The Limping Chicken

Charlie Swinbourne: The joy of having my ears syringed
The Limping Chicken As usual, I’d waited far too long to get my ears cleaned. About a year ago (yes, a whole year), I went to get some new earmolds made, only to be told by the audiologist that there was too much wax in my ears. So I booked myself in at my local GPs practice for […]
Thu, Mar 05 2015 · 15 hours ago

Diary of a Deaf Filmmaker, Month 9: Post production
The Limping Chicken We’re into the final stages of post production, a time when things start to wind down and you can grab a cheeky five minutes to put your feet up… NOT! We’re all still very much busy bees and probably will be even after the film has it’s première at Deaffest. So what’s happening right now? […]
Wed, Mar 04 2015

Over 1000 people sign open letter to Francis Maude MP...
The Limping Chicken An open letter has been sent to Francis Maude MP signed by over 1000 people asking for the national framework agreement for language services, which is currently being drafted, is scrapped. The letter is signed by a number of MPs, sign language interpreters, and people from a range of deaf and disability organisations. Here is the letter: […]
Tue, Mar 03 2015

Toby Dawson: Deaf people need access to debates including...
The Limping Chicken The UK’s broadcasters have acknowledged the changing political landscape in the UK by including leaders of seven political parties in their upcoming TV debates. I think that it is absolutely imperative that Deaf BSL users are being treated just like their hearing counterparts in terms of information from the seven political parties. It is disappointing to […]
Tue, Mar 03 2015

Deaf News: Bus driver ‘threatened to throw deaf boy off...
The Limping Chicken The Mirror has reported: A dad travelling with his deaf son claims a bus driver threatened to throw them off because the two-year-old was being too noisy. Kyle Johnson, 23, was on his way back from a hospital appointment with son Ethan when the boy got excited and started talking loudly. He says the driver […]
Mon, Mar 02 2015

“Pictures tell a wonderful and sad story.” Meet Deaf...
The Limping Chicken Deaf photographer Davy Priestly has recently made a breakthrough with photographs of transgender people, which has led to an exhibition in Miami. His artist biography states: Photography has always been such a huge part of my life. I’ve always tried to capture the perfect feeling, compassion and drama through a picture. Even before I started taking […]
Mon, Mar 02 2015

Jennifer Stuessy: The 10 most dangerous places for a...
The Limping Chicken Every weekend, we are publishing popular articles from our archive, which you might have missed the first time round! Tell us which articles you think should be reposted by emailingthelimpingchicken@gmail.com I’m notorious for using hearing aids for a LONG time.  My first one lasted NINE years.  Another one lasted TEN. With my track record, you would think […]
Sun, Mar 01 2015

Callum Fox: English. It’s a bastard (when you can’t...
The Limping Chicken Every weekend, we are publishing popular articles from our archive, which you might have missed the first time round! Tell us which articles you think should be reposted by emailingthelimpingchicken@gmail.com It’s happened more times than I can count. I’m in the middle of a sentence. I come across a word that I don’t know how to pronounce. […]
Sat, Feb 28 2015

Deaf News: Deaf student given go-ahead to launch legal...
The Limping Chicken Deaf student Zanna  Messenger-Jones’s legal team has been given the green light to launch legal action against the Government over its failure to consult disabled students on proposed restrictions to Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA). With the support of the National Deaf Children’s Society (NDCS), Zanna, from Ireleth, Cumbria can now proceed with a judicial r...
Fri, Feb 27 2015

Deaf News: Thieves act deaf to steal iPhones from Essex...
The Limping Chicken A video clip on the BSL Zone site shows gangs in Paris who act Deaf to con money from tourists. Now it seems the trend of acting deaf in order to commit a crime has spread to the UK too. The Braintree and Witham times (who’ve unfortunately used the term ‘deaf and mute’ in their article) […]
Fri, Feb 27 2015

Samuel Dore: The Frustrations of being a Deaf Cinephile,...
The Limping Chicken In my last article of The Frustrations of being a Deaf Cinephile series I wrote; I want to watch any film I want to wherever I want to and whenever I want to. For this article I’m writing about home entertainment, which includes VHS, DVD and Blu-Ray. So the quote should resonate nicely, especially when […]
Fri, Feb 27 2015

The Question: Can relationships between deaf and hearing...
The Limping Chicken I grew up in a Deaf family, and since I was young, I’ve met deaf people who are in relationships with other deaf people, and deaf people who are in relationships with hearing people. I’ve seen relationships that work, and don’t work, that stayed together, and sadly (or not so sadly in some cases) broke up. […]
Thu, Feb 26 2015

