Miss-Delectable
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http://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/..._wants_to_open_her_silent_world_to_others.php
A MUM who lives in a silent world wants to help deaf people in the town.
Lucy Simons could partially hear when she was born but now at 35 she is profoundly deaf.
The mum-of-two, from Goldsborough Close, Eastleaze, is setting up a parent and toddler group for deaf people so they can meet, socialise and support each other.
This week is National Deaf Awareness Week and people across the country are being encouraged to improve understanding of the different types of deafness and the different methods of communication used by deaf people.
Lucy is married to Jon, 36, who is a computer technician at Nationwide and they have two sons, Luke, four, and Callum, 17 months.
Before having children, Mrs Simons worked as a customer service manager in the Isa department for Nationwide.
"I use signing when I am with my deaf friends and mostly lip-read with my family," she said.
"At times it is difficult with the children.
"I try to talk and sign to the boys and in return they sometimes sign to me.
"Because they know from an early age that I can't hear they learn to adapt to my deafness and how to communicate with me and get my attention.
"Being deaf can be very frustrating at times especially when people don't realise that you are deaf you can't see the deafness and try to talk to you from behind.
"Usually there is a lack of deaf awareness and as a result people don't know how to communicate to you. If I have difficulties understanding someone and suggest writing it down on a piece of paper, the person would decide it's not important and not bother writing on paper. In some worse cases, they just walk away.
"I am aware it is embarrassing for people if they don't understand me but they often forget it is also embarrassing for us that we don't understand them too.
"At home I have a pager which vibrates when someone is at the door, when a child is crying, when the smoke alarm goes off and when the phone rings."
Mrs Simons wants a regular group so people know where to go for advice.
"People will definitely benefit from having extra support, particularly for hearing parents with deaf children, who may have no experience of meeting deaf people," she said.
"I think many people don't know how to go about finding the help they need, or even know what kind of support they need. The group should be able to help parents in this situation to move forward."
The group is named Dalmatians after the breed of dog whose the puppies are deaf when they are born.
"We are aiming it at deaf parents with hearing children or hearing parents with deaf children so that parents in this situation can feel that they are not alone," said Mrs Simons.
The group will meet the first and third Thursday of every month from 9.30am to 11.30am at St Mark's Church, Church Place, Railway Village. The first meeting is this Thursday.
A MUM who lives in a silent world wants to help deaf people in the town.
Lucy Simons could partially hear when she was born but now at 35 she is profoundly deaf.
The mum-of-two, from Goldsborough Close, Eastleaze, is setting up a parent and toddler group for deaf people so they can meet, socialise and support each other.
This week is National Deaf Awareness Week and people across the country are being encouraged to improve understanding of the different types of deafness and the different methods of communication used by deaf people.
Lucy is married to Jon, 36, who is a computer technician at Nationwide and they have two sons, Luke, four, and Callum, 17 months.
Before having children, Mrs Simons worked as a customer service manager in the Isa department for Nationwide.
"I use signing when I am with my deaf friends and mostly lip-read with my family," she said.
"At times it is difficult with the children.
"I try to talk and sign to the boys and in return they sometimes sign to me.
"Because they know from an early age that I can't hear they learn to adapt to my deafness and how to communicate with me and get my attention.
"Being deaf can be very frustrating at times especially when people don't realise that you are deaf you can't see the deafness and try to talk to you from behind.
"Usually there is a lack of deaf awareness and as a result people don't know how to communicate to you. If I have difficulties understanding someone and suggest writing it down on a piece of paper, the person would decide it's not important and not bother writing on paper. In some worse cases, they just walk away.
"I am aware it is embarrassing for people if they don't understand me but they often forget it is also embarrassing for us that we don't understand them too.
"At home I have a pager which vibrates when someone is at the door, when a child is crying, when the smoke alarm goes off and when the phone rings."
Mrs Simons wants a regular group so people know where to go for advice.
"People will definitely benefit from having extra support, particularly for hearing parents with deaf children, who may have no experience of meeting deaf people," she said.
"I think many people don't know how to go about finding the help they need, or even know what kind of support they need. The group should be able to help parents in this situation to move forward."
The group is named Dalmatians after the breed of dog whose the puppies are deaf when they are born.
"We are aiming it at deaf parents with hearing children or hearing parents with deaf children so that parents in this situation can feel that they are not alone," said Mrs Simons.
The group will meet the first and third Thursday of every month from 9.30am to 11.30am at St Mark's Church, Church Place, Railway Village. The first meeting is this Thursday.