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Campaign role

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    Campaign Ambassador
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    BSL in our Hands Campaign
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    ROLE DESCRIPTION
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    The BDA wants you to bring your
    personal experience, as a parent of a deaf child,
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    to help us make a lasting impact for
    deaf children in the Early Years.
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    Your support is vital to our
    campaigning and #TakingBSLForward.
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    Our vision
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    In the wake of the BSL Act 2022,
    the BDA launched a 10-year strategy,
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    “Taking BSL Forward”.
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    Our goal is that every deaf baby,
    child and adult in the UK will have a
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    good quality of life where there are no
    communication barriers and
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    British Sign Language (BSL)
    is provided a space to flourish.
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    One of the core areas of focus in our
    strategy is Early Years. We believe it is
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    a vital time of a child’s development and
    by adding value here, the issues affecting
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    Deaf people later in life can be avoided.
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    BSL in Our Hands Campaign
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    We launched the ‘BSL In Our Hands’
    campaign in March 2024, calling for
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    the Government to fund free BSL/ISL lessons
    in the home for the parents and families
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    with deaf babies and children.
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    There are over 50,000 deaf children
    across the UK, over 90% of whom are
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    born to hearing parents with no
    knowledge of sign language.
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    Babies start to develop language from birth.
    Early language acquisition is essential
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    for a child’s development and wellbeing,
    yet access to sign language is limited,
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    and the provision is patchy and expensive.
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    We believe that offering access to
    both sign - and spoken language,
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    reduces the risk of deaf children
    becoming language deprived.
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    We believe that with the right access
    to language, there's no limit to what a
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    deaf child can achieve.
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    Meet Lara (not her real name)
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    Lara is Deaf and grew up deprived of a
    language as her family are all hearing
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    can’t sign. She couldn’t follow the
    conversation around the dinner table
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    and struggled with everyday interactions.
    The Audiologist advised her parents not
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    to introduce and use sign language.
    Their education policy stated that use of
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    sign language would affect the development
    of speech. The recommendation was that
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    they should raise her as they
    would were she a hearing child.
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    Her parents learned of the BDA’s
    Deaf Roots & Pride project,
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    from a Teacher of the Deaf, and took
    Lara there. To their amazement,
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    Lara immediately connected with all
    the deaf children and picked up quickly
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    on BSL. She was so happy in their
    company and her parents realised
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    the Audiologist’s advice didn’t
    meet their daughters’ needs.
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    Your role as a BDA Campaign Ambassador
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    We need your support to help children
    like Lara. This is a vital role to ensure
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    campaign’s success.
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    You will:
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    Be the voice representing many
    parents of deaf children.
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    Share your story as a parent of a deaf child/ren.
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    Highlight the importance of free BSL/ISL
    lessons for families/carers soon after identification.
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    Campaign for our linguistic rights and
    seek to influence the Government’s policies.
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    Network with key professionals and politicians.
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    Support the BDA by carrying out interviews,
    providing quotes, and being a face of the campaign.
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    Work closely with the BDA Special Ambassador.
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    Your Skills and Experience
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    Ideally you will have:
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    Passion and motivation to create change.
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    Confidence in talking to wide range of
    professionals, groups and individuals.
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    Knowledge and understanding about
    Early Years, issues affecting Deaf people,
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    communities and BSL/ISL.
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    What can BDA do for you?
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    Provide a training session on campaigning skills.
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    Provide opportunities for you
    to meet other parents.
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    Provide expenses for all costs incurred.
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    Support you throughout your
    campaign ambassador journey.
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    Consent must be obtained for use of
    images or videos of you and your child.
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    Your child’s identity can be
    anonymous if requested.
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    We hope you will join us as a
    BDA Campaign Ambassador to take BSL forward!
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    If you are interested, or want more
    information, please get in touch with Annie Harris,
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    Campaigns Manager -
    annie.harris@bda.org.uk
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    For further information about
    BSL in Our Hands, please visit their website
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    www.bda.org.uk/bsl-in-our-hands
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    We look forward to hearing from you
    and welcoming you to the BDA’s family.
Title:
Campaign role
Video Language:
Sign Languages
Duration:
10:05
British Deaf Association edited English subtitles for Campaign role Jan 30, 2025, 3:48 PM
British Deaf Association edited English subtitles for Campaign role Jan 30, 2025, 3:44 PM
British Deaf Association edited English subtitles for Campaign role Jan 30, 2025, 3:38 PM
British Deaf Association edited English subtitles for Campaign role Jan 30, 2025, 3:33 PM
British Deaf Association edited English subtitles for Campaign role Jan 30, 2025, 3:27 PM
British Deaf Association edited English subtitles for Campaign role Jan 30, 2025, 3:25 PM
British Deaf Association edited English subtitles for Campaign role Jan 30, 2025, 3:18 PM
British Deaf Association edited English subtitles for Campaign role Jan 30, 2025, 3:16 PM
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English subtitles

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    British Deaf Association Jan 30, 2025, 3:48 PM
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    British Deaf Association Jan 30, 2025, 3:44 PM
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    British Deaf Association Jan 30, 2025, 3:38 PM
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    British Deaf Association Jan 30, 2025, 3:33 PM
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    British Deaf Association Jan 30, 2025, 3:27 PM
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    British Deaf Association Jan 30, 2025, 3:25 PM
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    British Deaf Association Jan 30, 2025, 3:18 PM
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    British Deaf Association Jan 30, 2025, 3:16 PM
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    British Deaf Association Jan 30, 2025, 3:07 PM
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    British Deaf Association Jan 30, 2025, 3:04 PM