Katie’s commitment to Inclusive Service

Published: 2/6/2025

Here at One Vision Housing, we’re passionate about making sure our services are accessible to everyone. It is incredibly important to us that every single customer, whatever their abilities or needs, can easily reach out and get the support they’re looking for.

Our Customer Experience Co-Ordinator, Katie Joynson, is deeply committed to ensuring the inclusion of our hard of hearing customers within our services and communities. Katie shares her inspiring British Sign Language (BSL) journey and the powerful impact it’s had on her ability to connect and communicate with customers:

My journey with BSL began in 2022 when my youngest daughter was diagnosed with a hearing disability. As I started to navigate what the future might look like for her, I decided to enrol in a Level 1 BSL course. I quickly developed a real passion for it, and three years later, I’m proud to have successfully completed my Level 2 qualification. Through this experience, I’ve not only deepened my understanding of BSL but also gained invaluable insight into the deaf community.

Initially, I worried about what the future held for my daughter, but looking back now, I truly see what a gift this journey has been. I am committed to spreading awareness and promoting the importance of BSL wherever I can. Even learning the basics can make a significant difference in communication and inclusivity.

Just last week, I had a great example of this when I was working with my colleague Cheryl, who had recently joined from Independent Living. One of her tenants’ lifeline alerts had come through, but because the tenant was deaf, Cheryl was struggling to confirm their wellbeing. I suggested a video call, and thankfully, they answered. Using BSL, I was able to quickly check if they were okay, understand their issue, and ensure they received the help they needed. This provided immediate reassurance that there was no emergency.

This is just one example of how BSL has proven to be so incredibly valuable, and I love sharing the basics with others. Even learning the alphabet can go a long way in fostering communication and inclusion. I will always be an advocate for the Deaf Community—not just because BSL gave my daughter a sense of identity within her community, but because this journey has been incredibly meaningful to me. I look forward to continuing to promote its importance wherever I can and using it to provide an even better service for our deaf customers.

We believe that by promoting understanding and promoting inclusion in our services we can build stronger, more connected communities for all our customers.