deaf together, a new campaign
Join a movement of people working together to improve all areas of deaf people’s lives.
- deaf led campaign aims to deliver positive social change for all 12 million deaf people
- Groundbreaking research by New Economics Foundation (NEF) and Social Research with Deaf People at Manchester University (SORD)
- New campaign making most of ‘deaf’ having a moment as time is right to work together
Everyone deserves to be treated fairly. Yet, for the 12 million deaf people living in the UK discrimination happens every day. It makes daily life a battle. Exclusion a reality. And the sense of feeling alone, overwhelming.
Whether it is finding your first few weeks of school isolating, as your new classmates chat and laugh without pausing to include you or explain what it is so funny.
Or going for a job interview, which you ace, only to discover they preferred another person when they find out you’re deaf. Or worse, never hearing from them again.
To the 81% of deaf patients who are not able to access an appointment with their doctor, placing their health at risk or worse, their life in danger.
Life doesn’t have to be this way. SignHealth is setting up deaf together, a cross-sector campaign to end the inequalities deaf people face. Everyone is welcome.
The research
SignHealth commissioned New Economics Foundation (NEF), a British thinktank and the University of Manchester’s Social Research with Deaf People (SORD) to research the inequalities deaf people face. This was done through the lens of Sir Michael Marmot’s ‘Fair Society, Healthy Lives’ report, a globally accepted view. It tells us that health equity is achieved when every person has the opportunity to reach their full health potential. So, to have good health and wellbeing, we need to be able to access education, employment, adequate housing and good quality nutrition. For the 12 million deaf people in the UK, this raises serious concerns about the social and systemic inequalities and the daily barriers that stand in the way of good health and wellbeing.
This groundbreaking research, including the first ever model of inequality for deaf people, forms the foundation of deaf together. Led by the community, the campaign will draw on research, partnerships and the power of collaboration to build a movement for change.
Collaboration
We have seen the power of collaboration to achieve good things. Examples include the Where is the interpreter campaign, BSL Act Now and BSL Health Access leading to 999 BSL. This is a moment for our community with Rose Ayling-Ellis winning Strictly, Tasha Ghouri on Love Island and Tasha Stones on Bake off.
deaf together will shine a spotlight on the barriers our community face through research, evidence and storytelling to build an ambitious movement of people – both deaf and hearing – to be a positive force for change.
To ensure the campaign is truly deaf led, our 18 advisory group members will mean strong representation across the broadest range of lived experiences. The group, made up of various ages, backgrounds and identities will share their lived experiences, to shape and inform the campaign, ensuring a healthier, fairer future for all.
“We’re determined to make progress on our journey towards achieving health equity for all deaf people. This campaign will make this a reality. SignHealth is setting up deaf together, but it is not our campaign. It’s led by our community because we know the only way to achieve change is for all deaf people to work together. Everyone is welcome to join this movement for change. Let’s do this! Because together we are unstoppable”.
James Watson-O’Neill, Chief Executive, SignHealth
deaf together launches on Thursday 5 October 2023. It’s time for everyone to take action.
Find out more and join the campaign at deaftogether.org.uk
