Bridging the Gap Between the Hearing & Deaf Worlds
Is there such a thing as a ‘deaf privilege’?
The word ‘privilege’ has some kind of stigma attaches to it. But it doesn’t and should’t have to be.
But even for someone like me, I would say that I have “deaf privilege”; where even though I am deaf/hard of hearing, I still have some privileges linked to it so that I can acknowledge what I have, appreciate what I have and be aware of what I have, despite my deafness.
I still get surprised on how I get asked both of these questions that are related to each other but completely contrasting at the same time by different people.
Most people assume that deaf people can’t speak (yes we can). If we do, we “speak well for a deaf person (yeah, don’t say that) or you don’t speak very well (yeah, don’t say that either).
So I share my own experiences of how come for one group of people, I do speak clearly, and for others, I don’t speak clearly.
It’s hard enough to make the world around us more deaf aware during a normal day-to-day life. It’s a bigger challenge when it’s during a global pandemic.
Even though there have been calls for interpreters and captions when important information are shared, it seems that these are somewhat neglected when attempting to relay the message to as many people as possible.
Only, for those who are d/Deaf, they are ignored.
There are so many barriers that we could focus on when it comes to deaf awareness.
But since it’s Deaf Awareness Week in the UK (as of 4th-10th May 2020), there is one particular topic that I wanted to focus in light of it being a popular trend.
We are living in a time where more and more people are making video calls. But how do you video call someone who is deaf/hard of hearing? Is that even possible? There are so many tools and platforms out there you can use for video calls. But for all their fancy gadgets and quirky features, […]
In an interview with Deaf consultant and BSL user Lynn-Stewart Taylor, I had the opportunity to talk to her about the campaign #WhereIsTheInterpreter and why she felt the need to start it.
I’ve talked about it in the previous episode but I felt it was important to learn straight from the source on why this is necessary and to understand better about the benefits of this campaign BSL users.
Learn more about why Lynn started #WhereIsTheInterpreter here
At a time of recording, there is a global pandemic with coronavirus affecting the entire world. But with so much important to follow, it’s so important to make sure that there is equal access to those content for those who are d/Deaf and hard of hearing.
At this moment in time, it’s more important than ever to make sure there is equal access to those content. It will not just protect those who are d/Deaf and hard of hearing, but also those around them too, as I explain in this podcast.
Sometimes, we should just laugh and make fun of ourselves. That’s why I thought of sharing a few deaf jokes that I spotted online that made me laugh.
So I share a few short, sweet and innocent jokes relating to deafness, sign language and hearing aids. If you know any more, feel free to share them with me.
Rather than asking how people go deaf in general (genetic, accident, illness, etc.), a popular question is “how can I become deaf”…like literally and deliberately force it upon yourself.
It’s an unusual question but it’s not something that I encourage.
Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing “wrong” with being deaf. But people have to realise and understand that it’s not a novelty or “a bit of fun”. It comes with barriers and challenges.
But rather than quickly judge those who asks this question, perhaps there is more to the story.
