British Deaf Association: Digital Archivist

The British Deaf Association (BDA) is the UK’s national representative organisation for Deaf people who use British Sign Language (BSL) and Irish Sign Language (ISL)—the first or preferred language of approximately 87,000 Deaf people.

We exist to advance human rights and equality for Deaf people. Working in partnership with our members and stakeholders, we influence governments and drive systemic change to achieve sign language equity across the UK.

The BDA has played a pivotal role in securing legal recognition for sign languages, including the BSL (Scotland) Act 2015, the BSL Act 2022, and more recently the BSL (Wales) Act 2026 and Northern Ireland Sign Language Act 2026. These landmark achievements recognise BSL and ISL as protected minority languages—an important step towards addressing long‑standing inequality and enabling Deaf people to participate fully as equal and valued members of society.

We are proudly Deaf‑led: all of our Board of Trustees and 88% of our staff are Deaf, and our working languages are BSL and ISL. Our lived experience shapes everything we do, and we invest in sign language development across our workforce, including a comprehensive and inclusive onboarding programme.

As a membership organisation, we are deeply rooted in Deaf communities across all four UK nations. This ensures our work is informed, representative, and responsive to the communities we serve.

Trusted by Deaf communities and respected by governments, the BDA is a leading voice for change—protecting and promoting the language, culture, community, diversity, and heritage of Deaf people across the UK.

Founded in 1890, the BDA has a long history of advocacy and leadership. We are an Ordinary Member of the World Federation of the Deaf (a United Nations consultative organisation) since 1957, and a founding member of the European Union of the Deaf (a participatory body of the Council of Europe) since 1985.

As a Deaf‑led membership charity, we are led by and represent Deaf signers. We advocate for the right of Deaf people to fully participate in society as equal and valued citizens.

The passage of sign language legislation across all four UK nations marks a defining moment in our history—and a foundation for future change. We are now delivering our 2022–2032 Strategic Vision, setting out our ambitions for the next decade and beyond.

We work alongside our members and the wider Deaf community to ensure their views are heard, valued, and acted upon. By bringing Deaf people together, we support collective action to challenge inequality and drive change.

Through training and workshops, we build confidence, leadership, and collective power—supporting Deaf people to influence decision‑making and secure representation at every level. At the heart of this work is a simple principle: nothing about us, without us.

We deliver Human Rights and Capacity Building training to empower Deaf people with the tools to advocate for their rights.

We also support organisations to become BSL‑inclusive through our flagship BSL Awareness training and tailored consultancy, helping participants develop a deeper understanding of BSL and Deaf culture.

We established the independent BSL Alliance, a coalition of Deaf organisations working together to strengthen and promote BSL across the UK.

As the representative body for Deaf people in the UK, we equip Deaf people with the knowledge and strategies to claim and defend their rights, including:

• Recognition and respect for BSL/ISL and Deaf culture
• Securing equitable access and opportunities across all areas of life

Through the BSL Charter, we connect Deaf people with public services—enabling them to raise concerns, influence service delivery, and access clear, accessible information.

We work with Deaf leaders and policymakers to implement key frameworks, including the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and UK sign language legislation. Alongside this, we deliver Equality & Rights training and lead national advocacy to drive systemic change.

We promote and celebrate…