Episode 76 - I've been having such a hard time on working out the definition of "deaf" because of its complexity and the number of labels it has under it:
- deaf
- Deaf
- hard of hearing
- late-deaf/late-deafened/deafened
- deafblind
- Deaf & Disabled/deafdisabled
- hearing impaired

One of the biggest reason for my confusion is because of how it can (and has) caused rifts, segregation and even abuse within the communities, which is not something that I would ever encourage. So I wanted to share my personal thoughts on the definition of "deaf" and what it also means for each labels.

For transcripts and links to relevant sources or even to watch the video version of this podcast, visit this episode page.

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Episode 75 - What is hearing privilege, why it's important for all hearing people to be aware of it and what are some of the examples that exists today?

The word 'privilege' has become somewhat of an uncomfortable word lately. It seems to have a stigma that you have an easy life if you have privileges or it's fiercely denied that it gives you an advantage over others.

But parts of having privileges is about having a head start in your life (be it personal, career, business, etc.) over others who are in marginalised groups. There's no shame in that, but it's important to acknowledge that, appreciate what you have, be grateful for it and then understand how you can help others.

So if you are a hearing person, you most certainly have certain privileges over non-hearing (deaf, hard of hearing, deafblind, deafened, etc.). It's not a bad thing, but it's good to be aware of it. But then again, it is also possible for deaf people to have privileges too, and these are explained in the video and the link below.

For transcripts and links to relevant sources or even to watch the video version of this podcast, visit this episode page.

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Episode 74 -  I have just finished watching an episode 'Casualty', a popular hospital soap drama based in the UK, where it is entirely focused on a deaf character. It also has a deep deaf representation behind-the-scenes to ensure accuracy to portrayed.

The character this episode is based is a deaf nurse called Jade, who is keen to confront her past by meeting her mother for first time. What she didn't know is that her mother's deafness also has an impact on her own, whilst the episode demonstrates the impact being deaf can have on her in and around the hospital.

For transcripts and links to relevant sources or even to watch the video version of this podcast, visit this episode page.

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Episode 73 - I've talked about concentration fatigue and 'Zoom fatigue' in the past. But the topic of 'listening fatigue' is somewhat similar to it. If you are not familiar with it, at the time of recording, I have been going through a form of listening fatigue where I'm tired of listening.

Just to clarify, I don't mean I am tired of listening to people talking to me because of what they are saying. It's more a long the line of I'm tired of the physical action of listening.

Hence why 'listening fatigue' (aka 'hearing fatigue') is a term that is often used by some d/Deaf and hard of hearing people.

For transcripts and links to relevant sources (like concentration/Zoom fatigue and communicating with deaf people), visit this episode page.

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Episode 72 - Why would a deaf person not wear hearing aids if the options are there for them and the technology are available to help them?

As always, it's not always as simple as that but this video will be useful for you to understand that the different things that you should think about when you want to ask that question. It's easy assume that deaf and hard of hearing people should wear hearing aids (perhaps to help hearing people?).

But there are many things that you should consider before thinking along that line.

To watch the video version of this podcast and links to relevant sources, visit the episode page here. 

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Episode 71 - As a way to be innovative and introduce new features, Twitter has decided to rollout a new audio tweet feature to set group of iOS users to allow another way to express your voice if 280 characters are not enough.

But it didn't go according to plan when the d/Deaf and hard of hearing community expressed their frustration about its lack of accessibility, which prompted various individuals within the company to release their own statements.

Long story short, they messed up.

To watch the video version of this podcast and links to relevant sources, visit the episode page here.

What do you think about this episode? Share it with a friend if you found it interesting.

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Episode 70 - Why would a deaf person wear hearing aids (or perhaps cochlear implants)? Surely if we can't hear, then hearing aids are pointless, right?

Not so much.

This is amongst one of the most popular question I see online, and even though the question may seem obvious to some people, it's unfair to assume that everyone will and should know the answer. So in this video, I have listed eight reasons why deaf people wear hearing aids.

To watch the video version of this podcast and links to relevant sources, visit the episode page here.

What do you think about this episode? Share it with a friend if you found it interesting.

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You can also be a patron of Hear Me Out! [CC] to help spread the message of deaf awareness, bridge the gap between the hearing and deaf worlds and receive a perks along the way by being part of my Patreon page.

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Episode 69 - Is there such a thing as a 'deaf privilege'?

The word 'privilege' has some kind of stigma attaches to it. But it doesn't and should't have to be. But even for someone like me, I would say that I have "deaf privilege"; where even though I am deaf/hard of hearing, I still have some privileges linked to it so that I can acknowledge what I have, appreciate what I have and be aware of what I have, despite my deafness.

To watch the video version of this podcast and links to relevant sources, visit the episode page here.

What do you think about this episode? Share it with a friend if you found it interesting.

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You can also be a patron of Hear Me Out! [CC] to help spread the message of deaf awareness, bridge the gap between the hearing and deaf worlds and receive a perks along the way by being part of my Patreon page.

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Episode 68 - The TV and film industries rarely display deaf characters.

Which is why it's quite exciting to see that a popular soap programme in the UK, Eastenders, on the BBC has dedicated an entire episode from the perspective of a character who has lost his hearing.

And with the help of the right people in the background, they have managed to pull-off a very good episode that perfectly demonstrates the challenges and barriers that most, if not all, d/Deaf and hard of hearing people face.

To watch the video version of this podcast and links to relevant sources, visit the episode page here.

What do you think about this episode? Share it with a friend if you found it interesting.

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Episode 67 - How come I can speak clearly as a deaf person? How come I can't speak clearly (if you don't know that I'm deaf/hard of hearing)?

I still get surprised on how I get asked both of these questions that are related to each other but completely contrasting at the same time by different people.

Most people assume that deaf people can't speak (yes we can). If we do, we "speak well for a deaf person (yeah, don't say that) or you don't speak very well (yeah, don't say that either). So I share my own experiences of how come for one group of people, I do speak clearly, and for others, I don't speak clearly.

Just be aware, on this occasion,  I am mainly referring to speaking oral languages which is naturally my main language. People can still speak oral languages AND sign languages (at the end of the day, they are both communication methods but conveyed differently).

To watch the video version of this podcast and links to relevant sources, visit the episode page here.

What do you think about this episode? Share it with a friend if you found it interesting.

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You can also be a patron of Hear Me Out! [CC] to help spread the message of deaf awareness, bridge the gap between the hearing and deaf worlds and receive a perks along the way by being part of my Patreon page.

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