Our strategy and vision for 2040 and beyond

1 in 3 people live with hearing loss or tinnitus in the UK. Yet as a nation, we’re ignoring our hearing health. This has devastating consequences.

Deaf people face barriers at every turn. Missing something vital – a fire alarm, the doctor’s advice, a public health announcement – can mean the difference between life and death. 

More often, it makes living an independent, fulfilling life – the kind so many of us take for granted – exhausting and isolating.

Our vision

We have bold ambition for a new era, where anyone losing their hearing can have it restored, where tinnitus can be silenced, and where all deaf people can get the technology, care and support they need to thrive.

We want future generations to take it for granted that they will have access to effective treatments and services, can excel in their career, and never have to lose conversations with family and friends, or the sound of birdsong.

Join us. Together, this is how we are making this a reality:

Changing society and public attitudes

We are changing society and public attitudes, so that:

1. Everyone in the UK understands why and how to check their hearing regularly and do it – just like we do with our eyes and teeth
2. People of all ages know how to protect their hearing from loud noise – and doing it is the ‘normal’ thing to do
3. We’ve created a step-change in public understanding of deafness, so society stops shutting deaf people out of everyday conversations and activities

Changing systems and services

We are changing systems and services, so that:

1. Effective treatments that prevent hearing loss, restore hearing and silence tinnitus have been developed and are available to everyone
2. Every employer actively supports deaf people and people with hearing loss, recognising the value they bring and removing barriers to professional success
3. Leaps forward in tech – both for individuals to use and in society at large – mean that all new products and services are accessible and inclusive for deaf people right from the start – whether you are out shopping, on the bus or accessing all forms of healthcare
4. When people experience hearing loss, they can easily get help from the NHS in a way that suits them – whether that’s developing new options to conduct tests online or having hearing aids delivered to their door

Changing the lives of individuals

And we are changing lives of individuals, one by one, through:

1. RNID Near You: our in-person drop-in centres, giving information and support, powered by volunteers and present in every community across the UK
2. RNID Online and Contact RNID: providing tailored, trustworthy support and advice on deafness, hearing loss and tinnitus – the go-to resource for our communities and those there to support them.

Our strategy

From social inclusion and health to employment and biomedical research, our areas of work are where we’re making our vision become a future reality. Explore What We Do for more or download our strategy for a deep dive.

Our strategy

Download our strategy (PDF, 1.2MB), to see the impact we’ve already made in these areas, and where we’re going next.

Read our strategy