Hands That Talk was set up in early 2000 as a direct response to the enormous gap in provision for those people in our community who are either deaf or hard of hering. Hands That Talk is a Registered Charity, peopled by volunteers from all sections of the community and since its establishment, has grown to be the largest Deaf Community in Ireland.

The project began as a small local initiative in Dungiven Community Resource Centre but such were the demands on its resources that it had soon to relocate to larger premises. A further move is planned to a much larger purpose-built centre on a prime site  provided by Limavady Borough Council . This offer of a site by the Council is recognition of the ever-increasing demand for the service provided by Hands That Talk, the considerable achievements it has made over the years and the dedication of the project members.

Dungiven is a small town set in beautiful agricultural country in the Roe Valley on the edge of the spectacular Glenshane Pass. The immediate area suffers from acute deprivation with many families dependent on welfare benefits. Unemployment is high and like any other town in today’s society there are problems associated with alcohol and perhaps less so drug abuse. The transport network is poor, thus increasing the isolation experienced by deaf people in the area.

Hands That Talk is the only Deaf Community organisation of its kind in Northern Ireland and serves the entire North West region. It adopts a holistic approach to the problems experienced by Deaf people in the area – lack of employment opportunities, marginalisation, poor self-esteem and social exclusion – by offering a wide range of educational courses, training, recreational and social activities, seminars and an advisory service. A major factor in the success of the project is the strong representation of the Deaf Community on the HTT Board of Directors and sub-committees. This empowers the Deaf Community to have a significant input into the planning and structuring of the programmes on offer. Further details of the opportunities offered are described below: