“For me, one of the biggest and most long standing assumptions is that if someone has hearing loss, you need to speak louder. Actually, that’s usually not what helps. What helps is speaking clearly and making sure you’re looking at the person. I’ve also found that sometimes people over accentuate words once they know you have hearing loss. I’d much rather someone speak normally but clearly, without looking away or getting distracted.”
“There are also things people wouldn’t necessarily think about. For example, facial hair can make lip reading harder. Accents can take time to adjust to. And lighting is a big one for me. If I can’t see you properly, I can’t hear you properly. I always say, ‘If I can’t see, I can’t hear,’ because for many years my eyes really were my ears.”
“My communication changed massively last year when I received a cochlear implant. Before that, my team all knew that if they came into my office, I needed to be facing them so I wouldn’t be taken by surprise.”
“I couldn’t use the telephone at all, so everything was done over email. That meant my email communication became very strong. Then during COVID, when we switched to Teams, technology really opened things up for me. Closed captions on Teams meant I could properly take part in calls, including group calls. That was huge for me.”
“Since having the cochlear implant, there’s been another adjustment, for me and for others. People are so used to waiting until I’m looking directly at them before speaking, and now I sometimes have to remind myself that I don’t need to rely on lip reading in the same way. It’s been a learning curve on both sides.”
“There are two moments that really stand out for me. One was more challenging, but it became the start of something positive. I was on secondment as an Area Manager, and there was very little Deaf awareness. Videos didn’t have closed captions, and people weren’t aware of my hearing loss, so nothing was put in place to support me.”
“At the time, I didn’t even fully know what I needed until I was experiencing it. But that situation led to important conversations. Mark Allan contacted me directly to apologise, and I was able to explain what better support could look like. That turned into real learning for the business.”
“But the moment that had the biggest impact on me was with my former Area Manager, Josua Crockford. Completely off his own back, he said, ‘I want to level the playing field.’ He turned the sound off on our Teams calls and used closed captions so he could experience what it was like for me. I would never expect anyone to do that, but it said so much about him as a person. That act of allyship still makes me smile when I think about it, because it showed real care and understanding.”
“I strongly believe that the person with the additional need, so in this case, me, has a responsibility to explain what their needs are. I don’t expect people to just know. That said, I’m also very aware that not everyone feels confident speaking up. Some people find that really difficult. I’ve become more vocal because I’m comfortable doing that, but that’s not the case for everyone.”
“Once someone has explained their needs, I do believe the responsibility then sits with the business to meet those needs wherever possible. It’s about being mindful that there may be people in the room, seen or unseen, who need things to be done a bit differently.”
“I’d encourage people to try and truly put themselves in someone else’s shoes. One really simple way to do that is to have a Teams call with the sound turned off and rely only on closed captions. It can be a real eye opener, especially when slides are being shared at the same time. Closed captions are voice activated, so accents or unclear speech can lead to some very odd interpretations. We used to joke because my practice name, Malthouse, once came up as ‘Milk Cow’ in the captions, and it stuck. But moments like that really highlight how much effort it can take to follow and interpret what’s being said. It’s a small thing, but it creates understanding. And understanding is where real inclusion starts.”
“For me, Deaf Awareness Week isn’t just about awareness, it’s about empathy and action. It’s about creating environments where people don’t have to fight to be included. At Bupa Dental Care, belonging is built when we take the time to listen, adapt, and support one another. Sometimes, something as simple as turning captions on can change everything.”
