Free lipreading lessons on the South Coast.
Lipreading South Coast is run by Clare and Emma.
Our aim is for lessons to be enjoyable and informative and equip our students with the tools they need to be part of a hearing World.
The classes are an opportunity to meet those in a similar situation and share experiences.
We share a commitment to support people who have to manage challenges on a daily basis along the South Coast.
Clare
Is a fully qualified lipreading teacher, following training at City Lit college in London. Clare also achieved the City and Guilds Award in Education & Training for Lipreading teachers at City Lit.
Based in Southsea, she teaches in Fareham, Havant, Hayling Island, Petersfield and online via Zoom.
Clare has personal experience of hearing loss as she started losing her hearing in her mid-30s and wore hearing aids. Several years later she was diagnosed with Otosclerosis and offered surgery, a stapedectomy. The surgery undertaken at the Queen Alexandra hospital in Portsmouth was successful.
During her time with hearing loss, Clare loved her lipreading lessons and the camaraderie with her fellow students. The lessons helped her navigate her way through hearing loss and gave her more confidence especially in the working environment.
Clare is also a member of ATLA (Association of Teachers of Lipreading to Adults) and is DBS Checked.
Emma
Emma lives in Southsea with her husband, two dogs and two cats. Her grown-up son and daughter make the odd appearance too, but are mostly independent now. Emma enjoys camping, walking and running with her husband and dogs. The cats prefer an easier life sitting on her lap when she’s writing lessons!
In between her other responsibilities Emma teaches lipreading groups during term time in Chichester, Petersfield and Portsmouth.
Emma has severe hearing loss caused by Ménière’s Disease and struggled to find a new career path after having children. During that time she reaped huge benefits from attending lipreading lessons and regained some of her previous confidence and energy.
Emma signed up for a lipreading tutor training course at City Lit in London. She qualified and took over some established classes. Since then, with the growth in hearing loss awareness and the benefits of lipreading groups, her lipreading community has grown significantly and she has started more groups in those locations, with more still in the pipeline.
Teaching lipreading with hearing loss can be challenging at times. It’s definitely a vocation, but Emma loves what she does and the people that she works with.