Disability activist, presenter, and former Love Island star Tasha Ghouri joined MPs and policymakers in Westminster on 4 November to speak out on the urgent need for a more inclusive and accessible society for people who are deaf or have hearing loss.
She joined deaf people, members of the Deaf community, and MPs at Speaker’s House for a reception hosted by the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Deafness. The event celebrated Deaf culture and the diversity of lived experience, and explored the changes needed so deaf people can thrive in education, employment, and everyday life.
Tasha shares her personal experience
Born deaf, Tasha was five when she was fitted with a cochlear implant, something which allowed her to hear for the first time. She said:
Growing up deaf, I’ve experienced first-hand the barriers and challenges that so many people still face. We call on the Government to take these issues seriously, ensure services like healthcare are improved, barriers to employment are overcome, and the voices of deaf people are truly heard.
Whether you’re a deaf adult or child, or someone with hearing loss, you deserve to thrive in today’s society. That can only happen if we tackle the challenges that deaf people face in every aspect of life.
But today is also about celebration. Being someone who is deaf isn’t about what I can’t do, it’s key part of who I am – and something to be embraced. It’s fantastic when we come together to champion the incredible achievements of the deaf community, and show what’s possible when people are given the right support, access, and opportunities.”
Joining the call for action on deaf inclusion
The APPG on Deafness reception was hosted by Catherine Atkinson MP and supported by organisations including us at RNID, alongside the National Deaf Children’s Society (NDCS), SignHealth, Auditory Verbal UK (AVUK), and SignLive (formerly Convo).
We were proud to support the event and join other organisations in calling for urgent action to break down barriers for deaf people.
Rob Geaney, Head of Policy at RNID, said:
This was a monumental day for the deaf and hearing loss communities and Tasha’s contribution cannot be overstated. The account she gave of her own personal journey really hit home, and vividly brought to life the realities and challenges that so many in the community still face.
Far too many barriers prevent people who are deaf or have hearing loss from fully participating in everyday life. Bringing together policymakers, sector leaders, and members of the deaf community was an opportunity to reflect on progress, celebrate achievements, and focus on what needs to happen to ensure deaf children and adults have access to the same services, spaces, and opportunities as everyone else.”
Catherine Atkinson MP, Member of Parliament for Derby North, said:
We’re shining a light on the achievements and leadership of deaf people across the UK – celebrating their creativity and the vital contribution they make to every part of our society, every day.
As a Derby MP, representing a city with the highest proportion of deaf people in the country, I’m incredibly proud to serve so many constituents who are part of this vibrant and talented community. The deaf community enriches our culture and our country, and it’s vital that recognition goes hand in hand with action, inclusion and equality.
Together, we can break down the remaining barriers so deaf people have equal access, opportunity and pride in the role they play in shaping our country’s shared future.”
About the APPG on Deafness
The APPG on Deafness is a cross-party group of parliamentarians (MPs in the House of Commons and Peers in the House of Lords). Together with the supporting deaf organisations, they have a shared vision of a more inclusive society for deaf children and adults and are working towards a number of key aims, including:
- improving NHS audiology services
- delivering on healthcare accessibility commitments
- protecting Access to Work
- ensuring early and effective language and communication support for deaf children
The group has a strong track record of driving meaningful change, including:
- coordinating parliamentary support for the British Sign Language (BSL) Act 2022
- lobbying to lift the Access to Work cap which disproportionately affected deaf employees needing BSL interpreters
- securing the distribution of 250,000 clear face masks for health and social care staff during the Covid-19 pandemic
For more information, visit our APPG page.