Monday 23 April 2012

The Battle: The Voice UK Vs. The X Factor - subtitle nightmares...

On Saturday night I settled down with my family to watch the first round of "battles" on The Voice. The aim of the game, as such, was to eliminate one contestenant from each duet so that each judge ends up with only 5 acts to take through to the live shows. 

I do hate to admit that I actually quite like watching these singing programmes - even though I'm not entirely sure my judgement process is up to scratch - I even watch the X Factor (terrible I know), although last series I did think the programmes had gone even further down-hill than I thought possible... 

Everyone's heard the fuss made over the subtitles on the X factor live shows, how awful they are and how ITV need to make some serious effort to make their shows more accessible for us deafies. But seriously people, I think I may have just found a contender for the worst subtitles ever... - just to say, the BBC news doesn't count, they have what I like to call a "chronic accessibility issue"!

What makes it worse for me is that these rounds of The Voice aren't even recorded live! and if this is the state of the subtitles now God help us all next week - eventually I just turned them off they were so lousy. 
I don't understand why a show that is pre-recorded can't also have pre-recorded subtitles! I mean that's not such a big ask is it? Many BBC 1 programmes do: Merlin, Dr Who, Holby City, Eastenders etc... Some of them even have sign language! (albeit at 3am in the morning...) 

On Saturday night I thought it was just because the music was killing the subtitles - I'm not expecting them to subtitle the songs! But on Sunday night when I watched the show with subtitles from the very first minute I could see this wasn't the problem... Even before the music the subtitles were a good 20-30 seconds behind and in some places I'm told they were even missing bits out... Just not good enough really!! 

Come on BBC 1! With the exception of Children in Need and The Apprentice Final I've always sung your praises where subtitles were concerned... Please don't go all ITV on me now! 

I've decided I'll write to the BBC, and post the letter on here when I'm done, because I think they need to understand that access to popular TV is a right not a "Oh well maybe we could just wing it as we go along..." and I think I'll point them in the direction of this blog post as well... 

I'm posting a video of the beginning of Sunday's show at the bottom of this post - if it works! That way everyone can see what I mean... If you agree with me and want to add your name to the bottom of the letter leave me a comment or send me a message. 
 
 
 
 



Thursday 19 April 2012

Stop the Welfare Reform Bill from Disadvantaging Disabled Children and Adults

This petition on the Government's Epetition site has been set up by a woman called Kate.

"Stop the proposed Welfare Reform Bill which will disadvantage the disabled. Reform of Tax Credits will mean a £1,400 loss per year to families with disabled children and the change of DLA to PIP will mean about 500,000 disabled people will lose support for their disability plus many more who will suffer a cut. The new system will be rating disabilities like deafness and many more by its nature rather than the true effect. Cuts will cause difficulty at a time when services are under-funded and the cost of living with as little barriers as possible already comes at a high cost. Government say that the new reform is to create a fairer, more transparent and sustainable system, while ensuring that support is given to disabled people to lead full, active and independent lives. The reform is going to do the opposite of this. Their short-sightedness will cost the tax payer more in the future to fix the problems that this reform will create. It's time to show that every disabled person matters."

Please sign the petition by clicking HERE!

thank you :)

Monday 16 April 2012

the NEW NDCS YAB :D

Youth Advisory Board Forms - The Buzz

This year I have had the most fantastic experiences through being on the Youth Advisory Board - I've been to the Liberal Democrat Conference, spoken to the whole of NDCS and met amazing friends who I'll stay in touch with for my whole life!!!

But now NDCS are looking for more 12-18 year olds to be on the board! All you have to do is go to the Buzz (link above) to find out more and download application forms...

It is a true one in a life-time opportunity for deaf young people :)

Sunday 15 April 2012

Dear Build a Bear...

Dear Build a Bear,

My Poppy Bear is sooooooooooo sad. And so I am. My Poppy Bear is sad because she is deaf just like me. I'm very lucky as the hospital gave me hearing aids to help me hear. But I asked Build A Bear where Poppy was born, if they had any hearing aids for her. I was told "No" because you only sell them online in North America. Please Build a Bear, can you please send me two hearing aids for my Poppy Bear to help her hear just like me.

Lots of Love Chloe xx

PS My sister Sophie is deaf too, and her Piper bear is deaf too. She had to go to bed as she was tired. She will write her message tomorrow x



"BUILD A BEAR POPPY IS DEAF. HER BEST FRIEND CHLOE AGED 6 IS REALLY SAD. SHE IS DEAF, JUST LIKE HER POPPY BEAR. Chloe would love to get some hearing aids for her best friend Poppy but you only sell them in North America."
Karen Jackson has been searching for a hearing aid accessory for her two deaf daughter's teddy bears but has had no luck... However this week she discovered that Build a Bear US do themselves supply an hearing aids for bears that are deaf. Karen immedietly emailed the company asking whether the accessory was available in the UK; the answer was no. So Karen asked whether Build a Bear would consider beginning to supply hearing aid accessories in the UK - but again the answer was no. 


