Join research into families from diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds raising a deaf child

Take part in an exciting research project to understand the joys and difficulties of raising a deaf child as a family from a diverse ethnic and cultural background in the UK today. 

We are working with DEWA (Deaf Ethnic Women’s Association) on a project called “This Is Us: D.E.A.F” to help us understand the issues affecting families from different backgrounds and improve services so all deaf children and young people have better, brighter futures.

DEWA is conducting the research, which is funded by us and supported by researchers from the Deafness Cognition And Language Research Centre at University College London. 

British Sign Language (BSL) translations of the project:

• Watch a BSL video for parents on the DEWA website
  
  
• Watch a BSL video for deaf young people and hearing siblings on YouTube

Who can take part in the research?

The research is open to: 

• parents from diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds, with a deaf child aged 0 to 12 years old
  
  
• deaf young adults aged 16 to 25, from diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds
  
  
• hearing people aged 16 to 25, with a deaf sibling from diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds.

All information and participation is accessible through English, BSL and other language preferences. 

How to get involved

Information for parents

Contact DEWA (details below) who will send you a link to an online questionnaire about your experiences with your child’s diagnosis of deafness, their education, interests and communication. All the information you provide will be anonymous.

The questionnaire will take approximately 20 minutes to one hour to complete. 

You will receive a £10 gift voucher as a thank you for completing the questionnaire.

Information for deaf young adults or hearing siblings 

Contact DEWA (details below) who will explain more about the project and its aims and ask you a few questions about yourself and your family. 

DEWA will invite some of the people they chat with to take part in online discussions. These will take approximately 1.5 hours.

You will meet other people with whom you can share ideas and experiences.

For deaf participants, DEWA will ask you to look back on your early experiences, your education, your communication inside and outside your family, and your experiences of growing up as a member of an ethnic and cultural group in Britain. 

For hearing brothers and sisters of young deaf people, DEWA will ask you to look back on communication within your family and growing up as a member of an ethnic and cultural group in Britain. 

Sessions will be in BSL and/or English, according to your preferences. If you prefer to use another language, interpreters can be provided.

You will receive a £15 gift voucher as a thank you for taking part.

Contact DEWA 

• Email: [email protected]
• WhatsApp (for text or BSL video call): 0759 7704 472

What happens when the research is complete?

The findings will be published by us on our website and summaries will be sent to participants. All information will be anonymised.

Translated versions will be available on request. The research findings will also be published in academic journals.