bury's HIU
| Day |
Opening times |
| Monday |
9.30 a.m. - 1 p.m. |
| Tuesday |
2 p.m. - 5.30 p.m. |
| Wednesday |
9:30 a.m. - 1 p.m., 2 p.m. - 7 p.m. |
| Thursday |
Closed |
| Friday |
9:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. |
| Saturday |
9:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. |
Opening Times for Whitefield's HIU
| Day |
Opening times |
| Monday |
By appointment only in pm |
| Tuesday |
9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. |
For further information about the Hearing Impairment Service please contact
Lenke Csaba Hearing Impairment Librarian
Tel: 0161 253 5874 OR Textphone: 0161 253 6484.
E-mail
HearingBury@bury.gov.uk