For sixty years Chime has worked with Deaf and Hard of Hearing people,  championing for equal rights, and greater accessibility and opportunities. You can find out more about what we do and how we do it here.

If you are a Deaf or Hard of Hearing person who is experiencing barriers in accessing services, Rights or entitlements, Chime is here to help. We can advise and support you on the best way to address your issues and help you decide what actions you can take.

Chime works continuously to develop supportive communities and an accessible society for all.  This includes creating awareness around hearing loss and its impact on all sections of society, and seeking policy changes and service developments that help break down barriers and enhance equality.

Chime’s current advocacy work has three priority campaigns.

Hearing loss campaign

Chime is advocating for a National Hearing Care Plan which will address the hearing needs of the population. The Minister for Health has agreed that a national approach is needed, but it has yet to be developed by the Department.

Education campaign

Chime is working on a number of issues around education for Deaf and Hard of Hearing students in Ireland. These include the lack of data on educational outcomes, the ISL schools scheme, teacher training and the new resource allocation model. The main objective initially is to gather evidence to see how well Deaf and Hard of Hearing students are doing compared to hearing peers of similar ability.

Access for the Deaf community

In 2023 Chime has made significant progress with their campaign to improve Access for the Deaf Community. In late 2023 the Department of Social Protection confirmed that the voucher scheme for the Deaf community will be funded on a permanent basis and that in 2024 a scheme to provide ISL support in the workplace will be introduced – fantastic news for members of the Deaf community. We are also participating in a review of the mental health service for the Deaf community, a service that needs to be developed further.