Deaf Umbrella – London and the South-East’s premier provider of communication support for deaf people

Our role is:

• to provide well-qualified and professional support workers to help deaf people communicate in the hearing world. 

 Our mission is:

• to empower deaf people by supporting their communication and promoting their opportunities for education and employment
• to help those working with deaf people with high-quality support and professional development.

For Rachel Hubbard, director of Deaf Umbrella, this is personal. 
Rachel explains:

When I was thirteen, my mum suddenly lost her hearing as a result of a medical blunder.  My family was plunged into crisis.  We had to cope with job loss and trauma, we had to learn how to communicate.  That is how I became involved in the deaf community.

I learnt BSL but the idea for Deaf Umbrella came during a career break.  I knew how frustrated deaf people were about the long waiting times for interpreter services and their general lack of support.  I knew I had the skills, commitment and determination to make a difference.  I founded Deaf Umbrella in 2000.

As I developed my own qualifications, it also became clear to me how little help there was for people working or training in the field.  I knew that was something else I could change.  Our new training partnership with the University of Greenwich is a great example of this.

I am proud of Deaf Umbrella and its wonderful employees, the work we do together and the difference we have made.

Our values:

• As individuals, we are committed to providing a dedicated and high-quality service which supports and expands the opportunities of deaf people in the hearing world.
• As a business, we understand that our professionalism is the key to winning custom and building partnerships. 
• As an employer, we know our most valuable resource is our employees – we recruit the best and make them even better with the support and training we provide.

 Read more about the Deaf Umbrella team.