UK Deaf Awareness Week

[cguil_uk]

Deaf Awareness Week 7 - 13 May 2007

Unfortunately, Deafness does not have a great emotive appeal when it comes to charitable donations and, as a result, many deaf charities are struggling.

The only deaf charities doing well are Hearing Dogs and the National Deaf Children's Society, and that is only because children and dogs are involved.
So your support for this event would be greatly appreciated.

 

[itsme]

Yep I is with you

 

[Ian]

Just tried the phone number on the site for a test - quite a clever idea

 

[gabriella]

I agree - deafness is an issue that needs more awareness.

Gabriella x

 

[cguil_uk]

I agree - deafness is an issue that needs more awareness.

Gabriella x

I quite agree. I am only partially deaf and some of the things I have thrown at me, over the years, by stupid people is mind boggling. Although deaf awareness is slowly improving, there is still some way to go.

The other thing that gets to me, is when you see all these TV programmes etc. that raise money for charity and (apart from the NDCS & Hearing Dogs) deaf charities are rarely mentioned.

 

[cguil_uk]

Yep I is with you

Good for you Thanks!

 

[Anon_F]

I agree - deafness is an issue that needs more awareness.
Gabriella x

As does Mental Health & Blindness.
Sadly sometimes all of these lack central funding.

 

[cguil_uk]

Deaf Awareness Week 2007 - Main Sponsor

Deaf Awareness Week 7 - 13 May 2007

Unfortunately, Deafness does not have a great emotive appeal when it comes to charitable donations and, as a result, many deaf charities are struggling.

The only deaf charities doing well are Hearing Dogs and the National Deaf Children's Society, and that is only because children and dogs are involved.
So your support for this event would be greatly appreciated.

http://www.deafcouncil.org.uk/daw/

More detailed information is here.

 

[muckshifter]

I'm more than aware ...


Sorry to say, I could barley "hear" anyone on that phone, I use a speaker with volume control and it was on full.

I found that a little strange 'cos I can usually hear most callers on my phone OK.

I heard Edmond OK, though quiet, but when he handed it over for the test, I could not hear the instructions. This is probably because a woman took over ... no disrespect, but I find a women's voice harder to hear, especially on a phone. Better go get me headphones.

 

[cguil_uk]

As does Mental Health & Blindness.
Sadly sometimes all of these lack central funding.

I think you will find that these charities get a lot more support than deaf charities.

Are you aware, for example, that blind people get all sorts of hand outs from the government that deaf people are not allowed? Look at your TV licence reminder and tax return form. Despite the fact that they are both sensorary disabilities they are treated differently. Is that right?

 

[Ian]

I heard Edmond OK, though quiet, but when he handed it over for the test, I could not hear the instructions. This is probably because a woman took over ... no disrespect, but I find a women's voice harder to hear, especially on a phone. .

Thats just because of the frequency of the voice, and a womans is normally higher. I found some of the actual numbers in the test impossible to hear so I just guessed at them.

 

[cguil_uk]

Thats just because of the frequency of the voice, and a womans is normally higher. I found some of the actual numbers in the test impossible to hear so I just guessed at them.

I have problems with smoke alarms and some mobile ring tones. Too higher frequency.

 

[cguil_uk]

A thought for the day

"Walking with a friend in the dark is better than walking alone in the light."

Helen Keller 1880 - 1968 A US Deaf-Blind Lady of great character and wisdom.

What she was effectivly saying that it is worse to be deaf than blind because with blindness, you are cut off from your surroundings, but with deafness, you are cut off from people.

Unlike Blindness, Deafness is a 'lonely' disability. It must be awful to be both.

 

[cirianz]

This is probably because a woman took over ... no disrespect, but I find a women's voice harder to hear, especially on a phone. Better go get me headphones.

Yes, I have a mild hearing loss in the high frequencies and I find women much harder to hear on the phone. I have to say that I personally think that the invention of txting was one of the greatest leaps forward in technology for the deaf that's ever been made. I have seen what a difference it has made in the lives of friends of mine.
But personally, if you really want to do something to contribute, learn sign language! Because, as cguil says, isolation is the most horrific consequence of deafness, & unfortunately, most of us don't bother to learn sign language until it becomes personally relevant
Unfortunately, I have to confess that I've forgotten most of what little I once knew
And 'brushing up' has been on my 'to do list' for far too long.
Something that is really unforgivable when I've seen the relief that comes when encountering someone who 'speaks your language'

Over here deafness and it's consequences have a high level of awareness & funding. But that has really only been over the last decade or so. And even now most people I know who are deaf are more likely to just 'nod & smile' in a conversation since, even when knowing someone is deaf, few people have the patience to keep on repeating things. I know I'm more likely to try & glue the consonants together & make a guess unless I think it's something really important & my hearing loss is relatively mild.
Unfortunately hearing loss in our generation is really much higher than the statistics would indicate. Having grown up in an era when safety-gear was for wusses & consequences were things that happened to someone else. At least now the wearing of safety gear in the workplace is enforced. But nevertheless, my daughter still thinks I'm just making a fuss when i ask her to turn down her ipod....

