Miss-Delectable
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Innovators stunned at receiving awards - Northampton Chronicle and Echo
A WOMAN who has helped deaf film fans across the country to enjoy cinema has been awarded the MBE.
Rose-Ann O’Malley, a former teacher of deaf children of St Leonard’s Road, Far Cotton, who herself has hearing difficulties, was awarded the MBE in the New Year Honours for services to deaf people.
Mrs O’Malley set up the Talking With Hands group, which is based in Far Cotton, in 2000 and now provides a signing service at cinemas across the UK.
She said: “I’m still stunned to tell you the truth.
“I’m really shocked and delighted and very grateful. I keep thinking that someone else should have it apart from me.”
Mrs O’Malley started Talking With Hands, a registered charity, because friends and members of her family were either deaf or profoundly deaf.
Among the other awards she has received is one from the Beacon Fellowship in November.
Mrs O’Malley said: “I don’t think of the MBE as mine but as another award for Talking With Hands.”
“I’m really keen to make films and the film industry accessible to deaf people.
“I really hope me having an MBE will make the film industry sit up and take notice of its wider audience as cinemas are doing now and allow deaf people to get themselves into the industry.”
A WOMAN who has helped deaf film fans across the country to enjoy cinema has been awarded the MBE.
Rose-Ann O’Malley, a former teacher of deaf children of St Leonard’s Road, Far Cotton, who herself has hearing difficulties, was awarded the MBE in the New Year Honours for services to deaf people.
Mrs O’Malley set up the Talking With Hands group, which is based in Far Cotton, in 2000 and now provides a signing service at cinemas across the UK.
She said: “I’m still stunned to tell you the truth.
“I’m really shocked and delighted and very grateful. I keep thinking that someone else should have it apart from me.”
Mrs O’Malley started Talking With Hands, a registered charity, because friends and members of her family were either deaf or profoundly deaf.
Among the other awards she has received is one from the Beacon Fellowship in November.
Mrs O’Malley said: “I don’t think of the MBE as mine but as another award for Talking With Hands.”
“I’m really keen to make films and the film industry accessible to deaf people.
“I really hope me having an MBE will make the film industry sit up and take notice of its wider audience as cinemas are doing now and allow deaf people to get themselves into the industry.”