The Limping Chicken

The Weekend Selection: The balls, boats and books edition
The Limping Chicken Here are the top five new blogposts from the last 7-days based on pageviews. Deaf News: Deaf footballer reaches fifty-goal milestone in mainstream junior football with a hat-trick World’s first deaf solo round-the-world sailor Gerry Hughes to recieve award on ITV1′s Surprise Surprise tonight Donna Williams: “Barriers often come from blissful ignorance.” What I...
Sat, Dec 07 2013 · 5 hours ago

Deaf News: Brits scoop three prestigious Italian film...
The Limping Chicken British Deaf Film making was given a boost this week as three awards went to British talent at the Italian Cinedeaf Film Festival in Rome. Director Ted Evans won best Director in the fiction category for Retreat and Sophie Stone also won Best Interpretation for her leading role in the same film. Camilla Arnold won Best Director in the […]
Fri, Dec 06 2013

Charlie Swinbourne: The day I saw Nelson Mandela making a...
The Limping Chicken When I heard the sad news this morning that Nelson Mandela had passed away, my mind went back to a cold morning in London in February 2005, when I was lucky enough to see him making a speech to kick off the Make Poverty History campaign. It seems incredible to think of now, but that […]
Fri, Dec 06 2013

Deaf News: Inspiring deaf football girl selected for FA...
The Limping Chicken A fourteen-year old girl from Wirral has been selected for the FA’s future stars programme, reports The Wirral Globe. Lauren Hall, who earlier this year won Merseyside’s Young Personality of the year, is the only girl to be chosen for both Cheshire’s player development programme and to play for the Lancashire Centre of Excellence. Lauren […]
Fri, Dec 06 2013

“Discrimination is unacceptable at any level.”...
The Limping Chicken On Friday 22nd November, Dr. Father Cyril Axelrod, the world–famous deafblind priest, was awarded an OBE for services to the deafblind in Hong Kong by Her Majesty, the Queen Elizabeth II, at Windsor Castle. When Father Cyril lost all of his sight due to end stage Usher syndrome over ten years ago, he believed that […]
Fri, Dec 06 2013

“Through my skills, I give people the opportunity to...
The Limping Chicken Richard Carter really was the poet who didn’t know it (as the English rhyming phrase goes). When he was a teenager, Richard would enjoy attending deaf storytelling groups. Anyone who has enjoyed a good story in sign language will know how addictive they can be and what makes it unique. The motion, the expression, the […]
Thu, Dec 05 2013

Watch: Interpreters translating music into sign language...
The Limping Chicken Two stories have got our attention this week, about the same topic, on both sides of the Atlantic. The first is from the BBC about a German sign language interpreter called Laura Schwengber who is passionate about translating songs into German Sign Language. And guess what? The BBC have subtitled the video too (for once). Enjoy […]
Wed, Dec 04 2013

Watch: Padraig Harrington presenting the rules of golf –...
The Limping Chicken They never have a break, those people that work for our supporter, Signworld. Now they’ve gone and interpreted a film presented by twice Open Champion Padraig Harrington – ‘A Quick Guide to the Rules of Golf’ – into BSL. The video can be seen on the website of The R&A, which is based in St […]
Tue, Dec 03 2013

Aged 15 to 30? Fill in Deafax’s sex education and...
The Limping Chicken Are you aged 15 to 30 and deaf or hard of hearing? Deafax is looking for young men and women aged between 15 and 30 to take part in a quick, online, confidential survey on sex education and pregnancy. The survey asks questions about sex education, contraception, sexual health services, pregnancy and childbirth, and gives you the […]
Tue, Dec 03 2013

Richard Turner: I’m focusing on the positives not the...
The Limping Chicken It’s been a while since I last blogged. It’s been a difficult last few weeks, to be honest, and I didn’t feel able to write about it, but I’ve now decided that I want to blog again and tell you what’s been happening to me since then. A couple of weeks ago my hearing dropped […]
Tue, Dec 03 2013

Deaf News: Deaf footballer reaches fifty-goal milestone in...
The Limping Chicken A young deaf footballer from Peterborough has reached the milestone of scoring 50 league and cup goals for his local mainstream football team. William Palmer scored his 50th  goal on Sunday for Hampton Football Club against Wasps in the Peterborough Junior Alliance League and then scored one more to make it a hat-trick for the […]
Mon, Dec 02 2013

Donna Williams: “Barriers often come from blissful...
The Limping Chicken On Saturday 16th November, I had the privilege of being a part of the Human Library. The Human Library  is a project, now a global movement, that seeks to challenge stereotypes and encourage dialogue. The idea is simple; a ‘reader’ can go into the Human Library, browse a catalogue and borrow a ‘book’, the twist […]
Mon, Dec 02 2013