Not one to give up Karen and her daughter posted a message on the Build a Bear Facebook Page, along with a photo of Chole and her bear Poppy, encouraging other parents to comment and show the company what a demand there is for the accessory in the UK. 

The response from parents has been great so far with so many reasons being given for why the accessory is so important! 
"It would be really wonderfull if B.A.B can supply teddy hearing aids in the uk, it would help alot of children and encourage them to wear there hearing Aids as teddy will be wearing his/hers to, i know my 7 year old would be made up if they was available in the uk, and it helps to spread awarness of deafness and hearing Aids to children in a lovely way."
 "Its totally necessary for deaf kids to have positive images of deafness in any form! if when a kid gets aids or an implant then they might not know anyone else with them. if their bear has hearing aids too and is maybe given them at the same time it will make it easier!"
Parents have also asked for Bone Anchored Hearing Aids and Cochlear Implants...

These parents are right, it is so important for deaf children to have something they can identify to that will encourage them to see their deafness as a positive thing. Having a best friend bear with hearing aids might encourage younger children to wear their hearing aids.

Please show your support for this amazing mini-campaign by clicking on the link above and either liking the post or writing a comment about why you feel Build a Bear should supply hearing aids for all those deaf bears out there!

 

Friday 13 April 2012

The Limping Chicken...

Another post "posted" on The Limping Chicken - I'm afraid its a double up of my Adult Audiology piece and not anything new :)

But if you havent read it you can read it here!

Pimping My Hearing Aids - Limping Chicken

Sunday 8 April 2012

Adult Audiology...

This Tuesday I had my first real experience of adult audiology at Selly oak HARC in Birmingham.

I have to say that I was incredibly nervous in the days before as I knew I'd be swapping in my broken old model hearing aids for something new and shiny but I hadn't been told exactly what. I knew I'd have a phonak and that the obvious choice was a Naida so the night before I went googling and decided that I very deinfinetely wanted one like this...

Because stripes are definetely in this year... And lets face it - you could wear it with ANYTHING!

So Mum and I rocked up at audiology - which by the way is in a sort of grand porti-cabin thing which looks so much bigger on the inside than the outside!
I almost died of nervousness in the waiting room, with millions of thoughts running through my head... I knew that kids audiology is a lot different to adult audiology - you have a lot more responsibility to look after yourself, and the appointments are with different people. Although, responsibility is a good thing! And im always berating people who dont treat me like an adult...

Of course everything was fine - the lady was lovely and made me feel totally relaxed! Although there were some teething problems... The lack of colourful hearing aids for a start.

Im still totally amazed after being told that HARC will not giev you coloured hearing aids! Not even if you start with beige ones to "try them out" and then swap them when you're certain that theyre good for you! Apparently, in order to have colourful hearing aids you have to have a learing difficulty or a mental health problem... and my pleas that having horrible, old person beige hearing aids would get me bullied for sure and therefore ruin my mental health were totally ignored... A sad moment in my life...

But potentially serious!! I still think it was a valid point to raise - Ive had comments from people before about having beige hearing aids (my stand in ones were beige) and it totally ruins your confidence to do anything like wearing your hair up...
Another point that was made by a friend afterwards is as a sort of role-model to deaf kids through NDCS, WDCS, Deaf Direct, general life... surely it would be better for those kids to see that being a deaf adult with hearing aids means you can still be cool... After all having coloured aids does make them alot more bearable, and youre always the envy of your friends!

The hearing aids Ive actually ended up with look like this...


At least I still have colourful molds right!

And thanks to the NDCS Facebook mums and their AMAZING ideas Ive actually pimped them a little bit so they look a hell of a lot cooler than anything audiology could have given me!


With nail stickers from Sainsburys - enough to do both hearing aids at least twice over! Ive managed to make something that looks funky and cool, a little grown up but still childish enough that I dont feel too much like an adult! Theyve even been complimented by a random person on the train...

The best bit though is I went out with my hair up twice this week and didnt even think twice about it - for me having something that looks colourful and creative is some important because it gives me confidence and totally matches my personality.

So all in all Adult Audiology is really not as bad as it's cracked up to be in my head... The people are friendly and they still dont bite, they listen to your concerns and Im perfectly happy to be going back in 6 weeks time for a review appointement...

After that the next step is just going - ALONE - Ill cross that bridge when it comes to it!

Monday 2 April 2012

NDCS Volunteering Weekend - Bristol

This weekend myself and fellow YABer Sophie have been rocking out at the Ramada Hotel in Bristol taking part in the NDCS Volunteer Training Weekend.

