Cork Deaf Association Honours Advocate After 25 Years of Dedicated Service

The Cork Deaf Association will mark National Irish Sign Language Day on 14 December by honouring Advocacy Officer Susan O'Callaghan for her 25 years of service to the organisation and the Irish Deaf Community.

Susan has helped the Cork Deaf Association make significant progress in 2025, delivering Deaf awareness training across public services including the HSE, Tusla, Revenue, Cork City and County Councils, UCC, hospitals and soon An Garda Síochána.

National Irish Sign Language Day takes place on 14 December each year, marking the anniversary of the Irish Sign Language Act 2017. The celebrations will see buildings across the country light up in blue, the colour of the Deaf Community and Irish Sign Language.

As a Deaf woman, Susan understands first-hand the challenges faced by the Deaf Community when accessing essential services.

Susan O'Callaghan, Advocacy Officer, Cork Deaf Association:

"I was really encouraged by public-sector staff and how much people wanted to learn when I did the training with them. They just needed the right knowledge and guidance. Deaf people face barriers at every stage of life: the lack of equal access creates huge frustration and it can also be high risk. I often meet Deaf people who are left confused after medical appointments because no interpreter was provided.

Many deaf people struggle to advocate for themselves, not because they lack the will, but because the system often places obstacles in their way, leaving them discouraged and feeling unheard. But when the right steps are put in place, it can make a huge difference."

The training project has exceeded expectations, with 634 public service staff trained so far. As part of the initiative, the Cork Deaf Association also launched Ireland's first Deaf Awareness module on HSELandD, the HSE's national learning platform, with Susan playing a pivotal role.

Gerrie O'Grady, Executive Manager, Cork Deaf Association:

"Susan continues to be a powerful advocate for the Deaf Community. She brings so much experience, heart, and clarity to her work. Her insight helped to make this project as impactful as it was.

The CDA has shown that this training is urgently needed and strongly welcomed. We are ready to continue this work. But ongoing dedicated government funding for Deaf Awareness is essential so that we can. I am confident together we can make a huge impact and a more inclusive and aware society."

The Cork Deaf Association, located at 5 MacCurtain Street, provides a wide range of support including assistive technology advice, lip reading classes and social meetings, empowering individuals to stay connected and thrive with hearing loss.

The association invites the public to reflect on what true access means in everyday life, emphasising that access is inclusion, and inclusion changes lives.

For more information on Cork Deaf Association support and services, contact mail@corkdeaf.ie, call (021) 4505944, text (086) 853 5574 or visit www.corkdeaf.ie.