Western Power Distribution is in the running to be named as one of Wales’ best organisations for being accessible to deaf people.

The shortlist has been announced for the Excellence Wales Awards 2018 – the annual awards run by Action on Hearing Loss Cymru.

The charity’s awards recognise businesses that take steps to make their services accessible to the 575,500 people in Wales who are deaf or have hearing loss.

All organisations either nominated themselves or were put forward by a person who is deaf and has received a good service in the past year.

The shortlist is now in the running to be awarded one of four titles: Service Excellence, Excellence in Health, Excellence in Arts and Entertainment or Excellent Employer.

The awards will be decided by an independent panel, made up of people who are deaf or have hearing loss.

A People’s Choice Award will be chosen by the public and is available for votes now at www.actiononhearingloss.org.uk/excellencewales.

WPD’s network services manager for Wales Phil Davies said: “We are thrilled to be one of the businesses shortlisted in the Excellence Awards.

“We are proud to have held the AOHL Louder than Words Charter Mark awarded for excellent service levels and accessibility for our customers and staff for the past seven years.

“As previous winners of the Excellence awards, we feel they are an appropriate way of recognising and encouraging businesses to be deaf friendly to their customers and their staff.”

Rebecca Woolley, director of Action on Hearing Loss Cymru, said: “The judging panel now have a difficult job to decide the winners from an impressive shortlist.

“All the shortlisted organisations prove that simple changes can really improve the lives of people with hearing loss.

“I hope that organisations across Wales are inspired by this shortlist and start thinking about the simple changes they can make to ensure their services are accessible to the one-in-six people who are deaf or have hearing loss.”

The awards will be held at Cardiff’s St David’s Hotel on May 4, 2018, presented by ITV Wales news reporter Megan Boot.