Deaf young people 'face exclusion from services'
Gabriella Jozwiak
Monday, April 15, 2013
Local authority commissioning processes are making it harder to provide services for young disabled people, a charity has warned.
The Royal Association for Deaf People (RAD) has told CYP Now that young deaf people are missing out because commissioners are grouping different disabilities into one category.
The charity, which runs clubs for young people for whom sign language is their first language, said local councils have been rejecting their funding applications on the grounds that provision solely for deaf children was “limited in terms of the focus”.
Linda Parkin, development manager at RAD, said this meant deaf young people’s specialist needs were not being met.
“The needs of deaf children and young people centre on communication. They are very different to the needs of other young people with disabilities, such as those with limited mobility, or learning difficulties,” said Parkin.
“If the local authority panel wishes to commission a ‘one size fits all’ service for all types of disability, that is of course their choice. But what that often means in practice is that deaf young people are excluded from activities.”
She said councils had responded to the organisation’s concerns by saying funding for more specific needs would only be allocated if “need has increased dramatically”.
“It is a chicken-and-egg situation,” said Parkin.
“If your local authority has no accessible services for deaf young people you don’t go to them – so the local authority announces there is no demand for services for deaf young people.”
A spokesman for the disability charity Scope said RAD’s experience was common.
“Disabled families regularly tell us just how difficult it can be to get vital support locally,” he said.
“Families are fighting tooth and nail for speech and language services, occupational therapy, critical pieces of equipment such as wheelchairs and orthopaedic boots or for appropriate placements in schools.
“Often the therapy they are fighting for is crucial to a child’s development and there can be severe implications later in life if these children don’t get the support they need in time.”
