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We all hope never to have to enlist the help of the emergency services, but if the occasion arises and we do need them, the ambulance service, fire-brigade and police are just a phone call away. ÌýBut dialling 999 is not an option if you're unable to speak to, or hear, the operator at the other end.Ìý ÌýÌýPolice throughout the UK have been thinking of ways to improve the service they offer to D/deaf and hard of hearing people with several initiatives, for instance, an emergency SMS text messaging service or a crime prevention survey in your own home.Ìý Memnos Costi investigates two such schemes in operation in Hertfordshire and the West Midlands.ÌýÌý

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We also catch up with the England Deaf Cricket team as they get themselves in shape for summer fixtures and the World Cup in New Zealand later this year.Ìý ThereÌýare strict qualifying criteria; all players have to have an average hearing loss of 55DB or over and to remove any hearing instruments during games.Ìý But like any other England sports team, it seems beating the Aussies is the best bit.

On today's programme we meet a deaf woman who says she owes her life to her hearing dog, Boris.Ìý Bernadetta Henry suddenly went deaf in 1982.Ìý A brain haemorrhage ten months later meant she became a wheelchair user.Ìý In 2004 her local hospital put her name forward as a candidate for a hearing dog from Hearing Dogs for Deaf People.Ìý Boris, a Bichon Frise, entered her life.Ìý Within months the pair had a remarkable bond.Ìý Bernadetta suffers with sleep apnoea, a condition which stops her breathing in her sleep. Boris knows exactly when to rouse her and how to get her to breathe normally again...

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Since filming Sophie Stone has been cast in the play 'Pandora'.Ìý She'll be appearing at the Arcola Theatre in London from the 18^th May - 12^th June 2010.

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It is National Storytelling week (January 30th - February 6th) and See Hear looks at ways in which deaf and hard of hearing children are being introduced to the joys of stories and reading.Ìý Deaf children can often struggle to develop basic levels of literacy and numeracy, and research shows thatÌýchildren who interact with books from an early age do better at school.

We met Taffy Thomas, storyteller in residence at Grasmere in the Lake District, who explained the tradition of storytelling.Ìý Some schools regularly haveÌýstorytellers visit them and we dropped in on story time at Glebe Primary in Rayleigh, Essex, where Lorraine Barfoot was enthralling both hearing and deaf children.

Bookstart is a national programme that encourages parents and carers to enjoy books with their children from as early an age as possible and show that books are fun.Ìý It aims to provide a free pack of books to every baby in the UK toÌýinspire, stimulate and create a love of reading.Ìý The National Deaf Children's Society, in partnership with Bookstart, want to make books accessible forÌýdeaf children too.Ìý They're keen thatÌýbooks includeÌýpictures of deaf children toÌýhelpÌýdevelop a child'sÌýown identity.Ìý Some books also haveÌýkey words signed so a parent, sibling or grandparent can learnÌýsimple signs alongside their child.

If you wish to get hold of a Bookstart or Bookshine pack, then log onto or ask your health visitor.

In a very different arena Radha Manjeshwar tries her own hand at storytelling... She takes up the challenge of being a tour guide at Hampton Court Palace in Surrey.Ìý This historic palace, one of Henry VIII's many royal residences, has a wealth of stories and it offers BSL tours on a regular basis.Ìý The next ones are Saturday 13th and Sunday 14th February 2010, and Saturday 13th and Sunday 14th March 2010.Ìý These must be pre-booked, but if you want to arrange a tour, just get in touch and they can setÌýone up for you.Ìý More details at:

If you fancy getting out and about a number of tourist attractions around the UK offer British sign language tours.Ìý Here's a selection:

Canterbury Cathedral, seat of the Archbishop of Canterbury, offers signed guided tours on a regular basis, including some signed Evensong services.ÌýÌýThe next one is the Saturday before Easter.Ìý They'll provideÌýextra BSL tours if visitors request them.

At the Scottish Parliament buidling in Edinburgh each deaf visitor can be provided with a hand-held device with a BSL guide on the screen which can be used anytime during scheduled tours.Ìý Live tours can be arrangedÌýif booked in advance.

At the other end of theÌýUK, the Royal Pavilion in Brighton also offers signed tours.Ìý Any deaf visitors wishing toÌýrevel in the opulence of this distinctive landmark, can simply contact the bookings department to arrange.

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