Starting Secondary School...

Brittany from the NDCS YAB spoke to the NDCS Buzz about starting secondary school and gave them some of her memories and top tips...

Going to High school for the first time?
This week some of you may be starting high school for the very first time. Are you worried about finding where all your lessons are? Making new friends? Worried about telling people you are deaf?
Brittany, 13 knows what it is like. Read on if you want to know how to beat the nerves!
Brittany says: "Starting school is scary! I was nervous because I did not know anyone. Here's what I know...

High school is very different to primary school.
I have more homework haha! The work is harder and you need to do it quicker. Teachers will want to know why you did not do your home work. You can't make excuses like you could in primary school!

I talked to my friends about being deaf
Some of my friends had deaf people in their family e.g. their nan or granddad was deaf so they knew what it was. But I told new friends who did not know much about deaf people straightaway. They were ok about it. It is better to do it straightaway.
Don't be afraid to explain to people about your hearing aids or cochlear implants. People will still like you. There may be some people who are weird about deaf things but don't listen to them. They are not worth it.

If you didn't get that, just ask!

Oh and, if you ever miss anything, don't be afraid to put up your hand and ask the teacher to say it again!
You can show your teacher and friends these great films about how hearing people can communicate with deaf people. Go to this website! www.buzz.org.uk/looksmilechat/films

What else should I do? Join a club to make new friends! This year I am going to do javelin and rounders.

Its not fair by Ellen Arthur and Bethany Eason

Hello,

Ellen and Bethany have had problems with the audiology so here they are to tell the story.

Ellen’s:

I wanted to talk about how my audiology has really angrier me very much. basically when i said i will have the second cochlear implant earlier this year, i thought i would have my first implant to be updated from freedom to a  nucleus 5. But then I was told that I will have to wait until I have the second cochlear implant to have the nucleus 5 and that would be next year 2013. Me and my mum would have liked it if I had the first one updated so that I could get used to the sound and the way it works.  But no of course I have to wait. However my audiologist is retiring and leaving end of September. So me and mum has a idea, we are going to put pressure on the new audiologist to see if I can have the new one this year!!! x

This is Ellen

Bethany’s:

sometime in 2010/2011 I went to my audiology department in Manchester as my cochlear implant had been broken by accident and so I couldn't hear for a few days as I had too book an appointment, after my mum did that we went to Manchester and received a new one, the audiologist said to myself and my mum that the cochlear implant they had given me was a loan basically and that I didn't own it. They also said that if this one breaks I wouldn't be able to get a new one until 2017, but so far this one has lasted!!! Previously when I've had operations FOR the cochlear implant they wouldn't allow me to have it because my mother couldn't afford it so we had to fight for funding and got some of it eventually!

This is Bethany

Thank you!

Young Facilitators...

 Now that the old YAB have "graduated" NDCS offered a group of us the opportunity to become young facilitators and meet the new YAB at their first residential this weekend.

On Friday Tania, Ellen, Eddie and Ni met the NDCS staff at The Studio in Birmingham - site of the last ever residential for the old YAB (hot chocolate still free and unlimited...) - to begin some training.

Throughout the day we took part in lots of exercises designed to teach us communication skills and enable us to give fun and useful sessions as well as generally provide support for the new YAB members.

Some sessions included a game to teach the importance of giving clear instructions, where Ni was an alien from outer-space who had to be taught how to put on a t-shirt... We also discussed the differences between being a YAB member and a young facilitator and how important it was to support rather than influence young people.

It was a great day we know that NDCS are planning to run the same training for our Scottish members sometime in the future!

Interviews for the New YAB

YAB member Tania tells us about being on the interview panel for the new Youth Advisory Board!

On Wednesday 13th June I went to London to do some interviews with Jo and Lucy . This was held in the NDCS offices, which is somewhere that I have never been before.

The experience of doing the interviews was great for me, not only cause it was fun, but mainly because of seeing what views the young people had and their enthusiasm about being on the board.

It gave me a great insight of what they also want to change about the future for deaf young people. The people I interviewed were great and really wanted to have the place on the board!
Looks like Jo and the team will have hard decisions to make because young people seem to have many great ideas.

Overall, it was a great day and experience for me and I would love to do this sort of thing again

Ellen's article in The Independent as part of Deaf Awareness Week 2012!

Wow!

This week our very own Ellen Arthur has been the subject of a feature published by the Independent Newspaper!

The article talks about Ellen's life growing up in a hearing family with her younger deaf sister and about the communication issues she's faced.
It tells us her memories and how sometimes she feels "different". A feeling lots of deaf teens have probably had at some point in their life!!

The article also gives some of the NDCS Look Smile Chat campaign deaf awareness tips!

Learn to communicate
Ellen was born deaf but can hear a little via her cochlear implant. These are her tips for talking to people with hearing loss.

* Get my attention before you start talking, and then look at me as you speak.

* Don't talk too quickly or too slowly. Speak clearly, just as you would to anyone else.

* Lip-reading helps so don't exaggerate your mouth movements or talk too loudly.

* If it's important, write it down or tell me when we're somewhere quiet.

* There are other ways to communicate. Find me online or through my phone.

* Please be patient. It can be frustrating but we will all benefit if we can communicate well.

If you want to read the article then click HERE!! :)

YAB Videos :)

Our last bit of fun with the YAB was to spend hours of time with deaf media company Remark making loads of cool videos about the YAB and also information videos for deaf kids and teenagers :)

The idea was that we all wanted to become more independent and find out about the cool technology out there! So we have a retubing you hearing aids video... and a using your radio aid for music etc video :)

As well as that we realised that some deaf teenagers would be wondering about cochlear implants... so we made a video about those too!!

Enjoy :D

the NEW NDCS YAB :D

Youth Advisory Board Forms - The Buzz

This year I have had the most fantastic experiences through being on the Youth Advisory Board - I've been to the Liberal Democrat Conference, spoken to the whole of NDCS and met amazing friends who I'll stay in touch with for my whole life!!!

But now NDCS are looking for more 12-18 year olds to be on the board! All you have to do is go to the Buzz (link above) to find out more and download application forms...

It is a true one in a life-time opportunity for deaf young people :)