Can you help recruit study participants

READY (Recording Emerging Adulthood in Deaf Youth)

The University of Manchester would like to ask for your help in reaching out to young people with a hearing loss to let them know about a new, large-scale study we are running, looking at transitions into adulthood.

The READY study (https://sites.manchester.ac.uk/thereadystudy/) aims to find out more about what modern life is like for deaf young people as they enter adulthood. The research team 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.

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).

The team need to reach as many deaf young people aged 15 – 18 as possible (people can join right up to 19th birthday). They would be very grateful for your support in raising awareness of the study, which is the largest of its kind ever conducted. This work will be a hugely valuable resource for deaf children and their families and the professionals who work with them, well into the future.

If you would like the project team to send some paper copies of their leaflets and posters to you by post, they would be more than happy to do so. Please contact the team direct: READY@manchester.ac.uk

The BAA is very happy to be one of the project supporters. Our Past President, Sue Falkingham said when we signed up: “This research is innovative and will provide a greater understanding of the needs of deaf young people and their experiences in all aspects of life as they reach adulthood. We hope BAA members will be able to help recruit young people to the study from their Audiology Clinics.”