Community Development
The BDA’s Community Development Team supports local Deaf groups with their events, campaigns and other social activities. The team develops relationships within the local Deaf communities and researches how the BDA can improve local opportunities for Deaf people. They also work with local authorities, service providers and organisations to enable them to sign up to the BSL Charter. Our team are the public face of the BDA at a local level and are the all-important link between local Deaf groups and the national campaign work of the BDA.
Our key purpose is to build communities based on shared values, history, language, culture, justice, equality and mutual respect and enable our community to grow in strength, confidence and power.
Deaf people have a wealth of knowledge and experience which, if used in creative ways, can be channelled into collective action. This action will support us in achieving important changes in our local area which will, in time, benefit the wider Deaf community.
The Community Development Team works closely with Policy & Campaigns and the BSL Team to promote our language, culture, campaign aims and encourage active participation from within our own community. By acting together as one community we can affect change not only on a local level but also affect change nationally.