Deaf News: Deaf man jailed for 9 years for £800,000 Access...
The Limping Chicken Extract from the Mail Online website: The profoundly deaf ringleader of an £800,000 disability allowance scam has been jailed for nine years after spending the cash on diamonds and foreign holidays. Shahab Reza, 52, set up a network of fake companies around the world while receiving benefits and persuaded his wife Shehnaz, daughter and son […]
Wed, Feb 25 2015

Susan Eagling: Why do companies ask Deaf people to speak on...
The Limping Chicken My husband and I recently decided to buy travel insurance with the bank. When it came to medical questions, the person from the travel insurance company linked to the bank asked if I could speak on the phone. So l told the banker who was dealing with our money that it was not possible as l […]
Wed, Feb 25 2015

Zoe Harrison: Developing my ‘listening eyes’ as a deaf...
The Limping Chicken My first counselling experience was enough to make me cringe, due to the lack of understanding about why I needed to see one. I was told to talk about whatever was bothering me, so I must admit at the time I thought counselling was something that would take over my problem and deal with my […]
Tue, Feb 24 2015

Deaf News: Deaf people to quiz disability minister at first...
The Limping Chicken Deafness and Hearing Loss Charity Action on Hearing Loss are hosting the first ever fully accessible debate between representatives of the three main UK political parties with full BSL translation, live captions and lip speakers. Members of the Deaf community and people with hearing loss are being invited to the 2 March event, where they […]
Mon, Feb 23 2015

Deaf News: Deaf woman’s complaint against GP who...
The Limping Chicken A Deaf woman who uses BSL has had her complaint against her GP upheld by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman. The woman, who is from Northern Europe and is a BSL user, was provided with an interpreter until 2011, when the funding for the interpreter was suddenly withdrawn. The woman was told that instead, she would […]
Mon, Feb 23 2015

Manchester to hold its first Deaf Rave tomorrow night
The Limping Chicken Manchester will host its first Dave Rave tomorrow night. The Deaf Rave will be the first of its kind in the city and will take place on the 24th February at Odd bar in the Northern Quarter. Young people from Manchester Deaf Centre have been busy planning it for other deaf young people. The young […]
Mon, Feb 23 2015

How to follow the Limping Chicken (and pick up some eggs!)
The Limping Chicken The Limping Chicken publishes new articles every weekday. To make sure you don’t miss an article, make sure you are following our posts. You can do this by email, on Facebook or on Twitter! Here’s how: By email The easiest way to make sure you never miss an article is to sign up by email. All […]
Sun, Feb 22 2015

BSL translation: Rebecca Atkinson highlights the irony of...
The Limping Chicken Last week, Rebecca Atkinson wrote about how Deaf people with Usher are treated in the Deaf community. Thanks to Sarah Reed, we now have a BSL translation of the article. Click play below to watch Rebecca’s article in BSL. There are two clips of the translation, then Sarah’s own views in the third clip.
Sat, Feb 21 2015

The Question: Can Deaf awareness courses really be taught?
The Limping Chicken Every weekend, we are publishing popular articles from our archive, which you might have missed the first time round! Tell us which articles you think should be reposted by emailingthelimpingchicken@gmail.com This week’s question could be seen as being a bit provocative. Am I suggesting that deaf awareness courses have no value, or that the work of deaf […]
Sat, Feb 21 2015

Charlie Swinbourne: Are interpreters like #Signguy, who...
The Limping Chicken Another storm, another sign language interpreter goes viral. In Queensland, Australia, a sign language interpreter has appeared on TV alongside Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk to warn the public how to stay safe during a category 5 cyclone. The TV audience saw his signing and went crazy about it, and now he’s gone viral. His name is Mark Cave, but to Twitter […...
Fri, Feb 20 2015

Deaf News: Degree course for Deaf actors and performers...
The Limping Chicken This just in – the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland has launched a degree for Deaf actors and performers. The press release says: We are now accepting applications for BA Performance in British Sign Language and English. This undergraduate degree is designed for deaf or hard of hearing performers who want to pursue professional drama training […]
Fri, Feb 20 2015

Watch: How a Deaf meet-up at Starbucks changed a Deaf...
The Limping Chicken
Fri, Feb 20 2015

Emily Howlett: 5 differences between hearing people and...
The Limping Chicken So, deafies come in all shapes and sizes. We also come with a wide, wide, range of hearing abilities. However, even those among us who use devices to help restore some hearing (hearing aids, BAHAs, Cis, e.t.c) are still fundamentally deaf. And still fundamentally different to those profoundly hearing folk. Don’t believe me? With my […]
Fri, Feb 20 2015

