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Information for journalists

Photo: Journalist contact point

This page contains essential information about childhood deafness. If you require any additional information, please contact the media team.

We use the word ‘deaf’ to refer to all levels of deafness and hearing loss.

  • There are more than 50,000 deaf children living in the UK and 32 million deaf children globally.
  • 90% of deaf children are born to hearing parents with little or no experience of deafness.
  • Deafness is not a learning disability; with the right support, deaf children can achieve anything other children can.
  • Three babies are born deaf every day.
  • Half of deaf children are born deaf and the other half become deaf during childhood.

Susan Daniels OBE, Chief Executive
Deaf since the age of four, Susan is a passionate campaigner for deaf children’s rights and joined the charity as Chief Executive in 1992. She is a member of both the BBC Appeals Advisory Committee and the Disabled Students' Commission. She also chairs Groundbreakers, the network for women leaders in the charity sector. 

Mike Hobday, Director of Policy and Campaigns
Mike joined the charity in 2021 and leads our policy and influencing work across all countries in the UK.

Jo Campion, Deputy Director of Campaigning and Advocacy
Jo leads our political campaigning and influencing work. She is an expert campaigner who ensures that deaf children’s rights are firmly on the political agenda.

Ian Noon, Chief Policy Advisor
Born profoundly deaf, Ian is our in-house expert on data and research relating to deaf children and young people.

Helen Ferguson, Head of Policy and Influencing, Northern Ireland
Helen heads up our Northern Ireland policy and campaigning work.

Lois Drake, Policy and Campaigns Officer, Scotland
Lois carries out our policy and campaigning work in Scotland.

Debbie Thomas, Head of Policy and Campaigns, Wales
Debbie runs our policy and campaigning work in Wales. 

Emma Fraser, Teacher of the Deaf
Emma has been a Teacher of the Deaf for over 10 years, and provides support and advice on how best to support deaf children and their families.

Joanna Clark, Director of Deaf Child Worldwide
Joanna is an international development expert, with a long career supporting vulnerable children in developing countries. She's managed Deaf Child Worldwide’s work in East Africa, Latin America and South Asia since 2013, and before that led Save the Children's work in Vietnam.

We have developed a number of position statements relating to issues on childhood deafness, which outline our position and aim to provide guidance for parents and professionals.

  • The National Deaf Children’s Society is the leading charity dedicated to creating a world without barriers for deaf children and their families.
  • There are more than 50,000 deaf children in the UK. We help them thrive by providing impartial, practical and emotional support, and by challenging governments and society to meet their needs.
  • The National Deaf Children’s Society believes that every deaf child should be valued and included by society and have the same opportunities as any other child.