A DEAF charity has appealed to Okehampton MP Mel Stride to back its claims for greater recognition of lip reading as a skill and better access to television subtitling.

Representatives from Action on Hearing met Mr Stride last week to understand their concerns.

The major issues they said the Government should address are poor funding for lip reading courses; the lack of subtitling across all television channels; and poor training among health professionals when caring for deaf people. The charity would like lip reading reclassified as a skill to enable greater funding and access for courses in Devon.

Mr Stride met the charity's support worker Karen Squire to discuss these issues and to take her concerns back to skills minister John Hayes, for whom he is Parliamentary Private Secretary.

Mr Stride said: 'It is important we understand the issues affecting all members of communities, regardless of their disabilities, and to do what we can to help people who have hearing impairments.'

The charity said it currently costs £74 for a ten-week lip reading course in Devon as there is no county help, but if it was reclassified as a skill, access could be made easier and assistance with funding available.

Ms Squire said:?'We feel the pricing is excessive, and this has been highlighted in our recent report. Devon is poorly placed with these types of courses. We would also like television companies to help with providing more subtitling on all programmes and better training for health professionals.'

Her charity has been working with the Care Quality Commission to make understanding deaf people's needs a requirement in care homes.