The Limping Chicken

The Secret Deafie: “My fingers are my eyes, my hands are...
The Limping Chicken The Secret Deafie is a regular column about deaf experiences submitted anonymously by different contributors. In this instalment, a woman who is Deafblind has written a poem about her experiences… My fingers are my eyes, my hands are my ears. I create my sense of space with my mind. I depend on the memories of […]
Mon, Mar 10 2014 · 13 hours ago

Amanda Holland: BBC Sewing Bee and deaf woman Lynda Lewis
The Limping Chicken Why should I write about this?  Well because this time there is a Deaf lady appear on this programme.  Also I found out that it is not in this blog so I like to let you know.  I have been offered to write it for Limping Chicken so it is my first one. I did […]
Fri, Mar 07 2014

Laura’s Pregnancy Diary: If deaf charities had a...
The Limping Chicken Laura Hignett is deaf and pregnant. She is sharing her diary entries with us as she prepares for the birth of her first child. This week, Laura discusses the focus of charities working for deaf people 8 Weeks to go Earlier this week I was reading an article on The Limping Chicken about the urgent […]
Fri, Mar 07 2014

Emily Howlett: If having a baby is like having a Science...
The Limping Chicken Would you like to know a secret? It’s a very uncool thing to admit, but, back in the dim and distant past, I was really good at school. I don’t mean behaviour-wise (we will skip over that part, purely because I don’t want my son to find this, fifteen years from now and be all, […]
Fri, Mar 07 2014

Deaf News: Ofcom approves BT’s ‘Next Generation’ Text...
The Limping Chicken Ofcom has today approved BT’s enhanced text relay service, representing a significant step in improving telephone calls for consumers with hearing and/or speech impairments. Text relay enables people to communicate with others via a relay assistant who acts as an intermediary to convert speech to text, and vice versa, for the two people in conversation. […]
Thu, Mar 06 2014

Poem: ‘Sounding Off’ by Martyn Brown
The Limping Chicken SOUNDING OFF (a poem about Tinnitus) So discrete you never notice It just arrives one day Delivered and installed While you look the other way A sound system to blow your mind Notes so strange and absurd You just can’t shake them off Or decipher what you’ve heard Guaranteed to give you a buzz The […]
Thu, Mar 06 2014

Richard Turner: Cinemas still don’t seem to care about...
The Limping Chicken Watching the highlights of the Oscar ceremony last night reminded me of how much I love watching a good film. It was great to see ’12 Years A Slave’ win best picture. I watched a captioned screening of this film recently at the cinema and I thought it was one of the best films I’ve […]
Thu, Mar 06 2014

Matt Dixon: It would be fantastic if Westminster was...
The Limping Chicken In life, opportunities will always present themselves but the question is; do you ignore them? The reason why I say this is because of the recent announcement of BDA’s Sign Language week 2014 named ‘Strengthen our Rights’ and the exciting Deaf Lobby Day to be held on 17th March within the Houses of Parliament. David […]
Wed, Mar 05 2014

Ceilidh O’Sullivan: How you can help Deaf children here...
The Limping Chicken Here in Uganda, we have come a long way since our work began in 2009. Many lives are changed. The Deaf kids we are working with no longer sulk without communication; they now smile and communicate effectively. Some that had leg deformities and other health problems are now set free thanks to encouragements, surgeries and […]
Wed, Mar 05 2014

Andy Palmer: What could the England Rugby team learn from...
The Limping Chicken I read on the Telegraph’s website this week that the England Rugby coaching team are trying to find ways to help their performance on the field since the crowd noise at Twickenham, England’s home ground, has become so loud that the players are finding it difficult to communicate. According to coach Mike Catt, the players […]
Tue, Mar 04 2014

Michael Fahey: A few moments without my hearing aids in,...
The Limping Chicken We were in the local Starbucks for a coffee last week and I didn’t have my hearing aids in (too much background noise for me). Which gave me the chance to observe what was happening around me. My wife nipped to the loo and so I’m sat peacefully on my own and all around me […]
Tue, Mar 04 2014

Deaf News: Deaf couple scammed by baby surrogacy fraudster
The Limping Chicken A deaf conman has been sent to prison for 3 and a half years for running a surrogacy scam against a deaf couple. Gino DiCaprio claimed he could help Neil and Sonia Musselwhite achieve their dreams of parenthood by arranging for a surrogate mother to carry their child in Kenya. The couple had known him […]
Mon, Mar 03 2014

