The Secret Deafie: Is deafness the last uncool thing?

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 editor@limpingchicken.com

Recently my experiences at small DIY gig venues have made me wonder if being deaf aware is a thing for most music fans.

The last time it happened was in conversation with two lovely people I’d just met, in between bands.

When I told one bloke that I couldn’t tell what he was saying when he put his hand over his mouth, he looked startled then smiled and told me he wasn’t going to do anything about it.

I tried to get back to our previously friendly footing by showing him the sign for Deaf Aware, but although he then proudly showed me the signs he knew (not, thankfully, swearing…that would be a whole other rant) the next time he covered his mouth, the same thing happened and I left them to it.

Big deal, his loss, you may be thinking.  But it was a shame that a great craic was spoilt.

Maybe if you’re at a gig, it’s assumed that you have good hearing. In a dark space, with loud music, everyone struggles to hear and earplugs are a must (even for me!).

Maybe I wasn’t clear enough. Maybe he was actually a selfish fool – but surely not!

Because here’s the odd thing-this venue, like many DIY spaces nowadays, is proud to be a ‘safe space’ where there are signs proclaiming no tolerance of racism, sexism, homophobia etc…it’s a wonderful strength of the scene.

The best photo I’ve seen demonstrating this shows a staircase where each riser has a different slogan, such as ‘No transphobia’. Ableism is listed, but maybe the sign saying ‘Be Deaf Aware’ is hidden right up at the top.

The informal motto of places like these is ‘Don’t be a dick’ and I know that the people running them, playing gigs there, and attending events are determined to be open minded and fair… but it seems some people are missing a bit.

So how can we change their mindset? I’ll keep telling people, and maybe you will too.

One day I hope everyone will be modelling Deaf Awareness, and not just as a special treat for me after I’ve banged on about it again-which usually comes after concentration fatigue from trying to follow the conversation and lipread, and sadness and anger at being excluded.”

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 editor@limpingchicken.com