What we do

Our Work

The British Deaf Association works to create a world in which the language, culture, community, diversity and heritage of Deaf people in the UK is respected and fully protected.

The British Deaf Association is the UK’s national Deaf-led membership organisation representing Deaf people who use British Sign Language (BSL) in the UK and Irish Sign Language (ISL) in Northern Ireland.

We promote the advancement of human rights and equality for Deaf people by collaborating with our members and stakeholders to influence governments to access services in our own language: BSL and ISL, the first or preferred language of c.87,000 Deaf people in the UK.

The BDA are Ordinary Members of the World Federation of the Deaf (WFD), an International Non-Governmental Organisation in official liaison with ECOSOC, UNESCO, ILO, WHO and the Council of Europe, and the European Union of the Deaf (EUD). EUD is a full member of the European Disability Forum (EDF) and is a Regional Co-operating Member of the World Federation of the Deaf (WFD) to tackle issues of global importance, and also has participatory status with the Council of Europe (CoE). The WFD also has a consultative status in the United Nations and is the founding member of the International Disability Alliance (IDA).

BDA Youth, a special interest sub-committee, are members of the World Federation of the Deaf Youth Section (WFDYS) and European Union of the Deaf Youth (EUDY), represent young Deaf people across the UK.

Human rights are a set of rights inherent to every human being, regardless of their gender, religion, nationality, ethnicity, race, disability or social status, from their birth to their death. These rights are inalienable, indivisible and interrelated, and cannot be removed from the individual (UN Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights).

The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2006 and ratified, to June 2023, by 186 UN Member States, is the latest International human rights Convention emanating from the UN. It is also one of the most ratified conventions in the UN legal system.

The motto of the CRPD is “Nothing About Us Without Us” which places persons with disabilities, including deaf people, and their representative organisations- national associations of deaf people at the forefront of the decision-making processes related to them. CRPD Article 4.3 recognises the obligation of national governments to actively consult and collaborate with national associations of deaf people for any legislation, programme and policies related to deaf people and national sign languages. This National Representative Organisation of the UK representing the Deaf and BSL community is the BDA as members of WFD and EUD.

Areas of work

How we make a difference

Advocacy

Working with individuals and groups to empower them to have their views heard and ensure services and information meet Deaf people’s needs.

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Deaf children and young people

Early intervention and mentoring support Deaf children and young people to develop skills, confidence and a strong sense of identity.

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BSL Charter

Supporting public agencies to improve access to services for Deaf BSL users and engage meaningfully with local BSL communities.

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BSL & Deaf Awareness

Raising awareness of BSL, Deaf equality and Deaf culture through campaigns, training, research and policy work.

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Capacity Building

Developing local Deaf groups and forums so communities can influence services and create lasting change.

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Policy Work

Responding to consultations and producing evidence that ensures sign language users are considered in decision-making.

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Information Provision

Providing accessible information through the BDA website in English and British Sign Language.

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