RNID

RNID is the largest charity working to change the world for the UK's 9 million deaf and hard of hearing people. We do this by campaigning and lobbying (with the help of our members), raising awareness of deafness and hearing loss, providing services - and through social, medical and technical research. Of particular relevance is the provision of training and consultancy on deafness and disability.

RNID's Technology Department sits within the Technology & Enterprise Directorate, which also embraces RNID Typetalk - UK's national telephone relay service for deaf and hard of hearing people (managed and run by RNID under contract to British Telecom) - and the retail division, RNID Products, which is the UK's largest provider of products to people with hearing loss and tinnitus. A key area for RNID's Technology department is its biomedical funding programme, which presently runs at around EUR 1 million a year. In addition to supporting leading biomedical research worldwide (just over half of which presently goes towards European research), RNID supports around six or seven PhD students at any one time. RNID tries to ensure that through their identity with the organisation, these students have a good appreciation of the social environment and value of their research.