One word of caution though... it's seldom a good idea to start deciding which disability is worse than any other. Blindness does not just cut you off from your surroundings, it also is very isolating & can leave you feeling very helpless. This can be especially bad for people who don't have good comunication skills.
I am an artist... if I had to choose... would i rather go deaf or blind? If I couldn't paint any more?
And John's father... he was also an artist who had spent his whole life working as a police officer, putting off developing his art until after he retired. He went blind three years later. The condition is hereditary & John lives in terror of it.

The value any individual places on any of their senses is incalculable & cannot be compared to what value anyone else would place, nor is it possible to calculate just what effects such a loss would have on any particular individual.

 

[cguil_uk]

One word of caution though... it's seldom a good idea to start deciding which disability is worse than any other. Blindness does not just cut you off from your surroundings, it also is very isolating & can leave you feeling very helpless. This can be especially bad for people who don't have good comunication skills.
I am an artist... if I had to choose... would i rather go deaf or blind? If I couldn't paint any more?
And John's father... he was also an artist who had spent his whole life working as a police officer, putting off developing his art until after he retired. He went blind three years later. The condition is hereditary & John lives in terror of it.

The value any individual places on any of their senses is incalculable & cannot be compared to what value anyone else would place, nor is it possible to calculate just what effects such a loss would have on any particular individual.

A good valid point and duly noted.

 

[cirianz]

Respect

 

[Taffycat]

Following on from what has already been said, and so elloquently, isn't it a shame that people who are working in call centres, or are working as telephone receptionists, have a tendency to gabble. Has anyone else noticed this? I suppose their job might be a bit repetative and boring, but quite honestly, I dread having to make a telephone enquiry sometimes.

I am fortunate to have pretty good hearing, but find that these rapidly-speaking gabblers, cause me to keep asking for them to repeat whatever words they have just mangled - but do they slow down a bit, or make any attempt to speak more clearly........ not usually, no. Instead you hear the little sigh of impatience, and just know that they are labelling you as either being ga-ga or deaf. So if I - and others I've mentioned this to - find it difficult, then anyone with a hearing loss must find it downright impossible.

It is only a small point, I know, but wouldn't it be helpful if telephone staff everywhere, were made aware of their telephone-answering technique, and were perhaps taught to communicate more clearly?

Of course, it I wanted to be really critical, I could also cite the medium of TV. How often is speech drowned out almost completely by overly-loud background music and effects? Too often! Documentaries might be interesting, but how would we know... the narrator might have the clearest of clear voices, but he or she simply cannot compete with the tsunami/dinosaur/atmospheric 'music' with which they are in competition.

I'd better get off my soapbox now, but in conclusion, yes, I agree with everyone here, that greater awareness of all degrees of hearing-loss can only be a good thing.

 

[cguil_uk]

Following on from what has already been said, and so elloquently, isn't it a shame that people who are working in call centres, or are working as telephone receptionists, have a tendency to gabble. Has anyone else noticed this? I suppose their job might be a bit repetative and boring, but quite honestly, I dread having to make a telephone enquiry sometimes.

I am fortunate to have pretty good hearing, but find that these rapidly-speaking gabblers, cause me to keep asking for them to repeat whatever words they have just mangled - but do they slow down a bit, or make any attempt to speak more clearly........ not usually, no. Instead you hear the little sigh of impatience, and just know that they are labelling you as either being ga-ga or deaf. So if I - and others I've mentioned this to - find it difficult, then anyone with a hearing loss must find it downright impossible.

It is only a small point, I know, but wouldn't it be helpful if telephone staff everywhere, were made aware of their telephone-answering technique, and were perhaps taught to communicate more clearly?

Of course, it I wanted to be really critical, I could also cite the medium of TV. How often is speech drowned out almost completely by overly-loud background music and effects? Too often! Documentaries might be interesting, but how would we know... the narrator might have the clearest of clear voices, but he or she simply cannot compete with the tsunami/dinosaur/atmospheric 'music' with which they are in competition.

I'd better get off my soapbox now, but in conclusion, yes, I agree with everyone here, that greater awareness of all degrees of hearing-loss can only be a good thing.

I totally agree with you and it is something that annoys me as well. However, in their defence, I have to say that it is not entirely their fault. The main problem is that they are under so much pressure from their employer to meet targets.

I worked in a bank fraud office for a while and saw, first hand, the pressure these people were under. They were told that they had to do so many cases per hour and spend as little time on the phone as possible - it was horrendous.