Mark gets help to set up his own deaf awareness business

A MENINGITIS victim left profoundly deaf at the age of six has set up his own business educating companies about employing people who have impaired hearing.

Mark Cunliffe, 46, of Liskeard, now provides deaf awareness training to organisations after being made redundant from his job at the Royal National Institute for the Deaf (RNID) where he worked for 17 years.

He was helped back into employment by the European-funded Cornwall Works programmes.

Typetalk

Mr Cunliffe grew up in Bolton and moved to Cornwall in 1985 to work in hotels, before getting a job as a social worker and then an outreach officer for Typetalk, covering the South West for the RNID.

He was made redundant in February 2009 as part of cost-cutting measures.

Mr Cunliffe said: "I was unable to find a job for the first few months so considered working for myself and discussed this with Jobcentre Plus, including some of the issues like out-of-date qualifications and cost of courses.

"They made an appointment for me to see Sylvia Berry at Caradon Local Opportunities Partnership (LOPS).

"I explained to Sylvia some of the barriers facing deaf people setting up in business and trying to find work.

"My experience working for the largest deaf organisation for 17 years counted for nothing unless I had the qualifications.

"I realised I needed to get these and most of the courses I needed to go on were in places like Birmingham and London and some were quite expensive.

"LOPS was able to fund deaf awareness trainer part one and two and disability awareness training which got my business off the ground."

He now offers deaf awareness training to organisations including Devon and Cornwall Police, housing associations and the Department for Work and Pensions.

In addition, he also offers sign language courses, Telecoms and Typetalk training, sells deaf-related equipment and provides consultancy.

Mark is one of more than 1,000 people in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly to be helped through the Cornwall Works suite of programmes.

It aims to overcome barriers to employment, particularly for people with disabilities or health conditions, lone parents, people aged 50 and over, ethnic minorities and people with no or low qualifications, by offering quality advice and training.