TV personality John Barrowman has experienced deafness for the day as part of a filmed experiment so that he could understand some of the difficulties that deaf people face.
He was then partnered with a hearing dog to see first-hand the difference these dogs make to deaf peoples’ lives.
Watch the (subtitled) video of his experience below:
Gel moulds were inserted into John’s ears which left him with a 60% hearing loss. He then attempted to go about his daily routine, but found the experience significantly tougher than expected. He said:
“I didn’t realise how challenging deafness would be. I was extremely anxious when walking down the street and crossing the road, as I couldn’t hear busy traffic or the sounds of footsteps walking behind me. It was so tiring trying to concentrate on what people were saying. I became increasingly withdrawn and frustrated, and I was isolated from conversations around me. I felt invisible.”
John was then given a hearing dog called Robyn for the afternoon, who helped him out by alerting him to the sounds and danger signals that he could no longer hear such as the fire alarm, telephone and doorbell.
He said:
“With Robyn by my side, I didn’t feel invisible anymore as people were able to see from her jacket that I was deaf. I was also less reliant on others to do things for me. Having a hearing dog gave me back my independence, made me feel safe when out in public, and best of all, this clever dog provided me with wonderful companionship to alleviate the loneliness I had felt.”
To read John’s blog about his experience, go to: http://blog.hearingdogs.org.uk/2014/07/john-barrowman-deaf-for-the-day-experience/
Enjoying our eggs? Support The Limping Chicken:
The Limping Chicken is the world's most popular Deaf blog, and is edited by Deaf journalist, screenwriter and director Charlie Swinbourne.
Our posts represent the opinions of blog authors, they do not represent the site's views or those of the site's editor. Posting a blog does not imply agreement with a blog's content. Read our disclaimer here and read our privacy policy here.
Find out how to write for us by clicking here, and how to follow us by clicking here.
The site exists thanks to our supporters. Check them out below:
- BSL Zone: TV programmes in BSL for the Deaf community
- Deaf Umbrella: what support is available for deaf students?
- Bellman & Symfon: home alerting solutions, including the mobile phone transceiver!
- SignVideo: Instant BSL video interpreting online
- SignHealth: check out the BSL health library
- 999 BSL: call 999 in an emergency, in BSL
- Appa: Looking for RSLIs, TSLIs and CSWs, apply here!
- Signly: Adding BSL to websites
- Signworld: Learn BSL online!
- DCAL: world-class research into deafness, cognition and language
- Action Deafness: “A Deaf-Led Charity” – interpreting & community support services
- Sign Solutions: Instant access to Interpreters, training and BSL translation nationwide
- InterpretersLive: On demand BSL video interpretation
- Lipspeaker UK: specialist lipspeaking support
- BID: Deaf services, including advice and support, interpreting, employment and letters
- Performance Interpreting: BSL interpreting at concerts
- National Deaf Children's Society: The leading charity for deaf children
Cathy Alexander
July 8, 2014
Bless, John Barrowman! It’s not often people try out being “deaf” so its a great credit to John for doing so. Maybe more hearing people should try it so that there is a lot more understanding out there of deafness and how it affects ones life. It is common knowledge among the deaf community that mental illness is much higher in the deaf than in hearing people. John’s isolation and feeling lonely epitomizes this and the dog made a resounding difference, even though not all deaf people have such a dog or want one. Those living in particular flats and high rise blocks can not usually have pets so a hearing dog would not be afforded them. We can only hope more hearing people take up this offer of “deafness for the day” and maybe we will not need so much deaf awareness!
Natalya D
July 8, 2014
I can’t tell how I feel about these things. Simulating disabilities is very dodgy politically because it focuses on the pity model of “poor deaf people”. I know celebrities like this get attention, but it just feels icky. I think it is about context, is there more than just a simulation and alleged solution (given a hearing dog won’t be able to help hear other people in noisy environments for example no matter misconceptions to the contrary)…
Practically it is very hard to truly simulate deafness (also hearing %ages mean nothing!). You’d be hard pushed to manage a 50dB “conductive” loss with just blocking the outer ears… I get very tired of hearies saying “I was 90% deaf” from a blocked middle ear when that clearly is not the case. It feeds a misconception between different levels of deafness which I do think differ not only in general but by individual experience.
Would be interested in how other people feel about simulations.
kerry
July 8, 2014
I am so glad he done this,i have to live with poor hearing and a hearing aid is no good to me,its hard
Kevin
July 10, 2014
Hearing aids is only can pick up what you can hear. Honstely you can’t control the sound that you want to listen. You get one mixed noise outside. A hearing ppl can hear every sound and where they coming from. That why deafie have no control over sound with hearing aids and won’t pick everything up.
pennybsl
July 8, 2014
John Barrowman is a favourite of mine – he is honest and glamorous! So I do not mind him trying out being “deaf” for the day as he is forthright about issues.
Would have liked him to try a day without a Hearing Dog for the Deaf, though.
Ideally to raise awareness of deafness and ignorant hearing society, we need 7 celebrities to try being “deaf” for a whole week, raising money for Deaf people at risk and essential Deaf People awareness. Even more so for a month! The only issue is, those celebrities get paid for what they do……….
Michelle
July 8, 2014
It is interesting when you see hearing peoples comments about what they struggled with and you see they are irrelevant stuff really in the grand scheme of things. Hearing traffic and people walking behind you are not (in my opinion) that important. Understanding people and speech is far more relevant but of course hearing people will always compare to what they know and thus miss what we dont miss (those of us who have never had hearing do not miss what they never had). Would have been good for him to have longer, and although this was organised by Hearing Dogs, I do feel that he needed longer without a dog as most deaf people do not have one. That said, a good attempt to spread awareness so kudos to John!