Campaign at the click of a button

You can help to spread the word and recruit more campaigners. This month we're giving out reusable earplugs at music festivals, enouraging employers to promote hearing health and supporting local lipreading classes.

Take action! Support our campaigns and tell five people you know to do the same. Take action, then send this week's email (external link, opens new browser window) to festival goers, lipreaders, employers or anyone you'd like to turn into an armchair activist.

Are you making the most of your rights?
 
We want your help to make the Human Rights Act more useful. Tell the The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) about barriers you face and good practice among public authorities.

Take action! Visit the EHRC website (external link, opens new browser window) to add your voice, or email campaigns@rnid.org.uk You can also read our briefing (word doc, 35.5KB) for more information about the consultation.

Subtitles: Tell your MP why 100% is worth it

MPs are celebrating Deaf Awareness Week by supporting a motion in parliament calling for 100% subtitling on main TV channels. Five million people use television subtitles frequently. Tell your MP why they're so important and ask them to support the motion.

Take action! Use our standard letter (Word doc, 31KB) to ask your MP to support the parliamentary motion calling for 100% subtitling across main TV channels. Find out how to contact your MP.

Read my lips: no more class closures

Lipreading class fees are rising and many people can't afford the extra cost which has resulted in classes around the country closing. Some lipreading class fees have increased from £10 to over £160. Take action today to save your classes!

Take action! Use our standard letters and campaign hints to call for action. Let us know what responses you receive by emailing us at campaigns@rnid.org.uk.

Tell us your communication support nightmares

Have you experienced problems accessing public services, work or social events because communication support was not provided? Or maybe communication support was provided but it was the wrong sort or the interpreter wasn’t properly trained? We want to know so that we can tell politicians, employers and public services about the difference communication support makes to people’s lives.

Take action! Email us at campaigns@rnid.org.uk and tell us about your experiences. Your stories will help us to campaign for change.

Parliament debates new law on IVF

The Government has introduced the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill to clarify the law about genetic testing and in-vitro fertilisation. The Bill will ensure that people cannot genetically screen in order to select embryos with certain attributes over others. Specifically this means that a deaf embryo cannot be selected for implantation over a hearing one.

The Bill is likely to be discussed by MPs in February.

More information about the Bill.

Take action! If you are concerned about the Bill or would like to raise any specific issues relating to this then write to your MP and tell them your views. Find out how to contact your MP.

Recruit your friends and family to our Campaigns Network

Thousands of campaigners around the UK have suceeded in making crucial changes to the lives of deaf and hard of hearing people. Help us grow the Campaigns Network so we can make an even bigger impact. Ask three people you know to sign up to our campaign e-newsletter.

Ask your friends and family to join online by clicking here.

Keep us in the loop!

For the past year, you’ve been sending us your experiences of public places that aren’t providing suitable induction loop systems. We’ve had some really great feedback, but we’d like to know more!

With the information we have received so far we have contacted some major chains and smaller independent shops to help them improve their services. We want to contact even more venues, so when you’re out and about, at the Post Office, bank, hospital or theatre, make sure you take note of the venue’s loop facilities and how well they’re working. Hand them one of our induction loop cards (external link, opens new browser window) designed to let staff know that their induction loop system is not working properly.

Take action! We are particularly interested in finding out more about post offices. So when posting your parcels and buying stamps this Christmas, ask your local Post Office about their loop facilities.

If you have a bad experience give one of our complaint cards to a staff member or write to the manager using one of our sample letters. We also want to hear if you have had a good experience too!

You can let us know your experiences by writing to us at campaigns@rnid.org.uk or returning your induction loop complaint cards.

Party conferences

At this year’s political party conferences we will be talking to MPs about a range of issues that matter to deaf and hard of hearing people. If you would like us to raise a particular subject which is bothering you in your part of the country then please let us know.

Take action! Email us at campaigns@rnid.org.uk and tell us what the issue is and who your MP is (or where you live and we’ll find out).