Deaf News: NDCS appoints Reema Patel as the charity’s youngest ever trustee

The National Deaf Children’s Society (NDCS) has appointed an inspirational deaf young trustee to support its work breaking down barriers in education and everyday life for deaf children.

Reema Patel, 25, who has previously written for Limping Chicken, will become the youngest trustee in the 69-year-long history of the leading deaf children’s charity, bringing public sector experience from both local government and the NHS.

As a deaf young woman, Reema is passionate about issues affecting deaf young people and believes the work of NDCS to campaign for the rights of deaf children is more vital now as many of them are losing school support due to public cuts.

Reema’s first-hand experience of childhood deafness means she can offer a fresh perspective and great enthusiasm to the NDCS’s Stolen Futures campaign – calling on the Government to intervene where cuts to deaf children’s services are being made.

Reema, who is a Cambridge University graduate and is training to be a barrister, said: “I believe deaf young people have so much to offer to the wider world. I believe we should do everything we possibly can to strengthen their participation in public life, and in the world at large – whether in the media, in sport – and encourage deaf young people to truly achieve their potential.

“It is important NDCS offers deaf young people the opportunity to shape its services and listens to their needs and views. I thoroughly support their continued work to campaign and lobby to ensure deaf children get a better start, both at school and at university.”

Susan Daniels, Chief Executive of NDCS, said: “Reema is a huge inspiration to many deaf young people and to women in general. Her drive and determination to achieve the best shows deaf young people can make a fantastic contribution to society.

“I am looking forward to working with Reema, and I believe her passion to ensure deaf children have a bright future will help to drive our work forward, particularly in these challenging times.”

NDCS has been campaigning against cuts to services for deaf children, including Teachers of the Deaf and speech and language therapists.

The charity needs 100,000 signatures on its Stolen Futures e-petition www.ndcs.org.uk/petition to secure a Parliamentary debate on the issue and force the Government to take action against the cuts being made to deaf children’s services.