When there are no interpreters available for your appointment.

When you walk into a pole whilst signing to your friend, and they don’t warn you.

When you try to lipread someone with a massive moustache.

When an organisation/agency hires someone who is not qualified and certified to interpret for a media briefing.

When Uber lets you know if your driver is Deaf or HoH, but you are unable to let your driver know you’re Deaf/HoH unless they call you and you have to reply through their app.

When you are playing an adventure game on PS4/XBox/etc, and you get a fright when an animal or villain jumps out at you just because you couldn’t hear it coming.

When someone asks you for the sign for something, then you see them using the sign in the wrong context because you taught them the wrong sign.

When someone asks you to answer the phone, and you’re deaf…

When you’re waiting to pick up your order at McDonald’s but the order call screen isn’t working, so you resort to lipreading all staff members to catch your order number.

When you need to get to the front of the crowd so you can see the sign language interpreter at a public event.

When you learn you actually think really differently to hearing people.

When you get excited about a foreign movie having English subtitles, only to find out it’s only for the non-English speaking parts.

When you get off the plane after a long flight, and find an attendant waiting for you with a wheelchair.

When you’ve just gotten a cochlear implant, and you’re asked if you’re able to understand everyone.

When everyone knows the song that comes on, and you’re just like…

When there’s a really cool competition on the radio but you cannot enter because it’s only for people who listen to the radio.





  1. I had such a good laugh at some of the content, for example, getting off a plane , only to find an attendant waiting for you with a wheelchair, and when everyone knows the song except the person etc….. I could relate to the ‘song’ part as I have had personal experiences dealing with hearing people sharing with me their fav songs and I’m not always that familiar with a particular song unless I know it off by heart to be able to memorise it and follow the ‘crowd’ in belting out the song! It can get awkward at times. I am Deaf proud and those personal experiences only serve to help make us more resilient and strong people , managing it with a good sense of humour and patience in slowly educating hearing people on Deafness Awareness. Sherrie, keep up the good advocacy work for the Deaf community!

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