We’ve just had Christmas and today it’s New Year’s Eve. Like most people we’ve had parties and dinners. For about 20 years I blundered through these things, using the ‘hope I’m smiling right’ smile so I didn’t look too stupid or hopefully to indicate I was understanding and being part of the group.

One issue which comes up so often for the Deaf and hard of hearing is getting a job.

Being deaf or hard of hearing (or for that matter having any kind of disability) usually means you are way behind in the job stakes.

A new job is always a challenge, for anyone – hearing, hard of hearing or deaf. Recently I won another part-time position and as someone with Cochlear implant I always feel that I am on trial in a way I never used to feel when I was fully hearing.

Do deaf people have a disability? Are there degrees of disablity? How do I feel about my deafness? Are deaf people disabled?

We have to sell ourselves and being in the best position to do so can be difficult especially these days when first interviews may be conducted by phone. I don't have any answers. Here's my recent experience.

When you have lost your hearing focussing on what you can do and not what you can't may be the answer to accepting the limitations with technology.

Being deaf at work is pretty hard. Being deaf when you have to attend meetings means it is extremely difficult to follow and know what is going on. So how can you helf yourself to follow better.

Hearing loss is often synonymous with loss of self-esteem because we lose our place in the world. We are already suffering from our hearing loss making our lives hard so it is important to manage our self-esteem to ensure we don’t slip into depression.

Most adults who go deaf feel incredibly alone They have no idea there is even a deaf community, or that there are hearing loss support groups and organisations. In fact, I would venture to say that most people don’t even know to ask the question…where do I get help and support?