Desmond Masterson: My experience as a Deafblind person – travel, education and employment! (BSL)

I was diagnosed as having Usher Syndrome, in addition to using British Sign Language, during my school years. This created huge challenges that I encountered throughout my life. Unfortunately, the term deafblind prompts the perception – in the negative aspect – towards me having the inability to undertake certain tasks, such as travelling, going to University and securing employment.

Education and Employment:

Before the establishment of the Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) in 1993, during my Further Education period (before 1993) I was often told: “You cannot go to the university, you would be better off starting your job after you leave college.”

I felt I had to put up with such attitudes based on misconception with assumptions. My goal had been to complete my education with the BA(Hons) degree acquiring experience within my university life, I feared I was unable to achieve this goal.

After college, I started my first job working for a High Street bank where I encountered severe ‘glass ceiling’ barriers, as I had often been told: “you cannot do other jobs due to needing the use of phones.” This caused huge frustration with low self-esteem leading to tensions within my working relationships with a number of line managers with the feeling of fears of being stuck at the same job down the bottom end!

That misconception led to opportunities for career progression being stripped off from me. This led to delays, based on the inequality, on my promotions leading to adverse effects in the financial aspect.  I learnt so much about access to university degree programmes through my friends who were themselves university students and graduates, so I resigned from my employment after 13 years of service.

The DSA funding enabled the correct support to be in place, such as BSL interpreters and Notetakers for my lectures and 1 to 1 tutorials and Language Tutorials for proofreading and correcting my English on these assignments. This led to a breakthrough from having encountered barriers moving on from my first employment and now being able to start my degree programme.

This was the happiest moment through my university life with the feeling of being liberated from the oppressive journey due to huge opportunities given for me to achieve goals. I graduated with BA(Hons) degree 2:1 in 2006. The round-the-world travels followed by visiting Australia, New Zealand and Australia whereas I took part in a sponsored skydive from 10,000 feet and Sydney Harbour Bridge climb raising funds for SignHealth.

The Access to Work funding for workplace adjustments included receiving support from BSL interpreters and Notetakers during my employment. I have worked in various roles including as; Social Policy Officer, Money Adviser and Legal Caseworker with the Royal Association for Deaf People.

This varied employment enabled me to progress well on the career ladder. This effectively removed the ‘glass ceiling’ including the negative perception people had around me and work. In my Social Policy Officer role, I led the completion of an EHRC-funded research paper: “Disability Discrimination Act 1995: why do barriers still exist for D/deaf people?” in 2009. The research paper is still available for access within the public domain.

The skills and experience I acquired from my previous employment with the Royal Association for Deaf People, without having encountered ‘glass ceiling’ barriers, enabled me to move on with success into my new employment working for the Department for Work and Pension, starting with my role as Work Coach.

There I received an holistic approach towards my workplace adjustment, such as accessible technical software ‘ZoomText’ on my work computer, taxi journeys during the dark and in severe weather conditions and BSL interpreters plus Notetakers – these all enabled me to participate well in my employment.

I became the Trade Union representative supporting members with their personal cases and as the Trade Union Branch Equality Officer, on a collective approach, advocating Trade Union on improvements within policies and practices to ensure there was an inclusive approach for disabled members and representatives.

Tip: To undergo any training courses, please make the education provider aware of your deafblindness and enquire about the Disabled Students’ Allowance. For any employment, please make your employer aware about your deafblindness and the Access to Work (or equivalent) support which will reimburse costs for your workplace adjustments.

Travel:

As an experienced traveller, on one occasion at a flight check-in desk, I was told: “Sorry, you cannot fly alone, you have to be accompanied with someone who can hear and can see, due to the health and safety requirements.”

Inside my mind, I was reacting with: “Oh no, health and safety!?” but I remained calm and replied that I had been flying with different airlines in the past years so I was already familiar with the health and safety requirements. The check-in agent conferred with the airline and after a while, they apologised and offered me Special Assistance. “Phew!” at the end I reached the plane with no issues.

Tip: Make sure you include a Special Assistance request during the process of booking flight journeys. Airlines needs to be notified at least 48 hours notice before time of departure. At the airport, proceed straight to the Special Assistance desk where you will receiving assistance straight away prior to check-in and you will be able to going through a fast-track security process.

If you wish to spend time in the Duty Free shopping and / or have something to eat and drink, please make the Special Assistance desk clearly aware of this, otherwise you’ll end up sitting within the Special Assistance area for much longer.

At hotel accommodations I have encountered access-related issues at buffet-style meals. Instead of relying upon companions who I was with for holidays, and despite my determination to get through, I felt stressed about potentially causing injuries to fellow guests, So I requested table service which was provided.

My access to the food at the buffet counter was affected by other guests walking around while carrying plates of food and often in poor-lit areas. This would otherwise cause health and safety hazards, such as hot food spilling off plates and potentially causing injuries, such as burns.

Tip: Complete the ‘Special Request’ note for table service and request that your table is within a well-lit condition – you can request this during the booking process when arranging your stay at these hotels, or informing hotel after the booking is completed.

I’d like to end this with humorous story – the airports ‘Special Assistance’ team once brought a wheelchair out for me. My mind was asking: “oh, why a wheelchair?” and having learnt experience from other deafblind people, the Special Assistance team at these airports always considered by default of a link between the need to have a wheelchair and having disability, hence the wheelchair had been the default option.

I was initially not so impressed but my instinct was telling me to have a good start to my holiday trip, without stress, so I took this with a laughing smile and sat in a wheelchair with the feeling of having privilege going through the fast-track process all the way to the gate – my profile photo is my selfie in a wheelchair at the airport! 

Desmond Masterson is from London and currently works in Civil Service. He is currently the Trade Union Branch Equality Officer in Public and Commercial Service (PCS). He is a member of the English Deaf Chess Association and London Deaf Chess Club. His hobbies include playing chess, travelling, horse riding, politics and current affairs.