"I work in the co-op and I was finding it very difficult and could not hear customers with masks, some customers although few, became annoyed when I asked for it to be removed and even used the word aggressive in one case. My employer did support me by giving me a card that I could flash to show that I am deaf and that masks will need to be removed. This seemed to help."
"I have never felt as low as I did during the lockdown. I made a choice not to go to shops because of the difficulty in being able to understand people, therefore my parents did this for me. I feel being deaf put me at a disadvantage and I am pleased that lockdown restrictions are lifting."
"I had felt socially isolated and not being able to attend school initially was even worse. I felt embarrassed in shops and other places where I had to constantly ask people to pull their masks down".
"I didn’t feel my mental health had suffered as I spent a lot of time with my Parents and my brother".
"I felt sad that I couldn't see my friends and online learning was much harder, but I wouldn't say my mental health suffered as a result."
"It was slightly different because I had to shield and so this meant I was at home when most returned to school. I was happy being with my family. Masks are a problem as I can't understand emotion and tone in the way that someone is speaking."
"I have been deaf since birth in one ear and became deaf at 3 in the other ear. Lockdown has been really tough, virtual land does not cater well for the deaf/hearing impaired. Having no family close by I’ve relied on friends and my church community to support me. It has been really isolating even simple things like going to the shop which for me before were easy has become difficult with people wearing masks. I designed a mask that tells people about my hearing loss to try and help people understand."
"I have been deaf since I was 40 after having problems with ear infections and I had an operation on my right ear which didn’t work. So I’m completely deaf in that ear and I am 60% deaf in my left ear. I find it a struggle to cope and get frustrated because I don’t lip read so I really rely on one ear. I can get very down even more with lockdown and I don’t deal with the masks, I don’t know what people are saying and so I get frustrated. I usually need a family member with me."
"I am single-sided deaf after losing my right side to Acoustic Neuroma which is a type of brain tumour 10 years ago. Although I struggle with it sometimes, I wouldn’t say I have had any mental health issues as a result. I work in A&E at Harrogate Hospital, so it has been difficult, but more if the people I am booking in are deaf and trying to understand me."
"I am currently in my last year of primary school and I am going to St John Fisher’s in Harrogate from September. I am very good at disguising the fact I am deaf on my right side, but I often say ‘pardon’ or look blank if I do not catch all the conversation, I am not so good at saying ‘could I sit here as I can’t hear on that side." - Belle
"As Belle's mother, I try to encourage her to be as open as she can rather than disguise it. I do not make her wear a mask most of the time, but she does struggle to hear the muffled tone under the mask when others speak to her and I often have to say that she cannot hear as she is partially deaf. - Phillipa