Forums

Forums are an important part of our Deaf community and the BDA aims to encourage all Deaf people to take the opportunity to ‘have your say’ when it comes to rights, equality and respect. The BDA believes that all Deaf people have the right to be respected and given due consideration and be involved in decisions that affect their lives.

Forums enable Deaf people to give their thoughts and opinions regarding a range of issues and opportunity to have questions answered or discuss options for solving problems or implementing improvements on a local level.

BDA forums can be independent or set up through partnerships with other organisations. The aim is to provide a platform for clear and honest communication that will develop into positive actions that can benefit the whole Deaf community.

Forums also give organisations a unique opportunity to consult Deaf people about their facilities, new initiatives or changes to service provision that will affect them. By doing this they can better understand the needs of Deaf people are and create or improve their facilities to reflect what Deaf people really want.

During 2011 the BDA are looking to set up a number of forums to empower the Deaf community. Keep a look out for further details soon.