Hearing loss, deafness and tinnitus affect 1 in 3 of us in the UK today. It’s a huge community of people who face barriers in almost every area of life.
We’re breaking down those barriers with a bold, ambitious strategy.
From lobbying to make hearing checks standard on the NHS, to improving social inclusion for British Sign Language users, we want to achieve major milestones in the areas of inclusion, health, employment and biomedical research.
Our four areas of work
See a summary of what we’re working towards below, or download our strategy document (PDF, 1.2MB) for a deep dive.
Inclusion
People who are deaf, have hearing loss or tinnitus should be able to enjoy access to the same information, spaces, products and services as anyone else.
We are working to make life fully inclusive for our communities, and transform public understanding and attitudes in the process.
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- New technology like Auracast is integrated into public spaces, and everyone who needs one can get a Bluetooth-enabled hearing aid on the NHS to tap into those systems
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- The Media Bill is fully implemented, meaning everyone can access high quality subtitled TV content and join in the national conversations
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- Our public polling tells us that the vast majority of people feel confident communicating with people who are deaf or have hearing loss
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- We have built partnerships with major banking and retail groups to make everyday services accessible to our communities
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- Government communications are inclusive – ensuring deaf BSL users get the information at the same time as everyone else
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- Create a step-change in how accessible public services are to our communities, including the services that support people to access employment and benefits
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- We have a powerful group of influencers in the media who talk openly about their deafness, hearing loss and tinnitus, changing the narrative and challenging stereotypes.
Health
Looking after our hearing health needs to be much higher up the national agenda.
We are helping people identify their hearing loss early on, and making it easier for them to take action sooner. We’ll make sure everyone gets high quality audiology care and treatments (like good hearing aids) when they need them. And we’ll get rid of the barriers deaf people face in getting access to healthcare of all kinds.
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- Hearing checks are included in the national NHS health checks from age 40
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- Services to remove excess ear wax – a major cause of pain and hearing issues – are available for free on the NHS in all areas of the UK
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- All health professionals have access to resources from RNID that clearly tell them how to fulfil their duty under the accessible information standards towards people who are deaf or have hearing loss
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- Our website offers the public a simple online tool to help people protect their hearing, at any age
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- We have convened a group of innovators to reimagine how we support good hearing health in the UK, piloting new ideas and sharing thought leadership.
Employment
12 million working-age people in the UK have hearing loss. There’s a huge amount of talent and skill in that statistic – talent that’s too often left unused by employers because of a lack of knowledge, and inaccessible workplace cultures and practices.
We’ll help leaders understand how to recruit and support people in their organisations, helping everyone to be fully part of the team and able to excel.
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- Every employer in the UK has access to a rich, practical range of resources so they can support people who are deaf, have hearing loss or tinnitus to thrive in the workplace
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- We have major partnerships with some of the biggest employers in the UK, where senior leaders are leading the charge to create inclusive workplaces and ensure their products and services are accessible for our communities
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- We have a well-evidenced business case for improving inclusion in the workplace for deaf people and people with hearing loss
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- We have relationships with senior leaders with lived experience in every sector, who are committed to publicly championing inclusive practices and sharing their own experiences.
Biomedical research
Research into treatments for hearing loss and tinnitus are chronically underfunded in the UK today – just 70p a year is spent on ear research per person affected: a fraction of the amount spent on other conditions.
We want to help more medical researchers discover and develop new treatments for hearing loss and tinnitus, so we can see a step change in what’s possible. And we want to connect our communities with that research, helping them to demand better treatments.
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- There are new treatments for hearing loss and tinnitus in clinical trials
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- New biological mechanisms have been discovered that can be targeted to halt or slow the onset of age-related hearing loss.
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- Scientific breakthroughs have been made leading to a step change in the quality of hearing people experience when using hearing aids or cochlear implants
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- Multiple gene and cell therapies have been shown to restore hearing, bringing life-changing treatments to a wider range of people
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- Therapeutics have been developed capable of reducing the perception of tinnitus
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- The benefits of new treatments are being measured consistently, and in ways that are meaningful to health regulators and people with hearing loss, so that new treatments are approved quickly and made available to those who need them.