Rebecca-Anne Withey: Why I loathed the audiologist’s...
The Limping Chicken “There’s an interpreter here for you,” the receptionist told me. An interpreter? I didn’t think I’d booked one. I’d assumed that as I was attending an audiology appointment that I wouldn’t need one, seeing as they’d be so used to dealing with deaf people… right? But anyhow, we had an interpreter. After a short wait […]
Mon, Mar 03 2014

Review: The play ‘Threepenny Opera’ by Graeae Theatre...
The Limping Chicken Graeae Theatre Company do not like to make life easy for themselves. This latest offering, Three Penny Opera, is their own interpretation of an English adaptation of a German translation of the English ‘Beggar’s Opera’. Clearly, the script has already been through the mill a few times.  Can it possibly still be fresh and relevant? […]
Fri, Feb 28 2014

Ni Gallant: To speak or sign at university – my dilemma
The Limping Chicken So recently I’ve been debating with myself over what I like to term the ‘to speak or not to speak’ issue. It started with frustration over my progressive deafness and having ‘good speech’ which makes it inevitable that when meeting people for the first time they don’t immediately realise that I’m Deaf. They also don’t […]
Thu, Feb 27 2014

Deaf News: Deaflympics star killed in Ukraine
The Limping Chicken It has been reported that a Deaflympics Judo star has been killed in the recent fighting in the Ukraine. Sourds.net has posted a news story which says Dmitry Maximov, who won silver and bronze at the games in Sofia last summer, was killed after being hit by a grenade in fighting on 18th February. Their […]
Wed, Feb 26 2014

Amanda Everitt: Can online sign language courses match...
The Limping Chicken Online sign language learning has been around for a while. There is a stockpile of online courses teaching sign language around the world. Just hit Google and there’s courses for adults, like SignWorld (a supporter of this site) and Family Sign Language here in the UK. There’s them Baby Sign language classes. I am not going to […]
Wed, Feb 26 2014

Deaf Sports News: England deaf futsal team won’t be going...
The Limping Chicken England’s Deaf Futsal team won’t be traveling to the European Championships in Bulgaria. They narrowly missed out on qualification after losing 7-5 to France in their final qualifier after beating Norway and losing against Russia. Despite the fact that England won’t be at the European Championships, England head coach, Paul Harrison, was upbeat. Harrison said t...
Tue, Feb 25 2014

Teresa Garratty: Face-palm. How a simple insurance phone...
The Limping Chicken Last month I wrote an article about new years resolutions and one of those resolutions was to try to use the phone a bit more. This had generally been going quite well…up until last week. You see phones are somewhat of an arch nemesis for me. I can hear enough over the phone to know […]
Tue, Feb 25 2014

Karen Stockton: Not everyone can adjust to digital hearing...
The Limping Chicken Every time Andy Palmer (Deputy Editor) asked me to tell the story about my experiences with digital hearing aids I have always turned him down – it was always too difficult to talk about. About 15 years ago I finally got my letter to start the transition process to move from analogue to digital hearing […]
Mon, Feb 24 2014

Deaf News: RAD Deaf Law Centre to close due to Legal Aid...
The Limping Chicken In a blow for Deaf people who need legal advice, it has been announced that the RAD Deaf Law Centre is to close, due to cuts in Legal Aid. The centre was known for being able to offer legal advice in sign language to Deaf people who often could not access legal services due to […]
Fri, Feb 21 2014

Laura’s Pregnancy Diary: Everyone saw my bum thanks to...
The Limping Chicken Laura Hignett is deaf and pregnant. Laura is sharing her diary entries and her experiences with us as she prepares for the birth of her first child . This week, Laura accidentally shows some commuters her bum in an effort to beat the pains of pregnancy.  10 weeks to go! This week I have been […]
Fri, Feb 21 2014

Esta Watson: How young deaf people like me are not getting...
The Limping Chicken I’m Esta Watson, I’m 17 and from North Yorkshire. I have single sided deafness but the other ear fluctuates so I wear BiCROS aids (which are a boring colour, so I accessorize them to make them look nice). I’m currently in my last year of A-levels and have applied to go to university to study […]
Fri, Feb 21 2014

Review: The play ‘Frozen’ – by Fingersmiths theatre...
The Limping Chicken The new Fingersmiths production, ‘Frozen’ is a brave and dark choice. We are invited to follow the lives of three distinct characters; Nancy, a traumatised mother whose daughter, Rhona, has been abducted and murdered by Ralph, and Agnetha, a criminal psychologist trying to work out if his crimes are due to evil or illness. Fingersmiths […]
Thu, Feb 20 2014

