Isle of Wight Deaf Children's Association

12/03/2026

The School of Signs is now in more than 2500 schools and home education settings across the UK!

With this number rising daily, why not introduce BSL into your classroom today!

Sign up here:
https://theschoolofsigns.org.uk/?utm_source=Socials&utm_medium=Facebook&utm_campaign=Organic

12/03/2026

12/03/2026

We’re excited to announce the launch of our very first D/deaf Coffee Club event! ☕ 🍰

Whether you wear hearing devices, have hearing loss, are a parent of a child with hearing loss, an audiologist, or simply curious to learn more, people of all ages are welcome to join us.

📅 Date: Sunday, March 22
⏰ Time: 12–3 PM
📍 Location: FILTRD, 51-53 Shelton St, London, WC2H 9JU, Covent Garden, London

This event is all about bringing the community together, creating connections, building networks, and meeting others in a welcoming and supportive space.

🎉 Free drinks for the first 20 arrivals, so make sure you come early!

We’re planning to organise many more events in the future, and this is just the first of many. We can’t wait to see you there!

Please sign up using the link

https://luma.com/igebjzqo

so we can get an idea of how many people will be attending. 🙏

A BSL interpreter will also be present. 🤟

03/03/2026

Dare to abseil for a cause! 💚💜

Following the success of last year's Spinnaker Tower abseil challenge, many of our supporters have been asking how they can get involved. We are excited to now share that a date has been chosen- Sunday 17th May- and spaces are available to book.

Simply go to the event page, read through the details, and book online. Registration is £85 and we ask that all participants raise a minimum of £300 in sponsorship. https://elizabeth-foundation.org/events/spinnaker-tower-abseil/

If you want to discuss any further details then get in touch with the Fundraising Team: [email protected] or call us on 023 9237 2735.



Image description:
A bright promotional graphic advertising The Elizabeth Foundation’s Spinnaker Tower Abseil Challenge. The design uses pink and green colours and includes an illustration of someone abseiling down Spinnaker Tower. The text reads: “Dare to Abseil for a Cause!”, “£85”, and “Sunday May 17th,” alongside The Elizabeth Foundation logo.

25/02/2026

We’re launching: Visibly Loud for Deaf Children – 24th April

On 24th April, we’re asking everyone to join us in being Visibly Loud for Deaf Children.

At The Elizabeth Foundation, we work with babies and preschool children who are deaf — supporting them to develop listening and spoken language and championing early intervention. But deaf children are often overlooked. Their needs can be invisible.

So this April, we’re changing that.

We’re asking you to get involved on 24th April — or at any point during the week 20th–26th April — and be Visibly Loud by:
💚 Wearing something bright — from a small splash of colour to a full, gloriously bold outfit
💜 Going bold and colourful
💚 Sharing a photo using
💜 Starting conversations about deafness
💚 Tying this into a fundraiser, if you’re able

At The Elizabeth Foundation, being “visibly loud” doesn’t mean being noisy. It means being seen. Being heard through action. And standing up for access.
Every share. Every conversation. Every donation makes a difference.

Save the date: 24th April
Let’s be Visibly Loud for Deaf Children.


Alt text:
An older man with a long white beard stands against a bright purple background. He is wearing round sunglasses, a multicoloured cap, a red Hawaiian-style shirt with large yellow flowers, patterned pink shorts, and a white t-shirt. The bold campaign text reads “Visibly Loud for Deaf Children” alongside the date “24th April 2026” and the hashtag . The design uses bright green and pink accents, reinforcing the colourful, bold theme of the campaign.

25/02/2026

18/02/2026

Please join us on Saturday 14th March 2026 @ The Riverside Centre, Newport for a joint event with Saturday Club and IWDCA. Also present during the day with information on services and equipment will be: Guide Dogs, Sight for Wight, Phonak, National Deaf Children’s Society

Deaf Rave will be hosting workshops for all children and young people during the day with a showcase and party from 3:00pm for all attending (see flyer for timings).

Join us for some of the workshops, stay all day, or maybe just come and visit our guest stalls and meet other families. All ages of children and young people, siblings and family members are welcome.

29/01/2026

“You are an essential part of your child’s life, and your voice matters.”

Kirsten shares how becoming a mum to a deaf child turned her into an advocate – and the practical ways that support both her child’s and her own wellbeing.

“Parenting any child means holding space for big emotions, growth and the ups and downs of daily life, and parenting a deaf child adds advocacy, accessibility and intentional communication into that mix.

Sometimes it’s easy to get bogged down in advocacy: fighting for the right support to be in place, psyching yourself up for meetings, paperwork and the constant mental checklist of 'How can we make it accessible?’

We advocate because when things are accessible, our children feel included and supported – the essentials for good mental health. As parents of a deaf child, often our own mental health needs some nurturing, too. With that in mind, I’ve put together some tips for families:

1. Get to know your child’s signs of listening fatigue. When we spot the signs, we can do things like building in listening breaks.

2. Support them to find deaf peers and deaf role models. This reminds them they’re not the only one.

3. Help them build resilience. Show them how to advocate for themselves, remind them they can do hard things, encourage problem-solving and be a safe space for them to show their struggles and biggest emotions.

4. Find your village! This could be other parents (including parents of older deaf children) and deaf people who understand from personal experience.

5. Remind yourself that it’s OK to not be everything to your children. We might not have experience of being deaf, and that’s OK.

6. Be a confident advocate. You are an essential part of your child’s life, and your voice matters. Advocacy is like a muscle. Working on it in small, safe environments can help build it for the bigger stuff.

7. Pick your battles. Assess which battles can be left and which need to be fought, as it can help you feel more confident and able.”

Read Kirsten’s full blog on our website: https://ndcs.org.uk/advice-and-support/real-life-stories/mental-health-and-raising-deaf-child-what-ive-learned.

Our bloggers share their stories and experiences to help other families, so please be kind and respectful when commenting 💜

29/01/2026

FYI visits the UK Space Conference in Manchester to learn what the future holds for the UK’s space industry. SUBSCRIBE to our Y...

26/01/2026

We are excited to announce the launch of the FREE Let’s Listen and Talk app.

We have designed this new app to bring the invaluable resource of the Let's Listen and Talk website directly to mobile devices.

The app offers a quick, efficient and easy-to-access platform that you can use on the go, ensuring that information, support and guidance are always at your fingertips whenever you are online.

Available to download now for FREE at both the Google Play Store (Android devices) and Apple App Store (iOS devices) – just search for “let’s listen and talk” or follow these links:

Apple - https://apps.apple.com/kr/app/lets-listen-and-talk/id6469999758?l=en-GB

Android - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=app.letslistenandtalk.android&gl=GB