Bridging the Gap Between the Hearing & Deaf Worlds
In the UK, one week it was Deaf Awareness Week. The next, it was Mental Health Awareness Week (which was when this podcast was recorded).
Yet, not many people realise that deaf and mental health they are very closely linked together.
So in today’s podcast (with transcript included), I share my own thoughts about this link, the struggles that d/Deaf people, my own personal experience with mental health and raise awareness of both topics.
Deaf vs hard of hearing. What’s the difference and what am I?
It’s a very common question that I hear all the time. Well, 1) it is different, and 2) it’s very different.
What do I mean by that? Check it out below.
In episode 14, I talk to Rob and Adam from the British pop-rock band ‘Chasing Deer’ about how they have incorporated BSL into their music and their passion around making their gigs deaf-friendly so that everyone can enjoy their music, regardless of whether you are hearing or d/Deaf.
In episode 13, amidst the hype around the Avengers: Endgame movie, I open up with personal story about how The Avengers has played a part in triggering my emotions and unleashed my deaf advocacy.
Even though everyone is able to enjoy “the best movie ever”, I cannot experience the same joy, which was difficult to accept. But it did not mean that I just wanted to sit around and accept it.
Even though I have been learning BSL (British Sign Language) for a few months now, I was thinking about ways to make myself accountable.
It’s so easy to trail off your latest interests, passions and hobbies after the initial excitements. It’s no surprise that many people give up their New Year resolutions in February every single year.
Thankfully for me, I have continued to keep learning BSL but in order to keep myself accountable and also document my progress, I have decided to start ‘My BSL Journey’, which will document my journey as I learn British Sign Language.
In episode 12 of the podcast, I chat with Lewis Vaughan Jones; a TV news presenter for BBC News and BBC World News who has gone through a sudden hearing loss which happened overnight and we talked about how he is adjusting to his new lifestyle.
Read or listen to the interview with Lewis Vaughan Jones here
One thing for sure about The Silent Child; it managed to deliver a strong message at the end of the short 20-minute clip, right before the credits, with several different sobering facts.
The whole essence of the film is to highlight the importance of sign language to allow d/Deaf children to have the same experience and opportunities in life that other children would also have.
Not only managed to do that well in just 20 minutes, but they also bagged themselves an Oscar for it too
In episode 11, I share my own experience when I’m going to the airport and fly out to a particular destination, whether it’s for business or pleasure.
And I go through the whole experience, from the moment I arrived and check-in, to going to the security, to communicating with the air steward/stewardess, to picking up my suitcase at the arrival destination.
Read or listen to my experience at the airport and airplane here
In episode 10, my own experience of visiting the dentist; from the process of arranging an appointment all the way to leaving the dentist after my check-up, I go through all the challenges that come along the way.
![Hear Me Out [CC] podcast header image featuring Lewis Vaughan Jones about adjusting to sudden hearing loss as a TV news presenter](https://hearmeoutcc.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/interview-lewis-vaughan-jones-podcast-interview-header-image.png)
