Dean, 35, from Bolton, was born profoundly deaf and says his journey demonstrates how breaking down barriers can create opportunities for deaf people to thrive in the workplace.
Dean joined Cygnet in 2015 as a Mental Health Support Worker before discovering a passion for joinery. He left to gain qualifications in the trade before returning to Cygnet Health Care as a Maintenance Assistant after hearing about an opportunity within the team.
After excelling in the role, Dean successfully applied for the position of Maintenance Manager, a role he has now held for six months.
Speaking during Deaf Awareness Week, Dean said: “I feel very lucky to have been given the opportunity as a manager, where I believe many other places may have overlooked me due to me being deaf.
“Cygnet haven’t allowed any barriers to stop me from progressing, supporting me with access to communication through interpreters, providing me with a work mobile so I can be contacted easily and providing other staff with deaf awareness training.”
Dean says his long-term ambition is to become a Project Manager and he hopes his success will inspire others.
“I want to show that deaf people should have the same opportunities as hearing people and show that deaf people can do anything, and that barriers that appear to stop them from doing so can be removed,” he said.
Reflecting on his journey, Dean added: “I’m the first deaf Maintenance Manager at Cygnet. There were barriers, but thanks to Cygnet, those barriers were broken down, and I had the opportunity to progress in my career.
“Cygnet have assisted by providing interpreters, a phone, and making everything fully accessible for me. The relationship I’ve built with Cygnet as a deaf person is fantastic, and it’s been really impactful.”
You can watch Dean sign about his journey in the short video below.
Deaf Awareness Week is an opportunity to celebrate deaf identity and culture, while also raising awareness of the barriers deaf people can face in everyday life and the workplace.