Bridging the Gap Between the Hearing & Deaf Worlds
In episode #17 of the Hear Me Out! [CC] Podcast, I wanted to answer the question that (mostly) hearing people have asked me before; is it rude to call someone d/Deaf?
Maybe it’s because of political correctness or perhaps they just want to learn. Either way, I thought of answering that question in this episode so that nobody can make their own assumptions, which is probably the worst thing to do regardless of the scenario.
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.
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.
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.
If you have noticed from my writing, whether it’s here on this website or on social media, you may have noticed that I write “d/Deaf” in that format…and no, it’s not a typo.
This allows me to incorporate both the small ‘d’ and capital ‘D’ at the same when talking about this particular topic. This is not necessarily for convenience but mainly for identity and inclusion purposes.
But what is the difference between deaf and Deaf?
What’s the Difference Between Deaf with Capital ‘D’ & deaf with Small ‘d’?
In episode 8, I wanted to talk about the dreaded the ‘Dinner Table Syndrome’, which tends to happen at almost any event; Christmas, birthdays, networking events, restaurants, etc.
And this is something that a lot of d/Deaf people, as well as other people, can relate to.
Read or listen to the story about The Dinner Table Syndrome here
In episode 6 of the podcast, I chat with Ed Rex, aka ‘The Deaf Traveller’.
Ed shares his story about travelling around the world and the challenges he faced with some surreal stories and brilliant advice for anyone who wants to do the same.
If you are a hearing person, there is a chance that your hearing is different from another.
But for anyone who is d/Deaf or hard of hearing, it’s even more different as different people have their own level of capabilities of what they can and can’t.
In my own personal situation, it’s a bit complex as, even though I can hear many things, there are certain things and scenarios where I would struggle.
