Written evidence from the National Deaf Children’s Society [NDS0036]

Our submission focuses on the question ‘how will the National Disability Strategy help disabled people enjoy equal living standards and life opportunities to those without disabilities?’

Overall, we do not believe the strategy is sufficient to be transformative. It largely sets out all the work that is happening across Government departments that might benefit disabled people in some way. Most policies listed were initiatives that had already been announced and there was little evidence of more joined-up working across Government to address the significant barriers disabled people face in daily life.

Below we have outlined five ways on how the strategy could be improved to have a greater impact on deaf children and young people.

1)      Ensuring improved data collection

We welcomed the announcement that the Disability Unit would work to improve the availability and quality of disability data. There are gaps in the data collected on deaf children and young people that the strategy could address including:

-          Education and employment outcomes of 19–25-year-olds

-          Attainment and progress of deaf children not recorded as having SEN

-          Quality metrics on early identification and intervention (e.g. % of families contacted by specialist education services within 5 days of diagnosis)

2)      Improving the Access to Work adjustments passport

One of the main policies within the strategy for disabled young people was the development of an Access to Work adjustments passport. We welcome the concept because too many deaf young people tell us they don’t have a good understanding of what reasonable adjustments can and should be made in post-16 education or work. They also lack knowledge of the Access to Work scheme.

However, we believe the tool currently being piloted is too basic (it is simply a Word Document template) and rigid to address the range of needs of young people in different settings and with different disabilities. The tool is also too reliant on the knowledge and skills of professionals introducing the passport to young people. Investment into an online tool could help make sure the passport works for different groups of young people and links to accessible, youth-friendly information about reasonable adjustments and Access to Work funded support.

3)      Ensuring cross departmental working on SEND National Delivery Board

The Department for Education’s Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Review refers to the establishment of a National SEND Delivery Board. We believe that it is important this board includes representatives from the Department for Work and Pensions to ensure much greater joint working in supporting disabled young people to transition from education to employment. For example, linking DWP-funded Youth Hubs with the work of DfE-funded Careers Hubs on SEND.

4)      Linking the BSL Act with the strategy

The British Sign Language Bill was introduced after the launch of the strategy. However, the strategy should be updated so that the Disability Unit is supporting the work of the new BSL advisory board. We hope that the work of the board will lead to greater emphasis on launching and rolling out the BSL GCSE in development. Also, that there will be greater access to qualified BSL interpreters in education.

5)      Conducting meaningful consultation

We supported the public consultation that took place before the strategy was launched through sharing the Government’s survey with deaf young people and families of deaf children. However, we felt the questions were not geared towards disabled young people or their families. It was not clear how the data collected from the public consultation influenced the strategy in any way.

About the National Deaf Children’s Society

We are the leading UK charity for deaf children and young people. Our vision is of a world without barriers for every deaf child. We have over 65,000 family and professional members in the UK and internationally. We give expert support on childhood deafness, raise awareness and campaign for deaf children’s rights. And we’re here whenever a deaf child needs us, from diagnosis until young adulthood, no matter what their level or type of deafness or how they communicate.

July 2022