Sight Cymru Signposting Service by Martin Griffiths
I am deaf-blind – profoundly deaf and partially sighted. This is caused by a syndrome inherited from my father; my son is also affected. It is thought that a rogue gene is responsible; this is currently under investigation. In primary school, I was taught with other deaf children by Teachers of the Deaf in a Partial Hearing Unit (PHU). My first teacher, the late Mr Glyn Rees focussed on speech and reading which worked well for me; I developed good speech and literacy skills. In secondary school, I joined mainstream classes and did well academically with PHU support. My hearing and sight have deteriorated in recent years. I now wear two powerful hearing aids but only have limited hearing ability with them. I rely on text for information and communication is difficult. I am socially better one-to-one than in groups. At work, I require support from Speech-toText-Reporters who produce verbatim text on a screen so I can follow speech. It is an expensive service so I need Access to Work (A2W) funding for this.
Hi. I’m Martin Griffiths, aged 47. I am a Project Manager working for Sight Cymru – see www.sightcymru.org.uk. I am responsible for a Lottery funded project to set up a signposting service to engage visually impaired people with useful services and groups to help them remain as independent as possible. The project encourages the introduction of innovative technology in eye clinics to improve and speed up the referral process. 8
SL First Winter Edition
One of the main disadvantages of being deaf is the lack of identity and belonging. I’m not a BSL user and do not fit easily into
It’s not all bad being deaf-blind. I’ve met many inspirational deaf and blind people who show great courage and determination to overcome barriers and live good lives. Also, I don’t get woken up by faulty car alarms or fireworks in the early hours.
Martin Griffiths