UKCoD is the umbrella body for deaf charities and not for profit organisations working with deaf people in the UK. Our mission is to assist organisations and the sector as a whole to maximise the positive impact they have for deaf people, liaising with government and other organisations to improve services for the deaf community on behalf of our members.

Our Objectives


-To encourage the exchange of knowledge, skills and views between members.
-To facilitate campaigning on overarching issues affecting deaf people.
-To champion the role of the voluntary sector and provide an interface with government for members.
-To provide up-to-date information about sector-wide projects delivered by members.
-To improve and extend cooperation between member organisations in promoting and representing the interests of deaf, deafened, deafblind and hard-of-hearing people.
-To provide a forum for debate and a focus for action on deaf issues.
-To promote understanding and acceptance of the different perspectives on issues connected with deafness.

To pursue our objectives we:


Support work arising from the sectors agreement of a common purpose.
Support the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Deafness.
Promote the inclusion and retention of deaf students into higher and further education.
Promote Deaf Awareness Week.
Support special interest groups on:

  • Deaf access to communications, which covers a wide range of communications and broadcasting issues (liaising particularly with Ofcom and BT);
  • Employment, which largely focuses on DWP activities, particularly deaf employability;
  • The BSL Act Group which is specifically focused on bringing about a parliamentary Act to enable improved access to services, reviving BSL and bringing to fruition the many unfulfilled resolutions passed over the years.