Hundreds of babies will be born deaf in Yorkshire this year. So it is vital to identify deafness as early as possible and provide skilled support for the child and parent. Early support can help the family cope with extra demands of deafness in a positive way and will allow the development of the child's full potential in preparation for schooling and, ultimately, work.

The Ear Trust charity was founded 1990 to support the work of YCIS. Its achievements include the funding of Bradford Royal Infirmary's first cochlear implant operation - the first in the region. The Ear Trust continues to support YCIS in many ways:

• it provides help and support to hearing impaired people and their families
• it supports the Yorkshire Cochlear Implant Service, which has helped more than several hundred families across the North
• it performs specialist training to support professionals working with deaf children and adults
• it buys equipment not readily available on the NHS.

This part of the website asks for your support.
It tells you what we need and how your can help as well as information about exciting developments at YCIS.