First online chat launched for parents of deaf children and young people

The UK’s first Live Chat Helpline on childhood deafness, www.ndcs.org.uk/livechat, is a secure and confidential service, providing clear and balanced information and advice on matters including audiology, pre-school support, education, local services, welfare and technology.

Over 90% of deaf children are from families with no first-hand experience of deafness and the free NDCS Live Chat has been designed to give families more opportunities to access the information and services they need to help their children throughout the milestones of their lives.

Robert Johnson, NDCS Helpline Manager said: “NDCS has designed the Live Chat service to offer families and deaf young people a choice so that they can reach our Helpline in their preferred method of communication.

“Over the years, the NDCS Helpline has been a lifeline to thousands of deaf children and their parents, earning the status of the UK’s leading source of information on childhood deafness.

“The family is the most important influence on a deaf child’s ability to achieve. I encourage all parents of deaf children to contact the NDCS Helpline and take advantage of our new Live Chat service.”

Live Chat works like most online chat systems and provides an easy and efficient method of contacting the NDCS Helpline. After clicking on a live chat button, a parent is taken to a new window where they can send a question to a dedicated NDCS Helpline worker and start a private online chat.

The NDCS Helpline was set up in 1997 through a grant from the National Lotteries Charities Board. In the last financial year the Helpline handled 12,636 enquiries – a 19% increase on the previous year, offering a telephone service in over 150 languages. 

For information on childhood deafness parents can contact the NDCS Live Chat on www.ndcs.org.uk/livech at or call the Freephone Helpline on 0808 800 8880 (voice and text), or email helpline@ndcs.org.uk, Monday to Friday, 9.30am-5pm.  

- ENDS –

For further information, interviews and a trial of the service please contact:

Anna Galandzij
Tel: 020 7014 1178            Email: anna.galandzij@ndcs.org.uk
Faith Dawes
Tel: 020 7014 1149            Email: faith.dawes@ndcs.org.uk

Notes to editors:

About NDCS and childhood deafness
NDCS is the leading charity dedicated to creating a world without barriers for deaf children and young people.

For more information on childhood deafness parents can contact the NDCS Freephone Helpline on 0808 800 8880 (voice and text) or email helpline@ndcs.org.uk, or visit www.ndcs.org.uk. Parents can also have a private live chat on www.ndcs.org.uk/livechat. 

There are more than 45,000 deaf children in the UK. However, Government figures show that the number of deaf children is increasing.

Four babies are born deaf every day and over 90 per cent of deaf children are born to hearing parents with no experience of deafness. 85 per cent of deaf children are educated in mainstream school.

The NDCS Helpline won the Innovation in Measuring Impact award at the BT/THA Awards 2005. The Helpline was also runner up in the Innovative Ways of Valuing Staff award.