Ian Noon: Access to Work has become institutionally...
The Limping Chicken I’ve been picking up lots of chatter recently about Access to Work. Lots of petty new rules suddenly turning up out of nowhere on what communication support can or can’t be booked using Access to Work. Limping Chicken picked up on the trend last year and a recent email from a friend suggests things are getting worse still. […]
Thu, Feb 20 2014

Deaf News: California police use taser on deaf man trying...
The Limping Chicken Raw Story has reported on another horrific incident involving American police and deaf people, just weeks after the story about the deaf man who was beaten by police when he didn’t respond to their calls. Extract: Four police officers in Hawthorne, California used a taser on a man who was attempting to tell them that he was […]
Wed, Feb 19 2014

Bethany Rose Eason: The first health campaign of its kind...
The Limping Chicken I’m happy to be deaf because that’s part of me. I had a reality check at the age of 13 which made me motivate myself to help other deaf youngsters who faced the same difficulties as I did. So,  I have been involved with the National Deaf Children’s Society on the Youth Advisory Board for […]
Wed, Feb 19 2014

The Secret Deafie: Why is it ok that I was knocked over...
The Limping Chicken The Secret Deafie is a regular column about deaf experiences submitted anonymously by different contributors. If you have a story you’d like to tell, just email thelimpingchicken@gmail.com Wow… What a day!! Currently I’m sat up in bed having cried myself a headache and wishing I never have to go outside my home again but knowing […]
Tue, Feb 18 2014

“My voice sounds like an alien.” 10 things I think to...
The Limping Chicken Last week, after having less-than-deal experiences with my local audiology service (read here and here for my blogs on it) I got new hearing aids, and was thrown into an uncertain audiological world. Here are 10 things I found myself thinking as I tried to make sense of the brand new gadgets perched on my […]
Mon, Feb 17 2014

Jen Dodds: Is the deaf world more tolerant of homosexuality?
The Limping Chicken So, the Sochi Winter Olympics are on and everyone’s talking about snowboarders’ thighs… well, not everyone. Some people I know are refusing to watch the Olympics because it’s being held in Russia, which is known for having anti-gay laws and a homophobic mentality that is so messed up that gangs of Russians hunt down and […]
Fri, Feb 14 2014

Laura’s pregnancy diary: Free baby alarm? I’ll take it
The Limping Chicken Laura Hignett is deaf and pregnant. For the next few months, Laura will be sharing her diary entries and her experiences with us as she prepares for the birth of her first child . This week, Laura is all about technology.  13 Weeks to go This week I have been listing what we need for […]
Fri, Feb 14 2014

Charlie Swinbourne: Even Castro’s ashamed of wearing...
The Limping Chicken When I heard (excuse the pun) of the controversy about Fidel Castro’s hearing aid being photoshopped out of official photographs of him meeting other world leaders, I wasn’t surprised. Glasses make people look more intelligent, don’t they? Like you read a lot, like you’ve burned the midnight oil in the library, or stared at a computer screen all your […]
Thu, Feb 13 2014

Deaf News: Phonak release Bond-style wireless listening pen
The Limping Chicken A futuristic new wireless device, which looks like a gadget worthy of James Bond, has been launched by Phonak (one of the supporters of this site) aimed at giving deaf people another way of listening in noisy environments. The new ‘Roger’ pen will initially be available to children. Compatible with virtually every hearing aid and […]
Wed, Feb 12 2014

Watch: Matt Dixon appearing on ITV local news to talk about...
The Limping Chicken Matt Dixon, the son of a deaf man who was forced to tell his own father that his cancer would kill him, has appeared on ITV’s Calendar local evening news programme appealing for better access to healthcare for deaf people. Since we first published Matt’s tragic and heartbreaking story last year, Healthwatch has investigated how deaf people […]
Wed, Feb 12 2014

Subtitle Fail: Manchester United star “Janet jazz jazz...
The Limping Chicken To be fair, just saying Adnan Januzaj is pretty difficult, let alone getting a voice recognition system to pick it up accurately. But this one’s priceless…         Via @MrChrisNeilson on Twitter  
Tue, Feb 11 2014

Watch: A Western Ted Evans made on a Sunday afternoon about...
The Limping Chicken It is a dream of mine to make a Western one day. I used to love watching them on TV as a kid, even without subtitles because the way they were filmed and the simplistic story lines that they had were often easy to follow.  I’m naturally also interested in deaf history; I find it […]
Tue, Feb 11 2014

