I thought I’d take some time out of the normal technical / SimplexWebs related posts to talk about National Deaf Awareness Week which is happening from the 7th to 13th May 2012, and a topic quite close to my heart. To begin, a statistic: “Half of teenagers say they probably wouldn’t talk to someone who’s deaf because they’re worried about making themselves understood” (NDCS, 2012)

How so?

For those not in the know (most of you reading), I suffer a severe hearing impediment in my right ear caused by a 1.5mm hole in my eardrum, and a slightly reduced hearing range in my left which as a child, resulted in more trips to audiology, 4 minor operations for grommets and a hearing aid.

So what is National Deaf Awareness Week?

National Deaf Awareness week is a week of events to help highlight the difficulties that deaf and hard of hearing individuals suffer during normal day to day life, showcasing the great work that charities such as the National Deaf Children’s Society and the Royal National Institute for Deaf People (now known as Action on Hearing Loss) do to help people whom are deaf and promoting the positive aspect of deafness, social inclusion and raising awareness of the range of local and national organisations that support deaf people, their families and their friends.

Enough! What can I do to help?

Helping is surprisingly simple, charities such as the National Deaf Children’s Society and Action on Hearing Loss need funds to maintain the great work they do in the United Kingdom with deaf children and adults and supporting them can be as little as giving a pound or two every month. To find out more about how you can help, simply visit the National Deaf Children’s Society and the Royal National Institute for Deaf People websites and give what you can to these amazing causes.

Any questions?

If you think I’ve missed something out, or you want to see me post about a topic that interests you, please feel free to drop me an e-mail to matthew+blog@simplexwebs.com. Alternatively, you can stalk me on Twitter!