Information for young people

The READY Study is short for “Recording Emerging Adulthood in Deaf Youth”. This study is funded by The National Deaf Children’s Society (NDCS) and is led by The University of Manchester (Social Research with Deaf People group, SORD) in collaboration with The University of Edinburgh (Scottish Sensory Centre).

The study wants to find out more about what modern life is like for 16-23 year old deaf people as they enter adulthood. We are looking to find out:

  • What kinds of decisions they make.
  • What barriers they face.
  • What they do after leaving school or college.
  • Which services they find useful.
  • How happy they are and what could improve their happiness.
Who will be in the READY study?

Any deaf young person between the ages of 16 to 19 before the end of June 2020 can volunteer to take part. But they must live in Scotland, England or Wales. We are looking for deaf young people with different backgrounds: different levels of deafness, male and female, different ethnic groups and languages, etc. To find out if you are eligible, you only need to answer three simple questions.

There will be over 500 deaf young people who are in the study. They will answer an online questionnaire every year for five years. This will be in English, Welsh, BSL, and Sign Supported Spoken English or Sign Supported Spoken Welsh (for those who prefer to listen/lipread). We will also ask some of the young participants if they would like to have an interview every year too.

What do you mean by ‘deaf’?

We use the word ‘deaf’ to mean any level of deafness from deaf in one ear only, mildly deaf, moderately deaf, severely deaf or profoundly deaf. You may not use the word ‘deaf’ about yourself. For this study we decided not to use phrases like hearing impaired, hard of hearing, partially hearing etc because it can get very confusing. We hope you will understand that the term ‘deaf’ includes you.

 

Why is the READY study important?

Results from this study will be used to:

  • Influence government policies.
  • Help education, health and other services plan to meet young deaf people’s needs better.
  • Be a source of information about young deaf people for deaf young people (and their families).

 

Can I ask other deaf friends to join in too?

Yes, please do. We are looking for a wide range of different young deaf people from England, Wales and Scotland. Please click on this link if you are interested in participating.

How do I find out about the results?

Taking part

If you want to join The READY Study, please complete this survey to know if you can take part.