Statement of common purpose on deafness and hearing loss

This statement is the basis for collective work by organisations concerned with deafness or hearing loss.

The organisations listed below are committed to the vision, mission and values. Any organisation concerned with deafness or hearing loss may join us as a signatory.

We use ‘deafness’ and ‘hearing loss’ to encompass people who are deaf, Deaf, deafblind, deafened and hard of hearing, whatever language they use, their chosen mode of communication or response to their deafness and hearing loss.

Vision

A world that benefits from people who are deaf or have a hearing loss being able to fulfil their potential.

Mission

To realise our vision we will work with people who are deaf or have a hearing loss to make sure they have equal access to all aspects of society by

• making sure access is available in the most appropriate languages and modes and means of communication for the individual;
• making sure people who are deaf or have a hearing loss can access all public services, giving special attention to education, health and social care, policing and justice;
• making sure government and others fulfil their obligations under legislation such as the Equality Act 2010 and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities;
• making sure people who are deaf or have a hearing loss are central to discussions about issues affecting their lives, in particular the development of services;
• raising public awareness of deafness and hearing loss, the challenges faced by people who are deaf or have a hearing loss, the needs they have and the contribution they make;
• making sure the education of people who are deaf or have a hearing loss is delivered in environments which maximise linguistic, academic and social development and attainment;
• improving the education and training available to professionals providing services to people who are deaf or have a hearing loss;
• making sure people who are deaf or have a hearing loss can access employment and training in environments which maximise professional and social development and attainment;
• improving the quality and availability of information, advice and guidance for people who are deaf or have a hearing loss, and parents and carers of children who are deaf or have a hearing loss;
• improving the quality of services for people who are deaf or have a hearing loss, including assisting the research and development of technologies that improve access for and to people who are deaf or have a hearing loss; and
• preventing avoidable deafness and hearing loss by educating the public about the value of hearing and how to protect it.

Values

In carrying out our mission we

• collaborate: work together;
• are creative: explore new ideas and approaches.;
• use evidence: base our work on the best research and the experiences of people who are deaf or have a hearing loss;
• are inclusive: seek to involve all interested organisations and individuals in our work;
• have integrity: be open and honest about our work; and
• demonstrate respect: have due regard for the different views of individuals and organisations involved in our work.

Steering group

A steering group oversees progress on the following elements of the mission:

• making sure access is available in the most appropriate languages and modes and means of communication for the individual;
• making sure people who are deaf or have a hearing loss can access all public services, giving special attention to education, health and social care, policing and justice;
• making sure government and others fulfil their obligations under legislation such as the Equality Act 2010 and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities; and
• making sure people who are deaf or have a hearing loss are central to discussions about issues affecting their lives, in particular the development of services.

Mission groups

The following groups develop work on the elements of the mission:

• awareness: raising public awareness of deafness and hearing loss, the challenges faced by people who are deaf or have a hearing loss, the needs they have and the contribution they make;
• education: making sure the education of people who are deaf or have a hearing loss is delivered in environments which maximise linguistic, academic and social development and attainment; and improving the education and training available to professionals providing services to people who are deaf or have a hearing loss;
• employment: making sure people who are deaf or have a hearing loss can access employment and training in environments which maximise professional and social development and attainment;
• information: improving the quality and availability of information, advice and guidance for people who are deaf or have a hearing loss, and parents and carers of children who are deaf or have a hearing loss; and
• services: improving the quality of services for people who are deaf or have a hearing loss, including assisting the research and development of technologies that improve access for and to people who are deaf or have a hearing loss; and
• prevention and early intervention: preventing avoidable deafness and hearing loss by educating the public about the value of hearing and how to protect it.

Planning

Each group has a plan for the year ahead. It usually includes

• issues that need to be addressed (aims);
• actions to address those issues (objectives);
• what will be produced (outputs);
• what will happen as a result (outcomes);
• the evidence that will be used or collected (evidence);
• organisations and individuals that need to be involved (partners);
• details of how other organisations and individuals can contribute (opportunities);
• how it will communicate its work to the sector and others (communication);
• resource requirements and ways to meet them (resources); and
• when it will do the work (timescale).

Resources

Signatories support our collective work where possible with resources such as

• staff time;
• rooms and other facilities;
• promotion of initiatives;
• sharing of research and other intelligence;
• sharing of contacts; and
• financial contributions.