UK Council on Deafness

July 2002 Bulletin

Affiliate Members

Welcome to this month's new Affiliate Members:

• Bromley Access Centre
• Cambs County Council Sensory Services Team
• London Borough of Harrow Social Services Department
• Morag Turner Deaf Issues Consultancy

Affiliate Membership is open to Voluntary Organisations, Public Sector Bodies and Companies that work with deaf people. Please contact us if your organisation would like to become an Affiliate Member.

Deaf Awareness Week

The date has now been set for the new style Deaf Awareness Week. It will be 5th - 11th May 2002. The Planning Committee are looking at a number of events. If you have any ideas that you would like them to consider, do please let us know. Deaf Awareness Week is for everyone so we need you to join in!

Mental Health & Deafness Conference

The programme for this conference, sponsored by the Department of Health and SIGN, being held on 11th July 2002 includes the DoH consultation document: "A Sign of the Times - modernising Mental Health Services for People who are Deaf" presented by Bob MacDonald, Policy Advisor at the DoH; Brendan Monteiro, Consultant Psychiatrist at John Denmark Unit, National Centre for Mental Health & Deafness, Manchester. "Mental Health Services for Deaf Adults"; Peter Hindley, consultant child and adolescent psychiatrist at National Deaf Services. "The mental health of deaf children and adolescents: assessment and management"; Naomi Sharples, Project leader for Deaf Peoples Access to Nurse Education and tutor for the Deaf and hearing students at the University of Salford. "The role of Education in meeting the standards for mental health outlined in A Sign of the Times"; and Pauline Latchem, Outreach & Development Worker, Deaf People & Mental Health at Brent Deaf People's Limited. BDPL run a Mental health Drop-In in partnership with Brent MIND, working together to improve access for local deaf people - a model for service development in other areas. A few places still available - LAST CHANCE TO BOOK YOUR PLACE - contact us for details.

Weekly Parliament Report by email

We have recently started a new service available to Full Members. Each week we send by email a report of anything relevant that has been discussed in the Commons and Lords during the previous week. Recent items have included Digital Hearing Aids, British Sign Language, Educating Deaf Children and Ian Stillman. Please let us know if you would like to be added to the distribution list.

If your organisation is a charity or professional body working in the field of deafness and has an interest in national issues you may be eligible for Full Membership of the UK Council on Deafness. Please contact us if you wish to be considered for Full Membership.

Ian Stillman

For the latest information on the campaign for Ian's immediate release and for details of how you can help visit www.ianstillman.fsnet.co.uk

Come and join our team!

We are currently advertising for 2 full-time administrators; a P.A. to the Director and an Events Administrator. Deadline for applications: 19th July. Please contact us for further details.

Youth Work Seminar

The Youth Work Seminar that was scheduled for 10th September is being postponed until Spring 2003. This is because we don't want to clash with the Deaf Youth Workers Forum conference in Cardiff being held on October 25-27th 2002:

The Deaf Youth Workers Forum Committee are proud to host its first conference in Cardiff, October 25-27th 2002. This conference is not only for youth workers, its also for anyone interested to work with young deaf children/adolescents. Go to www.deafok.com/dywf.htm for full details or contact: DYWFC, c/o Kathy Beach, BDA Wales, Shand House, 2 Fitzalan Place, Cardiff, CF24 1BD. Fax: 02920 332218

NDCS and FYD to merge

The National Deaf Children's Society (NDCS) and Friends for Young Deaf People (FYD) have announced their intention to merge. The decision brings together the UK's main charity dedicated to supporting deaf children and the only charity in the country specifically working with deaf young people. NDCS Chief Executive Susan Daniels says it is a natural move for both organisations. "This is a real merger of missions and the very best reason for two charities to come together," she said. "Our skills and values complement each other perfectly. Historically, the NDCS has concentrated on working with younger children because FYD's work with teenagers and young adults is so well respected. But we both work towards maximising the potential of young deaf people and believe that deafness should not be a barrier to realising ambitions, so our coming together represents a great step forward for deaf children and their families in the UK. Together, we can now provide a much broader range of services to families and deaf children from birth to adulthood." Mark Perry, Executive Director of FYD, is delighted that the merger means that the charity's youth work will continue. "We will work in three distinct areas: community sports, outdoors and arts programmes; personal development and peer support training; and family strategies for living with deafness. By joining forces with NDCS, we will not only continue with this work, but move it on and extend our reach so that more young deaf people will benefit." The timescale for the merger has yet to be finalised, but Susan Daniels is looking forward to it taking place as quickly as possible. "We're ambitious for deaf children and young deaf people and they will be the real winners in this new partnership."

FCO Open Day

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is holding a Deaf Day entitled 'Our Day!' on 18th September 2002 from 10am to 4pm, to raise awareness of deaf issues throughout the Office. There are about 30 deaf and hard of hearing staff at the FCO of whom 13 are profoundly deaf. For further details contact: Hala Hashem, Personnel Policy, Foreign & Commonwealth Office, Old Admiralty Building, London, SW1A 2PA. Text: 020 7008 0810 Fax: 020 7008 0815

Some dates for your diary

26th Sept: Full Council Meeting (Education)

16th Oct: Black & Ethnic Minority Deaf People Conference

12th Nov: AGM

21st Nov: Access to Work Seminar

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