This is large!

Can I be honest about something?

Being deaf and trying to deal with hospitals is really, really difficult.

Everything is "ring this number". X-ray, bookings, results — all phone.

If you can't use a phone, you are left hunting for an email that often doesn't exist, or having to ask friends and family to call for you for something very personal and besides, often they are told "we can't speak to you." 

It's not just inconvenient, it's undignified and it adds so much anxiety to an already stressful time.

We need better.

Every department should have an email or text contact as standard.

Access matters.

I'll just say this {through gritted teeth}

If there's one wish I'd be happy to rub the Genie for {what's that? You rub the genies lamp? Ohhh, that's where I've been going wrong!} , start again... If there's one wish I'd happily rub the little persons lamp for it's for all the broadcasters, namely SKY Movies/News/Other,  CATCH UP TV, QUEST, Al JAZEERA, MOVIES FOR MEN, amongst others and THE FILM COMPANIES, to go deaf for a couple weeks. LET'S SEE HOW YOU LIKE HAVING TO WATCH SOMETHING YOU'VE NO IDEA WHAT IS BEING SAID. Yes, I'm doing some shouting because I'm totally sick of being discriminated against.

In this day and age there is no good reason why all programmes cannot be subtitled. I don't get any help with understanding the television I pay a hefty sum in licences for. I don't get any discount for not being able to hear. I don't want a discount, I want to know and understand what's being said!! For heaven's sake it's not asking much.

This past few days I've been house sitting in a home with SKY TV and was looking forward to watching some good programmes and films. I've been disappointed to discover very few films on SKY Movies are subtitled, and on the whole it's been the usual Freview programmes I've watched.

Since becoming largely bed/sofa bound I've been watching more TV than I've ever done in my life and can't help but notice that instead of an increase in subtitled programmes there's a decrease. That's really shocking in this techno world.

So come on Genie, let me give you/your lamp/whatever a good rub, I'll even use Brasso if you'd like that, and grant me this wish. Let's reach the idiots a lesson they won't forget.