About the BDA

What we stand for

Our vision is Deaf people fully participating and contributing as equal and valued citizens in the wider society.

About BDA

Founded in 1890, the British Deaf Association (BDA) is a national Deaf-led organisation that works directly with Deaf people that use British Sign Language (BSL). Our work concentrates on campaigning for equal rights on a national level and working at a local level empowering Deaf people to achieve access to their local public services. This is carried out through projects delivering individual and community advocacy.

We also work to ensure BSL is included by public bodies by delivering a public commitment through signing the BSL Charter.

Our Board of Trustees are all Deaf (we use the capitalised ‘D’ to denote the fact that we have a separate language and culture and 80% of our staff are Deaf themselves).

Many Deaf people who use BSL lack access to education, health services, employment and other public services. Our work is designed to empower Deaf people and to improve access to general information and public services. We seek to achieve this by working with Deaf people at the local level through setting up forums to lobby public bodies and supporting Deaf people individually.

This is in line with the overall BDA objectives, which are: Deaf Equality, Access and Freedom of choice.

Vision, Mission and how we achieve it

Our Vision and Mission set our direction. We achieve them through the priorities that guide how we empower Deaf people, advance equality and protect BSL.

Vision

Our vision is Deaf people fully participating and contributing as equal and valued citizens in the wider society.

Mission

Our Mission is to ensure a world in which the language, culture, community, diversity and heritage of Deaf people in the UK is respected and fully protected, ensuring that Deaf people can participate and contribute as equal and valued citizens in the wider society.

Empowering Deaf people

Improving the quality of life by empowering Deaf individuals and groups.

Equality and diversity

Enhancing freedom, equality and diversity.

Protecting BSL

Protecting and promoting BSL.

Our values

The BDA is a Deaf people’s organisation representing a diverse, vibrant and ever-changing community of Deaf people. Our activities, promotions, and partnerships with other organisations aim to empower our community towards full participation and contribution as equal and valued citizens in the wider society. We also aim to act as guardians of BSL.

Protecting our Deaf culture and Identity

We value Deaf peoples’ sense of Deaf culture and identity derived from belonging to a cultural and linguistic group, sharing similar beliefs and experiences with a sense of belonging.

Asserting our linguistic rights

We value the use of BSL as a human right. As such, BSL must be preserved, protected and promoted because we also value the right of Deaf people to use their first or preferred language.

Fostering our community

We value Deaf people with diverse perspectives, experiences and abilities. We are committed to equality and the elimination of all forms of discrimination with a special focus on those affecting Deaf people and their language.

Achieving equality in legal, civil and human rights

We value universal human rights such as the right to receive education and access to information in sign language, and freedom from political restrictions on our opportunities to become full citizens.

Developing our alliance

We value those who support us and are our allies because they share our vision and mission, and support our BSL community.

What we stand for

Deaf Equality

This means that Deaf people are able to access information, services and support in their preferred language, to have the same opportunities to achieve the same life outcomes as anyone else. UK-wide legal recognition of British and Irish Sign Languages (BSL and ISL) is key step in raising awareness, recognition and respect, and achieving equality of access and opportunity for Deaf people.

Access

Every Deaf person must have access to services from Government level down to their local council, in their preferred language.

Freedom of Choice

Every Deaf person should have the right to choose to sign or speak or both without sanction and without obstacles.

BDA Social Values diagram showing Alliance, Heritage, Community, Language, Rights, Equality and Inclusion, with surrounding explanations of the organisation’s values.

We believe that every Deaf person has the right to communicate in their preferred language.

We believe that every Deaf child has the right to bi-lingual education.

Stand with Deaf people. Help build a more equal future.

Become a BDA member or support our work for language rights, equality and freedom of choice.

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