The weekend started in Friday night when I arrived at Temple Meads Station and had to go through the normal routine of finding someone easily lip-readable who looked like they knew where they were going in order to ask for directions. Lucky Sophie arrived on the plane in the morning and was saved the "hunt the deaf-friendly person" game by hitching a lift from a friend into town before spending the rest of the day in Primark!!

Attending the weekend were 6 other new volunteers, our three trainers: Andy, Rachel and Nyssa, and our two interpreters: Rachel and Amy.

Once we'd settled in to our rooms we had an amazing 3 course meal all together which was our first chance to properly meet the other volunteers for the first time. Sophie and I were lucky to already know Andy and the interpreters but I certainly felt a bit shy surrounded by all these new adults I didn't know! Apart from Sophie and I the only other deafie was a guy called Mumtaz who over the weekend we both got to know really well!

After dinner the group met for our  first sessionpl and played some ice-breaker games to learn everyones names and sign names. I'm so used to playing games with the YAB and on other NDCS events I didn't even think twice about the games, but looking back it was quite funny playing the games Ive played as a teenager with a room of adults who were having as much fun as I was! After a quick drink at the bar we all went to bed already exhausted...

The next morning Sophie and I were late waking up - for some reason the Ramada hotel doesnt have any of the wireless vibrating Fire Alarms which double up as alarm clocks... This meant that for the first part of the night I fretted alot about going to sleep in case something happened and also meant that in the morning I was relying on Sophie to wake me up when her phone alarm went off - in fact we both slept right through the alarm on its loudest setting.

When we finally woke up we were both tired and it was decided that we would have a "no hearing aid day".... I have to stress how weird and amazing this day was. Its so unusual that I spend even a few hours minus my hearing aids (except when I have an ear infection) and those few hours are nearly always full of stress whilst I try to communicate with various people. To have the opportunity for silence whilst still fully particpating in every single conversation and group exercise was an amazing experience and both Sophie and I were very reluctant to put our aids back in the next day. It was a definite insight into how we could live our lives in the future if we chose...

Our first tasks of the morning were team-work exercises. In my opinion these were a highlight of the weekend, especially when in groups we had to attempt to build the tallest tower of playing of cards possible! Incredibly difficult, but very amusing!!

Over the course of the day we did various other workshops including learning about the role of volunteers and a long session on NAPPI (Non-Abusive Physiological Physical Intervention), for me as a psychology student and someone passionate about going on to do a social work degree this was an amazing session and I really enjoyed learning about the behaviour scale and looking at responses to behaviour...

After dinner we had the chance to lead a game in pairs - Sophie and I paired up and led a game called "Buzzy Bees" where the aim is to buzz around the room until the leader raises their hand and calls out or signs a letter. At this point each person has to become something beginning with that letter. For example B = Banana. I think I was a fig at one point... A lot of the games were ones Id played at NDCS before and the ever popular pen game was played over and over very competitively.

On Sunday morning we all took part in a prison break game. The aim was to (without speech or sign) communicate to Rachel, up in her helicopter, the password (NDCS) without the prison guards becoming suspicious... My group used flip chart paper with letters written on N-D-C-S-HELP! in order to successfully escape :) another brilliant game Ill definetely be sharing in the future! After this we did a session on child protection, a little depressing but incredibly necessary and delivered in a way that allowed plenty of interesting debate!!

Finally in the afternoon Mark - a deaf NDCS volunteer who all us deafies have met at one stage of our NDCS childhood! - came along to run a hilarious session about being a deaf role model complete with his usual impersonations and jokes. It was without doubt the session I enjoyed most all weekend and I found it really interesting and helpful to have to think about informed choice and what I would say in response to questions asked to me by parents of deaf kids. It resonated with my experiences of having been asked numerous questions, or having answered questions, on the NDCS facebook page and totally equipped me with skills for the future.

Oh and I forgot - Sophie and I even snuck in time for a swim in the pool at the hotel and 15 minute chill out in the sauna on Saturday afternoon! perfect!! :)

The whole weekend was amazing and Ive made friends that I will definetely be staying in contact with for many years! It was brilliant to see and experience first hand life as an NDCS volunteer. Having grown up an NDCS kid and having been on the YAB I feel its only right to "give something back". Every deaf child deserves the amazing experiences Ive had and I only hope that NDCS will be able to continue offering events and residentials (with me as a volunteer!!) for many 100s of years into the future! They are an amazing opportunity for every deaf child and young person to meet other deafies, grow in confidence, try activites they might not want to do with hearing kids; and perhaps most importantly the volunteers themselves provide the perfect deaf role-model to look up to! I cant wait to be part of that from the "grown-up" side!

:)