Bridget Fox meets parents of deaf children at the National Deaf Children's Society (Islington Liberal Democrats)

Islington Liberal Democrats <Islington_ld@cix.co.uk>

Bridget Fox meets parents of deaf children at the National Deaf Children's Society

November 18, 2009 9:56 PM

Bridget talks to staff at the NDCS about the issues surrounding child deafness

Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Islington South and Finsbury, Bridget Fox, visited the National Deaf Children's Society on Dufferin Street in Bunhill today.

The society provides advice and support to parents of deaf children and deaf children themselves, including providing grants, family support officers and running weekend events where families can meet others in the same situation.

The society campaigned for a newborn hearing screening programme to identify children born deaf as early intervention is vital in offering a deaf child the best start in life. The programme now ensures that deaf children can be offered the targeted support they need to acquire language as fast as non-deaf children, something vital for them to keep pace with their peers when they begin school.

Bridget Fox said:

"The National Deaf Children's Society does a fantastic job and has made great advances such as the newborn hearing screening programme. But babies are waiting too long for rapid referrals to specialists: about 70 London babies a year miss out.

There is still a long way to go. The Labour Government risks letting deaf children and their families down, in health and in education.

The parents I met today voiced their concerns about choice in the school system and the difficulties they faced finding suitable schools for their children. Deaf kids aren't stupid but without the right support, they fall behind.

Luckily here in Islington we have fantastic facilities for deaf kids at Laycock School, and parents from outside the area fight to get their children into the school.

Deaf children must have the same opportunities as non-deaf children, including access to good schools able to provide them with the support they vitally need."

To find out more go to http://www.ndcs.org.uk/