Deaf Life with Ni Gallant: Love Film? Not without subtitles I don't

Last year Ian Noon, NDCS Campaigns Team member, wrote an interesting piece for the Limping Chicken Deaf news website about TV subtitles – the lack of and the occasional hilarity given to deaf viewers by amusing subtitle fails. You have to admit that as a deaf person at some time or another everyone has been frustrated and let down by subtitles, whether it’s the final of The Apprentice or the consistent lack of sensical subtitles on the BBC news or that you've rented a movie and there are no subtitles with the film.

It’s the last example that I partly wanted to write about. Ian’s article was fantastic at drawing attention to the lack and problems with TV subtitles but it was the comments below about companies such as Love Film that really drew my attention.

I've never actually ordered anything from Love Film before, this is mainly because I know all the deaf related problems associated with it, however my boyfriend’s family have on more than one occasion. You see the problem with Love Film and other companies similar is that although some of their online films (not all! Just some… But at least you can tell.) are now subtitled many of the films that they send out in the post for people to rent are subtitled. And from what I've heard it’s nearly impossible to know beforehand what you’re getting. I can’t imagine anything more frustrating than planning a lovely night in, nice meal or lots of popcorn and then sitting down with your partner; your friends etc. to watch a film you've always wanted to see only to discover there are no subtitles whatsoever.

I’m a fairly patient Deafie but I have to say that if that happened to me I’d be contemplating throwing my TV out the window. How unfair!

A lot of people have questioned whether this lack of subtitles and lack of information actually breaks the 2010 Equality Acts legislation surrounding fair access but from what I can work out Love Film and others like them are American companies, and I doubt they’re subject to our Equality laws. Sad really, I’d love to write them a very stroppy letter. 

Love Film are inconsistent with subtitles says Ni

However it’s not just film rental companies such as Love Film who are letting down deaf customers. Has anyone seen the adverts for YouView? Anybody have a box. Pretty much nothing is subtitled. You can play past programmes and films from iPlayer, 4oD etc. all of which are subtitled online but none of which have a subtitle option through YouView. 

According to Action on Hearing Loss there are 9 million deaf or hard of hearing people in the UK. Now that’s a pretty big market to be letting down as far as I’m concerned… That’s bigger than the population of London apparently. Imagine the impact if the whole of London suddenly stopped watching TV! Come of Love Film, the BBC, YouView and everyone else! Where are our subtitles?!

Deaf Life with Ni Gallant: A&E and Me

So, last week I was asked to start writing this column and while I was thinking about what to write, an issue that has probably affected every deaf child, teenager and adult popped into my head.

This week I took a trip to A&E and it struck me once again just how un-deaf aware a number of doctors and nurses are. I mean, of course, you occasionally meet the odd person, like the paramedic I met whose wife was deaf or the nurse who had a profoundly deaf nephew, but by and large medical staff seem to have absolutely no idea what I mean when I say 'I’m deaf.'

It’s not just A&E staff either. I've had the GP who walks around the room while talking to you and even the ENT consultant who talks at you whilst looking in your ears. The story my mum always tells is when I had a chest x-ray and the radiographer asked me to take out my hearing aids and then said 'I’m going into the back room now, but when I shout I need you to breathe in for me.' I’m afraid I just looked at him with confusion.

But for me that’s not even the worst part. As a Deaf teenager, I’m fiercely independent. If I want to communicate with someone, I will, even if it means a long frustrating half hour writing everything down on a piece of paper. So what annoys me more than anything is when medical staff talk to the person next to you as if you’re not there. 'Is she allergic to anything?' or 'What’s her pain threshold?' I thought that going to the hospital with a friend rather than my parents would stop this from happening but it made no difference…

Are deaf people really so difficult to communicate with that it’s just not worth the effort? I know that Deaf Direct in Worcestershire have taken on board the issues that deaf patients are experiencing every time they go to the GP or hospital and have recently been running some deaf awareness training in local hospitals. Hopefully this will make a difference and change the way doctors and nurses treat deaf patients. Maybe this deaf awareness training is something that could be done nationally by agencies such as NDCS or Remark?

In terms of advice on how to deal with these un-deaf aware medical staff, I’m not sure I’m the best person to ask! But when I have it sorted I’ll let you know. For now I guess these are a few pointers that might help:

• Make sure that doctors and nurses know you are deaf, it’s annoying but staff don’t seem to share that kind of information between them.
• If a doctor or nurse doesn't communicate well with you try and give them some handy tips. I know this is hard and feels embarrassing at times but the next deaf person they meet will be so thankful you did it!
• Don’t be afraid to shout up if you haven’t heard. It’s your care and you have the right to understand everything that’s happening to you. Similarly if you want or need an interpreter then make sure you get one, it’s important to understand everything and that will make you feel more confident.

Catch Deaf Life with Ni Gallant again next month on PDDCS News

Check out Ni's own blog
Follow Ni on Twitter

Starting next week on PDDCS News: Deaf Life with Ni Gallant

PDDCS News is pleased to announce the recruitment of our first columnist, Ni Gallant. Ni will be writing every month about her experiences of being a young deaf person in the UK and sharing her journey through university, volunteering and working for NDCS.

Ni is high profile young deaf person and she has her own blog, was on the NDCS youth panel last year and is a current NDCS young facilitator. Ni is currently studying social work while also volunteering with homeless people in her home town of Birmingham.

Ni has also written a number of times for the UK's number one deaf blog, Limping Chicken.

Catch the first of her columns next Saturday and then every second Saturday, only here on PDDCS News!

Check out Ni on Twitter

Tweets by @Ni_Gallant