Put the Light On I Can't Hear You?

The title of my talk is "Put the light on, I can't hear you". If this sounds silly – just think about it!

Deafness to me is where I cannot hear a sound, even a loud disco music without help of a hearing aid.

Deafness can be caused by a mother contracting German measles this resulting in Rubella. Other causes may be meningitis, or deafness may be hereditary.

I'm going to talk a little about myself. I was born deaf. When I reached my second birthday, my parents found out that I was not communicating like any other toddlers for example shouting for mum and dad, the doctors could not find out what was wrong with me, but later found out that it's the hearing nerves or loss of them that caused my deafness.

At the age of 3, I attended Odsal House School for the Deaf in Bradford, West Yorkshire. When I started school, I wore body worn hearing aids. These aids were not good, all I could hear was the paper as the aids worn on my body picked up and magnified even the slightest sound and I could hear paper crackling like thunder! For several years I had hearing tests to see if my hearing had improved. I stayed at that special school for six years and by then I had made some progression and could speak a little. So after these six years I was transferred to Heaton Middle School in the mainstream education, where there was a small partially hearing unit.

Whilst at that school, I was given a 'phonic ear' where the teacher had the microphone and I had the receiver aid to listen. I did not enjoy using these aids but had to put up with it for another four years!

At the age of 12, I changed my hearing aids from 'body worn' to 'behind the ear' which you cannot really see. I found these aids a lot better physiologically than the body worn aids.

After Heaton Middle School, I then attended Belle Vue Girls Grammar School – again a partially hearing unit, and again wore a phonic ear. I did not want to wear this and the teachers had to make me wear them. It was terrible they were bulky but I used to hear the teacher's conversations when the teacher was out of the classroom! I often forgot to recharge the battery at night – sometimes on purpose!

I joined Brownies at the age of 7, then joined Guides and Venture Scouts, these organizations were pleased to have me and I found no problems when I joined them. They soon learned that they had to speak to my face and speak clearly but not loudly this latter has no effect whatsoever.

I do not wear these hearing aids when I retire to bed nor swimming, if you get your hearing aids damaged, it costs money and time to repair.

The hearing aids runs on batteries just like the quartz watch batteries and I get them free from Bradford Royal Infirmary if I return my old ones otherwise I will have to buy them at chemist shops.

A few years ago I was nominated for the Deaf Young Achievements Award because I had spent time helping others for example in Old People's home, Brownies, Guides, Cubs and Scouts. In 1986, I gained the highest award in the Scouting Movement namely the 'Queen's Scout'. The Queen's Scout Award was a real challenge for me because I had to do many things from canoeing to walking the Three Peaks in the Yorkshire Dales, I also had to do community work. In 1986 I took part in the Venture Scout's Expedition to Pakistan and India for a month and was pleased to meet some deaf children. In 1987, I then travelled to Windsor for the Annual Queen's Scout Parade and was lucky enough to speak to the Queen!

I do not tend to mix with other deaf people because I don't want to be involved in sign language in fact I don't know it but I can do the manual alphabet.

Deafness has not stopped me from doing things that I really wanted to do – for example, canoeing, windsurfing, sailing, ski-ing and travelling to Australia on my own! I also took over a Guide Company where I have responsibility of controlling Guides and planning their programmes. I gained a Camper's Licence which enables me to take the Guides camping. Last year I was appointed onto the West Yorkshire North Girl Guides County Team as a Water and Boating Advisor.

I sometimes find it very difficult to hear people on the telephone but I can manage if I know who is on the other end of the line. I can visualise them speaking and imagine their lip movements.

At camps, I always carry either a torch or gas lantern at nights because when it is dark. I need a light so that I can see the person and hear what he or she is saying! So please bear in your mind that I need a light on your face when I'm listening.

To be accepted on this Operation Raleigh would therefore be an acceptance of deaf and partially hearing young people as I have always had to prove to myself and others that I could do exactly as others in spite of my handicap.

Please don't feel sorry for deaf people. We are very proud, at times our own worst enemies, but if you do meet deaf people, have patience, speak to them, not at them, face them, don't have a cup of coffee in front of your mouth or your hand. We do have minds. Because we can't hear doesn't mean we can't think.


Editor's Note:

This talk was read out in July 1991 when I did the Selection Weekend for Operation Raleigh and few days later I was successful and had to raise £1,800 for my expedition although it did cost £3,000 but my employers – Inland Revenue sponsored me! I carried on fundraising and got to £3,500 so that I could buy the equipment etc.

So I chose my expedition to Malaysia the following year in July 1992 for 3 months and really loved it – it was hard work but an enjoyable.

To date (June 2004) – I am now wearing Digital Analogue Programmed Hearing Aids (similar to Digital hearing aids). I love it now and wished they were invented years ago. I'm hearing a lot better than I used to when I was a kid. I can hear some quiet noises and glad to hear people better on the telephone and the mobile phone!