Charlie Swinbourne: Sky need to smarten up about offering...
The Limping Chicken When I transferred our TV services from Virgin to Sky last year, one thing that really helped me do so was being able to negotiate our package by using Live Chat to talk to an adviser. For me, that’s a big help, because it means I don’t have to use the phone, and I feel […]
Thu, Feb 19 2015

“Do you like being called ‘brave'”? Rebecca Atkinson...
The Limping Chicken Do you like being called brave? Brave for facing the world ‘in spite’ of your deafness? Have you ever been called inspirational? Not for a big achievement like finding a vaccination for cancer, but for just getting yourself dressed and out of the door ‘in spite’ of your deafness? Have you ever felt like the […]
Wed, Feb 18 2015

Watch: Joanna Poulton’s documentary showing both sides of...
The Limping Chicken Joanna Poulton studied Scriptwriting at Bournemouth University and graduated in November. After directing/producing short films outside her course, she wanted to try her hand at putting together a short documentary, and Switch On is the result. The film led to her appearing three times on the London Live breakfast show and has now been added […]
Tue, Feb 17 2015

Deaf News: One week left for young Deaf people to apply for...
The Limping Chicken Former Hollyoaks star, Rachel Shenton is calling on all young deaf dancers and musicians to take the very last opportunity to showcase their performance skills via the National Deaf Children’s Society’s competition Raising the Bar. Entrants to the competition (eight to 16-year-olds) have less than a week left, until 22 February 2015, to create and […]
Mon, Feb 16 2015

Laura Hawksworth: Deaf clubs are rich with history and...
The Limping Chicken When I watched John Smith’s article about deaf clubs on Limping Chicken, I was inspired to tell my story from a young person’s point of view. Those days, if you ask a young person if they went to their local deaf clubs, most of them would scoff and say deaf clubs are lame. From my experience, […]
Mon, Feb 16 2015

Emily Howlett: 10 dangerous jobs for deaf people!
The Limping Chicken Every weekend, we are publishing popular articles from our archive, which you might have missed the first time round! Tell us which articles you think should be reposted by emailingthelimpingchicken@gmail.com 1. Coastguard These guys are an amazing bunch of volunteers who can drop everything at the ding of a bell and rush out to sea, saving lives […]
Sun, Feb 15 2015

The Question: Could you spot a deaf person in a crowded...
The Limping Chicken Every weekend, we are publishing popular articles from our archive, which you might have missed the first time round! Tell us which articles you think should be reposted by emailingthelimpingchicken@gmail.com I don’t know what it is about the Victoria line, but when I lived in London, I kept meeting deaf people on it. This would usually happen […]
Sat, Feb 14 2015

“If the need is there, why not support?” Former adviser...
The Limping Chicken The Access to Work scheme, which gives support to deaf and disabled employees at work, has been in crisis, with many recipients losing support they depend on. Recently, a former Access to Work adviser started commenting on a few posts on this site. We struck up a dialogue with him and asked him for an […]
Fri, Feb 13 2015

Deaf News: Deaf brothers chosen for national...
The Limping Chicken Two deaf brothers are taking part in the UK-wide Entrepreneurial Spark programme, launched in Birmingham this month in partnership with the NatWest Bank, as they develop their communication support website, Cseeker.co.uk (who are also a supporter of this site). Guy, 30, and Alex Orlov, 35, are among 80 small businesses and start-ups participating in the city’s […...
Thu, Feb 12 2015

Samuel Dore: How 2009’s horror thriller Orphan smartly...
The Limping Chicken I should mention beforehand Orphan is a film that contains American Sign Language (ASL) dialogue and I’m a British Sign Language (BSL) user so I can’t vouch for the authenticity of the signing. For many years we’ve seen deafness portrayed in cinema in so many ways, some were hit and miss, some were lazy but […]
Thu, Feb 12 2015

Deaf News: Children at Derby’s Royal School for the Deaf...
The Limping Chicken The BBC has reported that the principal of the Royal School for the Deaf in Derby has been suspended after inspectors found that pupils were “put at risk of child sexual exploitation and grooming.” Extract: Pupils at a residential school for the deaf were put at risk of child sexual exploitation and grooming, according to […]
Wed, Feb 11 2015

Diary of a Deaf Filmmaker, Month 8: Shooting my film!
The Limping Chicken It feels like such a long time ago but it was only the beginning of January that we completed the all important shoot. All the months of planning were gone in a flash. But how did it go…? It went pretty darn well actually! My only main concern at the time, was that the interpreters […]
Wed, Feb 11 2015

Read: Jackie Ashley’s Guardian article on the effects of...
The Limping Chicken Jackie Ashley, daughter of the late deaf politician and campaigner Lord Jack Ashley, has written an article for the Guardian today about the long-term effects of how some parts of the NHS are now planning to refuse people hearing aids. Extract: A decent hearing aid is such a small thing. Cochlear implants cost more but can keep […]
Tue, Feb 10 2015

