My latest Guardian comment piece is about how cuts in Bristol, to the local deaf centre, university deaf studies department and potentially the local deaf school too, have left the local deaf community feeling as though they’re under siege. You can read it here.
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Charlie Swinbourne 
I don’t think losing deaf studies is an loss, as not everyone agrees with what they do anyway…. but obviously losing the social centre and deaf child support is. Wales has no deaf schools and hasn’t for years we manage OK, two major deaf clubs (Newport/Cardiff), are also under fire here, the Newport main club HAS already gone, and the community there scattered to the 4 winds basically. The Cardiff club last time we heard was in earnest debate about finding the funds to carry on as the LA there withdrew funding as well. I suggested 10 YEARS ago, the over-reliance on SS and LA support to pay rents and provide buildings for the deaf was on shaky ground, now they are finding wholesale cuts as I forecast. Deaf want these things they are going to have to pay for themselves and find ways of raising funds to keep them going, as my blog is ever stating, deaf in the UK can’t be bothered until something happens, then they blame everyone else, you want an community, you have to put up. It’s down to the younger generation to do these things and they won’t. I’d be more sympathetic if they had even tried at day one…. The Newport club has 37 YEARS to sort something and didn’t, the Cardiff one even longer than that, again, they didn’t either. Why is losing these things then a shock ?