‘Our vision is of a world where deafness or hearing loss do not limit or determine opportunity, and where people value their hearing’ – this is the mission of The Royal National Institute for Deaf People, which ensures the rights and opportunities of deaf and hard of hearing people in the UK, and works to prevent hearing loss and remove the stigma of deafness.
The venerable organization, which is one of the oldest in the UK, got some new supporters this year when New Yorker Meera Gandhi was appointed a centennial councilor for RNID which will be completing a hundred years in 2011. She is one of six centennial councilors who will serve for a year and highlight the mission of RNID in the US, India and China.
Last week, Cavaliere Philip Bonn, the RNID’s centenary director, invested her at a ceremony which was attended by several New Yorkers and hosted by noted designer Clodagh at Clodagh Design in Manhattan.
“RNID helps 8 million people in the UK alone,” says Meera Gandhi. “It’s a very real organization that helps so many with hearing disabilities every day.” RNID is currently the UK’s largest charity, and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, has been its patron for over 50 years.
Meera and her banker husband Vikram Gandhi, who live between New York and Hong Kong, are now adding the UK to the global mix as their children will be attending school and college there. A believer in being part of the community they live in, Meera, who recently created the Giving Back Foundation, will be helping with fundraising and awareness, both of deafness and RNID.
3 Comments
A few facts:
Only 10% of RNID staff are deaf or hoh.
Not one single member of RNID’s senior management team is deaf or hoh.
The RNID robs deaf people of their autonomy.
Fintan, I don’t know know enough about RNID, which is a UK based organization, to discuss this in an informed manner. I do agree with you that organizations representing the deaf community should be inclusive and involve the people they seek to represent.
To quote “‘Our vision is of a world where deafness or hearing loss do not limit or determine opportunity”
They don’t practise what they preach!
Have you actually asked how many deaf people work in RNID? They are all hearing who think that they know what is best for deaf people.
Now you wouldn’t have all men working for a women’s charity, would you? So why the CEO on £30000 a year profits on our deafness?
Looking at the pictures, looks like a very nice ceremony. Can’t see any interpreting or deaf people. Correct me on this, won’t you?