World’s first deaf solo round-the-world sailor Gerry...
The Limping Chicken Gerry Hughes, the first Deaf man to sail solo around the world will appear on ITV1′s Surprise Surprise tonight (Sunday) to receive an honorary award. Gerry, from Scotland, completed his circumnavigation of the  globe in May and returned home to a hero’s welcome as hundreds of well wishers gathered at Troon. Since then, Gerry has […]
Sun, Dec 01 2013

The Weekend Selection: The doing something about it edition
The Limping Chicken Here are the top five new blogposts from the last 7-days based on pageviews. Matt Dixon: Deaf people’s rights are simply being denied and I want to do something about it Stephanie McDermid: After success in my John Lewis subtitling campaign, I’m taking on LOVEFiLM. Join the fight! Deaf News: Seven deaf groups meet at […]
Fri, Nov 29 2013

Deaf News: No jokes about bum notes please – Canadian...
The Limping Chicken A newly designed vibrating, audio-tactile device  chair will be offered to deaf members of the audience at the forthcoming Orchestra London Christmas Concert in Canada. The Emoti-Chair, which was developed in conjunction with Ryerson University’s Inclusive Media and Design Centre, works by picking up sounds with a microphone, running them through an amplifier and...
Fri, Nov 29 2013

Teresa Garratty: “Touched for the 31st time” – my top...
The Limping Chicken When you’re Deaf or hard of hearing, sometimes things that are similar get muddled up, but it’s not the end of the world – in fact, it’s often quite hilarious! For example, when I was a youngster I used to refer to the Pacific Ocean as the “specific” ocean – and that was before I […]
Fri, Nov 29 2013

Deaf News: Ofcom set to approve first improved ‘text...
The Limping Chicken Ofcom today took a significant step towards improving telephone calls for disabled consumers by proposing to approve BT’s enhanced text relay service. Text relay is a vital service as it enables deaf people to communicate with others via the telephone. A relay assistant acts as an intermediary to convert speech to text and vice versa […]
Thu, Nov 28 2013

Vicki Galt: Two years ago, my Deaf son came home from...
The Limping Chicken So, as part of my local deaf children’s society, I applied for and received a grant to start some football skills sessions for deaf kids. My son had been at that club nearly a year and said that he didn’t know anyone, that they didn’t help him get involved and he never got picked for the […]
Thu, Nov 28 2013

Watch: Adele’s ‘Rolling in the Deep’ in American Sign...
The Limping Chicken You wait all year for some music videos in ASL, then two come along at once. A bit like buses! Today’s video is by the talented Deaf American director Jules Dameron, and as well as translating Adele’s hit into ASL what this video does brilliantly is add a great deal of meaning to it. It’s […]
Wed, Nov 27 2013

Stephanie McDermid: After success in my John Lewis...
The Limping Chicken Nothing infuriates me more than access being denied to me – and as a deafened person with mobility problems, I’m infuriated pretty often! Being a media and retail devotee, I couldn’t wait for this year’s Christmas TV advertising campaigns. There had been so much hype surrounding the John Lewis ‘The Bear and Hare’ advert, I […]
Wed, Nov 27 2013

Charlie Swinbourne: ‘Sign Safe’ or ‘free’? The...
The Limping Chicken Two weeks ago, Deaf filmmaker Ted Evans (watch his award-winning film The End here) posted a great article on these pages about whether the ‘Sign Safe’ method of making Deaf films, which involves making sure the signs fit within the frame of filming, might be holding Deaf filmmakers back. Within his piece, he featured a […]
Wed, Nov 27 2013

Deaf News: Deaf man walks free from court after extended...
The Limping Chicken Scottish newspaper The Courier reported yesterday how a deaf man who uses sign language had his court hearing postponed and then deserted as no sign language interpreter could be found. Peter Drinnan was accused of sending abusive text messages and vandalism charges but as a result of not having access to an interpreter, spent 52 hours […]
Tue, Nov 26 2013

Watch: “You brought the sunshine” music video in...
The Limping Chicken Well, this is one of the coolest signed music videos I’ve ever seen, courtesy of America’s Deaf Performing Arts Network. It’s got a great 80s vibe and some creative subtitles too. Enjoy! You can see the video here: [link]
Tue, Nov 26 2013

Matt Dixon: Deaf people’s rights are simply being denied...
The Limping Chicken I am on a quest to become a fully qualified BSL interpreter, I don’t even know why! I have a secure job, I am happy in my work, but for some reason I have an uncontrollable urge to become fully qualified. This year I have enrolled onto the Advance Diploma for BSL interpreting course with […]
Tue, Nov 26 2013

