MSP speaks up for Scotland’s deaf children

The Change Your World consultation is the UK’s first ever national consultation with deaf children and young people aged 9-18 about the issues and challenges that affect them.

On Wednesday evening, the respected politician spoke in a debate in the Scottish Parliament supporting the NDCS’s groundbreaking project.

NDCS will use the results of this consultation to identify the key areas in health, education and care where deaf children feel that they need more support, and will campaign within the Scottish Parliament and Government to change things for the better.

Cathie Craigie MSP, who is also Convener of the Scottish Parliament’s Cross Party Group on Deafness, is encouraging as many young deaf people in Scotland to get involved with the consultation and make their voices heard.

She said:

“Deafness should not be a barrier for children in achieving their true potential. Given the right levels of support, there is no reason why a deaf child should not achieve the same as their hearing peers. But evidence suggests that they don’t.

"Before we as parliamentarians can work to break down the barriers facing deaf children, we need to understand more about the difficulties that young deaf people face in their daily lives. And who better to tell us than the deaf children themselves?

"I want as many deaf children in Scotland as possible to get involved in this consultation, and would encourage them to log on to www.changeyourworld.info to make their voices heard!  I assure them that we in the Scottish Parliament will listen.”

Chris Ratcliffe, Director of NDCS Scotland said:

“The National Deaf Children’s Society is committed to creating a world without barriers for Scotland’s deaf children.  We are delighted that Cathie Craigie MSP has supported our consultation, and look forward to receiving the views of deaf children in Scotland on how we can work to shake things up and Change their World.”

In a statement issued to MSPs ahead of the debate, Kathleen Marshall, Scotland’s Commissioner for Children and Young People said:

“I would like to express my support for your efforts to highlight the National Deaf Children’s Society Change Your World Consultation. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child says that all young people have the right to express their views freely in all matters affecting them and to have those views given due weight. It is the adult world's responsibility to identify the barriers to free expression of views and to remove them.

"This consultation will give young Deaf people the chance to express their views about the issues and challenges facing them. I hope that as many young people as possible get involved in this consultation. I hope that MSPs and other decision makers listen to the concerns these young people express and work with them to address the issues raised. I look forward to listening to the contributions of MSPs during the debate to highlight this important opportunity.”