Rebecca A Withey: Reflecting on the Insight series of anonymous blogs – one year on! (BSL)

It’s been a year since I first started the Insight series of blogs for The Limping Chicken and so I feel it is the perfect opportunity to reflect on why I created this series and the impact I feel it has had.

As an Assistant Editor for the Limping Chicken (working alongside founder and Editor, Charlie Swinbourne) I often receive blogs from writers all across the globe.

Some blogs I receive are from experienced writers but most are not. Usually I get messages from people who have a story they want to tell but they aren’t sure how to put it in words. My job, therefore, is to assist this person in crafting an article of their very own and to weave their story into a well structured blog.

One issue that arose was how new writers were concerned about revealing their identity and of course their – potentially controversial – views to such a large audience.

For some people, they felt worried about the potential back lash their views may attract, for others they were concerned about the affect their article may have on their employment or those living with them.

My first ever Insight blog was by a lady who worked in a mental health hospital and wanted to share the nature of what she did without revealing who she was or where she worked. She sent me a BSL vlog which I then transcribed into English and hey presto, the anonymous Insight series was born!

I assumed most of our Insight pieces would revolve around interesting or unusual occupations, but as time went on it became apparent that actually – people were more eager to share tales of negative experiences or challenges that they felt otherwise they would not be able to share.

The Insight series has covered a wide range of deaf issues, from life as a CODA, challenges with deaf education, attitudes to interpreters and negative experiences in employment.

I welcome both written blogs and signed vlogs which I then transcribe into English for the site. All writers and vloggers that contact me for the Insight series remain strictly anonymous – not even Charlie Swinbourne gets to know the writers real identities!

Occasionally, a writer may let slip in their article certain clues about their identity such as mentioning a school name and so I will encourage them to change this so that their piece truly is anonymous.

One of the most hard hitting pieces for me to share was a blog from a Mum who’s daughter was being bullied. After reading that the Mum had recently escaped an abusive relationship and was now dealing with the guilt of her daughter being mocked for having a deaf parent, my heart really went out to her.

The writer has since contacted me to say she is in a much better place and that she no longer blames herself for her daughter being bullied. She was glad to see her article being shared so that people can see the harsh realities of what CODA’s (children of deaf adults) can unfortunately experience and how ignorance can still be prevalent in schools.

I find that a lot of the time our anonymous writers experience a sense of relief after sharing their story – it must be quite cathartic to finally express something you feel otherwise restricted to share.

Another favourite of mine is someone I hope will become a regular blogger for the site. She has written two pieces about being a single deaf person in her 40s whilst hitting the dating scene.

She once joked in an email to me that her adventures seem to be the deaf version of “Bridget Jones” and it’s a nickname she has since kept.

Isn’t it interesting to have an Insight into the world of “dating when you’re over 40” from a deaf perspective? I certainly think so.

I firmly believe that the more stories we share about our lives and what it means to be deaf or hard of hearing, the more aware and well-informed society will become. Awareness creates knowledge and knowledge is power!

After I published a blog about a negative experience a freelancer had with an interpreter, I received so many emails about it from interpreters and agencies wanting to offer solutions and suggestions that I even created another blog listing all of their advice.

Without knowing what problems arise in deaf education, we are unable to resolve them. Sharing challenges can be a helpful way to work out what needs to be addressed. Our writers often find many readers commenting that they’ve had a similar experience to them too so they end up no longer feeling so alone.

I am so pleased to receive so many messages from people wanting to share their stories and I am excited to continue to edit these for our readers.

Do you have an insight you would like to share? Get in touch if you do!

To submit a blog for the Insight series or to chat about an idea you can email me on rebecca@rawithey.com