Deaf News: ‘The D7′ meeting at Westminster today
The Limping Chicken Seven deaf organisations and groups representing the deaf community are meeting in London today to plot the next steps for Sir Malcolm Bruce MP’s Communication Support Bill. The Bill didn’t progress beyond its second reading last month because it ran out of time for debate. Today, the leading groups from the deaf world involved in […]
Mon, Nov 25 2013

Chris Kubwimana: “Millions of deaf people do not have...
The Limping Chicken Aurora Deaf Aid Africa is a Deaf-led organisation which has grown from humble roots to work towards improving Deaf education and Deaf people’s social situation in Africa. ADAA is a deaf led charitable organisation based in London and the reason we were formed in 2007 was to make a difference to the Deaf community in […]
Mon, Nov 25 2013

The Weekend Selection: The petition ignition edition
The Limping Chicken Here are the top five new blogposts from the week based on pageviews. Have a browse and tell your friends. Emily Howlett: Everybody’s talking about giving my baby a cochlear implant… Except me. “Deaf people must have access to qualified interpreters,” says Emily Smith, joint sponsor of the Access to Work petition Jen Dodds: I have […]
Sat, Nov 23 2013

Deaf News: Model school in the Philippines launches family...
The Limping Chicken A school in the Philippines is showing the way forward for the education of deaf children. By being in touch with their student’s needs, staff can encourage them to learn through play, as well as structured lessons using a variety of communication techniques. Miriam College’s Southeast Asian Institute for the Deaf (MC-SAID), in Quezon City, […]
Fri, Nov 22 2013

Emily Howlett: Everybody’s talking about giving my baby a...
The Limping Chicken My life as a deaf person has been filled with a lot of noise (pun intended, but still terrible) about cochlear implants. I was born around the same time that the technology was starting to really develop and become, if not common then at least known. The cyborgs had become a reality… Bionic ears! I’m […]
Fri, Nov 22 2013

Deaf News: ***Malcolm Bruce raises Access to Work issues...
The Limping Chicken Sir Malcolm Bruce MP has raised the issue of changes to Access to Work for deaf people with the Minister for Disabled People, Mike Penning MP. We understand that the conversation was brief but specifically about the 38 Degrees petition that was launched last week, has amassed over 3,700 signatories and was addressed to Sir […]
Thu, Nov 21 2013

Jen Dodds: I have no idea who the Access to Work petition...
The Limping Chicken The new stopchanges2atw campaign has really interested me, for two main reasons. Firstly, as someone who has been involved in a lot of activism, I’m always pleased to see people campaigning about things they believe in. Good for them. Secondly, it’s been interesting because it’s shown that the Deaf community is a bit, er, weird. […]
Thu, Nov 21 2013

The Question: Does Boris Johnson think there’s a...
The Limping Chicken In the wake of an increased number of cyclist deaths in London, Mayor Boris Johnson gave an interview on BBC Radio London 94.9 in which he suggested that part of the dangers that cyclists on London’s roads faced was not being able to hear traffic due to the use of headphones for listening to music. […]
Thu, Nov 21 2013

“Deaf people must have access to qualified...
The Limping Chicken An online petition against changes to Access to Work (ATW) has received support from over 3,500 people in just one week. The petition was launched after the DWP (Department for Work and Pensions) began to implement a change in the way interpreters were paid for their work – change that is set to have a […]
Wed, Nov 20 2013

The Guardian publishes obituary for Deaf and disabled...
The Limping Chicken The Guardian has published an obituary for the Deaf and disabled rights campaigner Arthur Verney, and it’s well worth reading in order to understand his achievements and the impact he had through his work with the British Deaf Association, European Union of the Deaf, and Disabled Peoples’ International, among other organisations. Extract: In 1980, Arthur […]
Tue, Nov 19 2013

Deaf News: South Africa introduces sign language into the...
The Limping Chicken South African sign language will be taught to all deaf children in South Africa as their home language for the first time, SABC News reports. Normally, deaf children will be expected to learn English or Afrikaans but in line with the governments aim to recognise sign language as an official national language, deaf children will […]
Tue, Nov 19 2013

Steve Gibson: How teaching Deaf literacy has changed lives...
The Limping Chicken For a number of years, at various colleges across Britain, there were discrete classes in Literacy and Numeracy which Deaf people could attend to learn the vital basic skills necessary to participate in wider society. Often, hearing tutors would take the classes; they would use communication support workers or Level 3 BSL to communicate and […]
Tue, Nov 19 2013

Nick Sturley: How having Usher Syndrome changed my life....
The Limping Chicken Before reading this, make sure you’ve read the first part of Nick’s article by clicking here, and the second part by clicking here. About a year later, I retired from work at a ripe old age of thirty–one. Despite the human and technological resources I had at the BDA through Access to Work, I could no longer […]
Mon, Nov 18 2013