Nick Sturley: 10 things people with Usher syndrome like...
The Limping Chicken It’s not that we really like having Usher. In fact, we really hate it because it doesn’t make our lives easy and we have to cope with it on a daily basis. But we always have to be positive. There’s no point in sitting in a corner and be miserable about it. We have to […]
Mon, Feb 10 2014

“I believe the Deaf person is an expert in their own...
The Limping Chicken Tell us about yourself, how did you become a social worker? I am currently working as a social worker for profound Deaf sign language users, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, Social Services, where I’ve worked since 2007. I initially trained as a Rehabilitation Officer for Vision Impairment, working with people who are […]
Fri, Feb 07 2014

Deaf Lobby Day: Hundreds of Deaf people set to ask their...
The Limping Chicken Hundreds of deaf people are set to descend on Westminster on March 17th to lobby MPs and bring their campaign for better rights into the corridors of power. Deaf Lobby Day is being held in Parliament’s historic  Westminster Hall. Up to 500 deaf people can attend in what could be the biggest ever mass gathering […]
Fri, Feb 07 2014

Laura’s pregnancy diary: Learning to sign with my baby
The Limping Chicken Laura Hignett is deaf and pregnant. For the next few months, Laura will be sharing her diary entries and her experiences with us as she prepares for the birth of her first child . This week, Laura talks about booking ante-natal appointments.  13 Weeks to go This past week I have been thinking it would […]
Thu, Feb 06 2014

World Deaf News: Survey launched in Kampala to help tackle...
The Limping Chicken A six month survey has been launched in Kampala, Uganda, to study the HIV/AIDS status among local deaf people. The Crane Survey is a joint effort between various health ministries. The aim is to collect data which can be used to improve communication, counselling and treatment for the deaf people of Kampala.  The survey is […]
Thu, Feb 06 2014

Toby Dawson: Why Scotland becoming independent would be an...
The Limping Chicken I am a supporter of Scotland becoming independent for many reasons. Here, I will write about what I believe are the major plus points. I will also outline briefly why I think that Scotland becoming independent is one of the best opportunities that the Scottish Deaf Community is ever going to have. Looking enviously at […]
Wed, Feb 05 2014

Wow! 15 amazing and inspirational deaf sports people
The Limping Chicken On Sunday, Derrick Coleman became the first deaf American Footballer to win the SuperBowl. Let’s take a look at him and some other well known (and some not so well known) deaf sports people who, in one way or another, inspire us just like Coleman does. 1. Ben Cohen - English Rugby Union World-Cup winner  Girls […]
Tue, Feb 04 2014

Deaf sports news: Derrick Coleman becomes first deaf Super...
The Limping Chicken
Mon, Feb 03 2014

Teresa Garratty: My 10 New Year’s resolutions… in...
The Limping Chicken It’s February, which means that a lot of people who tried to follow their new year’s resolutions in January have probably given up by now. So my trick is to start my resolutions in February, to give me a better chance of continuing them! Personally, I’ve been racking my brain to come up with some ideas […]
Mon, Feb 03 2014

Happy Chinese New #subtitlefail
The Limping Chicken  
Sat, Feb 01 2014

Sarah Playforth: What makes the best holiday for a deaf...
The Limping Chicken What makes the best holiday for a deaf woman who needs a rest? Definitely my Turkish gulet trip with sailing, walking and swimming and easy communication! During my 60th year, I decided I would treat myself to three different trips away. What to do? Barcelona for a long weekend with my daughters? Lovely company and conversation, […]
Fri, Jan 31 2014

Phoebe Tay: The lessons I learnt from Ceilidh...
The Limping Chicken It all started with an e-mail in 2009. Ceilidh had finished high school. She was working as a teacher aide with Deaf kids in her primary school in Bundaberg. Ceilidh had taken a keen interest in visiting Uganda after a friend of hers came back from a trip there. After doing some research on Deaf […]
Fri, Jan 31 2014

John Smith: Why Deaf clubs matter (and what they give you...
The Limping Chicken Here is a video blog from Deaf comedian and actor John Smith, in BSL, with a  transcript in English below. Transcript: Years ago, lots of Deaf people went to the Deaf club. There, they did sports, football, darts, different activities. Then ‘Deaf Pub’ meet-ups started. That was fine. It was lovely for people to meet and […]
Thu, Jan 30 2014

Richard Turner: My discovery of access and human rights
The Limping Chicken I never really thought about human rights issues or equality before I lost my hearing. I didn’t think these issues affected me personally. My life then revolved around making money, watching football, going to the pub and socialising with my friends and family. But then I lost most of my hearing and my whole life […]
Wed, Jan 29 2014