Deaf woman allegedly accused of ‘sounding drunk’ after she ‘spoke too loudly’ in pub

A Deaf woman who tried to order a drink at a Wetherspoon pub after her mother’s funeral was accused of being “drunk” because she “spoke too loudly” – her husband has alleged.

Sally Arathoon, who has Ménière’s Disease, attempted to order a second drink in The Wheatsheaf in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire on Wednesday.

She also requested a coffee for her husband Scott, who claims the female staff member “refused” to serve her as she was “drunk” and “slurring” her words.

He said: “She had gone to the bar and she looked at me and looked mortified and her hands were shaking.

“When I went over, there was another girl there who said, ‘You’re drunk, you’re slurring.’

“My wife said, ‘I can’t hear you, I am deaf’.”

Scott also alleged the employee said they saw Sally “arguing with someone” – a claim he denies – and that his wife “sounded drunk”.

At one point Sally, who has lost 55% of her hearing, is reported to have taken out her hearing aids in order to explain to the individual that she is Deaf.

Scott added: “The damage and humiliation has already been done. Having to remove hearing aids to show her she was deaf in front of other people has left my wife embarrassed, humiliated and upset and not wanting to leave the house again today.”

Wetherspoon spokesman Eddie Gershon told MailOnline they are “investigating the incident” and so “cannot comment further at this stage”.

“We will be happy to speak with the people concerned once we have fully investigated the incident,” he said.

By Liam O’Dell. Liam is an award-winning Deaf freelance journalist and campaigner from Bedfordshire. He can be found talking about disability, theatre, politics and more on Twitter and on his website.