Caroline O’Neill: How we filmed ‘How to Mug a Deaf...
The Limping Chicken How to Mug a Deaf Person was filmed on an overcast September afternoon in a park in West London. The actor Ben Green came up with this film just after he’d written the viral hit ‘Deaf Mugger’ (directed by William Mager) and he felt there was more comedy to be mined from a mugging scenario with […]
Mon, Nov 18 2013

The Weekend Selection: The Holby City Edition
The Limping Chicken Here are the top five new blogposts from the week based on pageviews. Have a browse and tell your friends. Jen Dodds: No, Holby City, children should not be used as interpreters for their deaf parents The Question: Could you spot a deaf person in a crowded room? And is there such a thing as […]
Sat, Nov 16 2013

Deaf News: Deaf association files letter of complaint...
The Limping Chicken Following this week’s episode of Holby City, which showed a Deaf man’s daughter acting as his interpreter while he was seriously ill in hospital, Jenny Hopkins, who is the Chief Executive of Gloucestershire Deaf Association has written a formal letter of complaint to the BBC expressing her “outrage” over the storyline, which she says will do […]
Fri, Nov 15 2013

Elisabeth McDermott: Incloodu – a visual, musical,...
The Limping Chicken I was invited along to the Incloodu Deaf Arts Festival, which was held on Saturday 9th November at RichMix on Bethnal Green Road – and along I went! Having missed an opportunity to go to the French Clin D’Oeil Deaf Arts Festival (I will get there one day), I thought I couldn’t miss this. The […]
Fri, Nov 15 2013

Ted Evans: Is the ‘Sign Safe’ way of making Deaf films...
The Limping Chicken As filmmakers, we all want to improve our films and we want more people to watch them, both hearing and deaf. We want larger audiences so that we can continue to make films. Otherwise we are making films for a very small minority – which is fine so long as that is what the filmmaker […]
Fri, Nov 15 2013

Deaf News: London’s City Hall backtracks, allowing deaf...
The Limping Chicken Extract from the Islington Gazette: In a show of Christmas spirit, City Hall has reversed its decision to block a choir for deaf children from performing at this year’s carol service in Trafalgar Square. The Greater London Authority had been planning to deny Islington based charity the National Deaf Children’s Society (NDCS) from performing at […]
Thu, Nov 14 2013

Melinda Hildebrandt: I watched my daughter embrace the...
The Limping Chicken Nobody ever thinks that you’re going to send your child to a special school. You know, you don’t wake up and think to yourself, I really hope my child gets into a special school. That’s just not how we are is it? I think I’ve changed. – Sara James (‘A Place for Us’, Australian Story, 12 […]
Thu, Nov 14 2013

Jen Dodds: No, Holby City, children should not be used as...
The Limping Chicken As everyone knows, last night’s Holby City (BBC1 – catch it here on BBC iPlayer) featured a deaf man and his daughter, played by See Hear’s Memnos Costi and HIS daughter, Kachina, who both acted brilliantly, especially as it was their first time. However, it seems that the programme was a bit like Marmite – […]
Wed, Nov 13 2013

Deaf News: Scottish Parliament to trial subtitling First...
The Limping Chicken The Edinburgh Reporter told last week how The Scottish Parliament is trialling a new service which will mean subtitles are added to the YouTube videos of First Minister’s Questions within hours. Deaf people who follow politics in Scotland will now be able to access the weekly debate where First Minister Alex Salmond is questioned by […]
Wed, Nov 13 2013

Catherine Drake: Why rude bus drivers go in my Room 101
The Limping Chicken Most of my encounters with bus drivers have been pretty negative. As an extreme example, I once witnessed a bus driver get out of his vehicle to verbally abuse and humiliate a female driver in front of him. When I tried to report him, the only way to do it (there was no social media […]
Wed, Nov 13 2013

Deaf News: Deaf children’s choir pull out of annual...
The Limping Chicken The Evening Standard has reported that the NDCS deaf children’s choir, which signs in Trafalgar Square every Christmas, has pulled out of this year’s carol service after officials insisted that they sign traditional songs with no backing music, and initially banned the use of a public address system. This is a real blow to the […]
Tue, Nov 12 2013

Deaf News: Denmark on the road to official recognition of...
The Limping Chicken Denmark’s deaf people are one step closer to official recognition of Danish Sign Language after legislation was introduced into parliament last week. The legislation will see Danish Sign Language incorporated into the Danish Language Council, a body that researches and protects the language heritage of the nation’s languages. Once sign language is recognised by th...
Tue, Nov 12 2013

Andy Palmer: I want to see a deaf footballer in the Premier...
The Limping Chicken I got involved in deaf football coaching when I noticed that there were no other deaf players in the local football league division that my son played in. No other deaf players on any opposing team all season. That’s not right? I thought. I knew that there were hundreds of deaf children in the area but […]
Tue, Nov 12 2013