Stephen Lloyd MP: Engaging the Deaf Community with our democracy

Stephen Lloyd MP calls for politicians to fulfil their duty to engage, inform and represent the views of the deaf community. Deafness is not a topic that comes up particularly often in politics. Which is strange, if we take into consideration the fact that some 10m people in the UK are affected by some sort of hearing impairment – that accounts for 1 in 6 people . Striving to ensure fair and equal access to services for everyone is a key priority for me, and working closely with the deaf community is vital in achieving this for those with hearing loss. Now, as we approach a General Election, it is more important than ever to ensure that deaf and hard of hearing people are able to engage with Parliament and politics so that they can campaign to ensure that their needs are met and that their voices are heard. There are around 800,000 people affected by severe deafness. That is a significant number, and as politicians it is our duty to engage, to inform and to represent the views of our public- including those in the deaf community. Consequently, we must find ways of ensuring that those with hearing loss are able to properly communicate with and, crucially, to hold to account, the politicians that represent them. I chair the APPG on Deafness, a group of MPs and Peers working to inform the public about issues affecting deaf people, as well as influencing government policy that impacts on the deaf community. I continue to campaign vigorously for hearing screening to be brought in for everyone over 65, in order to ensure that as people get older, they are able to cope with age-onset hearing loss and, critically, to treat it before it is too late. On Wednesday 19 November, as part of Parliament Week, I will be speaking at an event organised by the Parliamentary Outreach team in collaboration with the British Deaf Association. In order to successfully engage people with democracy, Parliament’s Outreach Service holds regular events to inform the public about how to get involved, how to campaign and what actually happens in Parliament. This event, catering specifically for the needs of the deaf community, will have the same function. A panel of speakers, including myself and Rosie Cooper MP, will discuss how Parliament can work to promote the interests of the deaf community, as well as offering practical guidance on getting involved and understanding how Parliament works. With sign language interpretation and palantypists present, this event will allow a group of people who may feel excluded from the democratic system, the opportunity to learn more about the cornerstone of our democracy –Parliament. As someone who has been hard of hearing for 50 years, I am quite clear that without the assistance provided by the House, for example through the installation of induction loops, my job would be a lot harder. The event will take place at the Abbey Centre on Great Smith Street between 2pm and 5pm on Wednesday 19 November. Honourable Members are urged to come along to observe the event and learn more about the issues that matter to profoundly deaf people in their own constituencies.