The National Deaf Children’s Society has rebranded, unveiled an “ambitious” strategy, and said it aims to raise its profile over the next five years.
Its Overcoming Barriers strategy highlights three key areas: improving services, championing development of language and communications skills and transitioning to adulthood.
NDCS also seeks to raise its profile and bring its national and international brands and websites together. Its international arm is currently known as Deaf Child Worldwide.
The charity describes its new strategy as “ambitious” and says it wants to make sure that by 2030 “no deaf child will be left behind”.
NDCS was founded in 1944 and its latest accounts for the year ending March 2016 showed it had an income of £23.5m and expenditure of £23.1m. It employs 231 people and has 702 volunteers.
‘Public services at breaking point’
In the strategy document NDCS said that public services are at “breaking point”
“Too many deaf children are already being failed by these services, and are waiting too long to get their hearing aids fixed, being ignored at health appointments and left out at after-school clubs,” the charity said.
Susan Daniels, chief executive of NDCS, said: “By 2022 we plan to be the go-to place for information and support on childhood deafness globally, inspiring everyone to give deaf children the support they need. To achieve this, we have sought to align our UK and international work by bringing together previously separate websites and brands.
“Extending our reach has never been so important. Too many deaf children are still being let down by vital services and they still don’t have the same opportunities as hearing children.”
Increase use of digital
The charity said that digital was a central part of its plans. It will launch a new website later this year, which will be mobile optimised and include a forum for parents and professionals to communicate.
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