Exclusive: Rebecca-Anne Withey interviews the director of...
The Limping Chicken There is no denying that the Disney film Frozen has taken the world by storm. And its iconic song, Let it Go, has enjoyed tremendous success. With over 265 million views on You Tube and an academy award for best original song, it has been translated into 42 languages. And now, thanks to the Deaf […]
Tue, Feb 10 2015

Jen Dodds: 5 things I’m watching out for in 2015 (BSL)
The Limping Chicken We’re only a month into 2015, but several interesting things have cropped up in the Deaf community already! So, I present you with five things that I’m going to be keeping an eye on this year: To watch this article in BSL, signed by Jen, click play below. Scroll down for the article in English. […]
Mon, Feb 09 2015

The Question: Do you make a hearing aid ‘test’ sound?
The Limping Chicken Every weekend, we are publishing popular articles from our archive, which you might have missed the first time round! Tell us which articles you think should be reposted by emailingthelimpingchicken@gmail.com Way back in the day, when I was in my early teens, I loved drama and I used to appear in school plays. I played the part […]
Sun, Feb 08 2015

10 clips of footballers using ‘sign language’ –...
The Limping Chicken Every weekend, we are publishing popular articles from our archive, which you might have missed the first time round! Tell us which articles you think should be reposted by emailingthelimpingchicken@gmail.com Forms of what could be deemed ‘sign language’ – or at least visual communication – are wide-spread in world football. With the dazzling mix of national...
Sat, Feb 07 2015

The Secret Deafie: I was abused by a Deaf man, but I...
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 I am a Deaf woman, and I was abused by a Deaf man. My child and I now live in a secure refuge, at the other end of […]
Fri, Feb 06 2015

Matthew Johnston: What it’s like to swim with sound...
The Limping Chicken I have always swum in silence. Hearing aids are not waterproof and I have been profoundly deaf since birth. My swims are usually solitary. In the water, conversations with my fellow swimmers are limited to just a few words and without sound to guide me, I need to look up more frequently to monitor my […]
Thu, Feb 05 2015

Deaf News: Deaf student takes legal action against...
The Limping Chicken The National Deaf Children’s Society (NDCS), is backing 17 year old deaf student, Zanna Messenger-Jones from Ireleth, Cumbria, to initiate legal action against the Government over its failure to consult deaf students in proposals to restrict the Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA). Zanna, who is profoundly deaf in her right ear and severely deaf in her […]
Wed, Feb 04 2015

Samuel Dore: The Frustrations of being a Deaf Cinephile
The Limping Chicken I’m a kid of the 70’s and the 80’s when everything was analogue and celluloid. It was the era of the summer blockbuster, and we had films from Steven Spielberg (Indiana Jones), George Lucas (Star Wars), RobertZemeckis (Back to the Future), Ivan Reitman (Ghostbusters) and Joe Dante (Gremlins). This meant as a Deaf child I loved […]
Wed, Feb 04 2015

Deaf News: Health Minister promises working group on how...
The Limping Chicken The Deaf Health Charity SignHealth have welcomed the promise of a working group to look at the way mental health services are provided for Deaf people who use BSL. The commitment came from the Health Minister, Lord Howe, during a debate in the House of Lords on Monday night. “It’s great to see the minister […]
Tue, Feb 03 2015

Brent Macpherson: Why it’s not always easy to cast Deaf...
The Limping Chicken There has been a number of articles in recent months promoting the idea that Deaf characters in films should be played by Deaf actors. I wholeheartedly agree…in theory. Globally, there are undoubtedly talented and inspiring Deaf actors who could do justice to lead roles and play Deaf characters with total authenticity; and one spin-off would […]
Tue, Feb 03 2015

Read: Telegraph interview with Deaf author Louise Stern
The Limping Chicken The Telegraph has published a great interview with Deaf author Louise Stern, which is well worth a read. Stern was previously interviewed by us (read it here) and has a new book out on February 12th. Extract: Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts, a popular summer retreat for the likes of Bill Clinton, Harvey Weinstein, Spike Lee […]
Mon, Feb 02 2015

Deaf News: Deaf people’s access to BSL interpreters in...
The Limping Chicken Deaf people’s access to experienced BSL interpreters in the future has been thrown into question after shock figures from the National Union of British Sign Language interpreters (NUBSLI) were revealed. The results of a survey of 485 interpreters (nearly half of registered NRCPD interpreters) showed 48% of them are thinking about, or already planning, to […]
Mon, Feb 02 2015