Without specialist support for my deafness throughout my childhood, I think I would have been in a very bad position compared to where I am today.
Thanks to specialist support through my teachers of the deaf, I was able to learn what I needed from the National Curriculum, become independent and basically be the man I am today.
So, today, I’m horrified to learn that a third of services across the UK have made cuts to specialist support for deaf children in the past year alone. There’s 45,000 deaf children across England and they need vital support from the Teachers of the Deaf. The number of qualified teachers have fallen by 15% since 2011 and over half of the remaining Teachers of the Deaf will retire in the next ten to 15 years.
Deaf children are falling behind by a whole grade at GCSE level, despite deafness not being a learning disability.
This petition calls on the UK Government to protect these vital specialist support services, to fund them properly, and to ensure no deaf child falls behind in their education due to a lack of funding and support.
Do you live in the UK? If you do, please sign the petition to make your voice heard for deaf children today.
The Deaf Traveller 