The UK Deaf Tribe
@the-deaf-tribe.bsky.social
A UK information site for deaf people.
Ex Mary Hare Grammar School. 1965
BSc in computing from the Open University. 2002
Former volunteer advisor/counsellor with RNID for 15 years. Retd.
Specialist in PIP. CI user for 15 years
Lives in Cornwall UK.
Ex Mary Hare Grammar School. 1965
BSc in computing from the Open University. 2002
Former volunteer advisor/counsellor with RNID for 15 years. Retd.
Specialist in PIP. CI user for 15 years
Lives in Cornwall UK.
Please meet old time folk band Lindisfarne from Newcastle.
They wrote this song many years ago but it never became a hit.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLE3...
They wrote this song many years ago but it never became a hit.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLE3...
Bring Down The Government (2004 Remaster)
YouTube video by Lindisfarne - Topic
www.youtube.com
May 29, 2025 at 7:27 AM
Please meet old time folk band Lindisfarne from Newcastle.
They wrote this song many years ago but it never became a hit.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLE3...
They wrote this song many years ago but it never became a hit.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLE3...
All the excitement about Dr Who makes me smile. It is after all 100% fiction and yet people get so involved in it.
I've never had the privilege of understanding Dr Who because right from the start it was for hearings.
Funny voices, masks, machines that talk. No subtitles.
No thanks.
I've never had the privilege of understanding Dr Who because right from the start it was for hearings.
Funny voices, masks, machines that talk. No subtitles.
No thanks.
April 22, 2025 at 8:22 AM
All the excitement about Dr Who makes me smile. It is after all 100% fiction and yet people get so involved in it.
I've never had the privilege of understanding Dr Who because right from the start it was for hearings.
Funny voices, masks, machines that talk. No subtitles.
No thanks.
I've never had the privilege of understanding Dr Who because right from the start it was for hearings.
Funny voices, masks, machines that talk. No subtitles.
No thanks.
This is the APPG on Deafness.
Note that it has new members in this Parliament including Lord Bruce who is definitely knowledgeable about deaf people.
This is separate to the APPG on BSL.
publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm/cmallp...
Note that it has new members in this Parliament including Lord Bruce who is definitely knowledgeable about deaf people.
This is separate to the APPG on BSL.
publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm/cmallp...
House of Commons - Register Of All-Party Parliamentary Groups as at 28 March 2025: Deafness
publications.parliament.uk
April 17, 2025 at 1:41 PM
This is the APPG on Deafness.
Note that it has new members in this Parliament including Lord Bruce who is definitely knowledgeable about deaf people.
This is separate to the APPG on BSL.
publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm/cmallp...
Note that it has new members in this Parliament including Lord Bruce who is definitely knowledgeable about deaf people.
This is separate to the APPG on BSL.
publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm/cmallp...
This is a survey carried out by the DWP some years ago. A bit out of date but still a good guide to the Deaf world.
Certainly it is more accurate than anything produced by the BDA. In discussion the Government will obviously use their own data.
assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/u...
Certainly it is more accurate than anything produced by the BDA. In discussion the Government will obviously use their own data.
assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/u...
assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
April 17, 2025 at 10:03 AM
This is a survey carried out by the DWP some years ago. A bit out of date but still a good guide to the Deaf world.
Certainly it is more accurate than anything produced by the BDA. In discussion the Government will obviously use their own data.
assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/u...
Certainly it is more accurate than anything produced by the BDA. In discussion the Government will obviously use their own data.
assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/u...
The BDA has now become involved in an All Party Parliamentary group for British Sign language.
This consists of a committee led by Jen Craft MP.
The admin is carried out by the BDA.
publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm/cmallp...
This consists of a committee led by Jen Craft MP.
The admin is carried out by the BDA.
publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm/cmallp...
House of Commons - Register Of All-Party Parliamentary Groups as at 28 March 2025: British Sign Language
publications.parliament.uk
April 17, 2025 at 9:55 AM
The BDA has now become involved in an All Party Parliamentary group for British Sign language.
This consists of a committee led by Jen Craft MP.
The admin is carried out by the BDA.
publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm/cmallp...
This consists of a committee led by Jen Craft MP.
The admin is carried out by the BDA.
publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm/cmallp...
The BSL Broadcasting Trust commissioned a report into the number of signing Deaf people who might watch their films. The Deaf Audience.
The report is buried on the BSLBT/Lumo site, which is a pity because it contains accurate, verifiable information.
lumotv.co.uk/application/...
The report is buried on the BSLBT/Lumo site, which is a pity because it contains accurate, verifiable information.
lumotv.co.uk/application/...
lumotv.co.uk
April 17, 2025 at 9:14 AM
The BSL Broadcasting Trust commissioned a report into the number of signing Deaf people who might watch their films. The Deaf Audience.
The report is buried on the BSLBT/Lumo site, which is a pity because it contains accurate, verifiable information.
lumotv.co.uk/application/...
The report is buried on the BSLBT/Lumo site, which is a pity because it contains accurate, verifiable information.
lumotv.co.uk/application/...
One of the biggest misunderstandings about deaf people is that there is a difference between the word Deaf and the word deaf.
In the hearing world there is no perceptible difference. This is because people do not speak in capital letters.
In sign, there is no doubt that Deaf people are signers.
In the hearing world there is no perceptible difference. This is because people do not speak in capital letters.
In sign, there is no doubt that Deaf people are signers.
April 17, 2025 at 5:36 AM
One of the biggest misunderstandings about deaf people is that there is a difference between the word Deaf and the word deaf.
In the hearing world there is no perceptible difference. This is because people do not speak in capital letters.
In sign, there is no doubt that Deaf people are signers.
In the hearing world there is no perceptible difference. This is because people do not speak in capital letters.
In sign, there is no doubt that Deaf people are signers.
This is interesting. It is clear from this and other reports that early intervention is the best approach.
www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/treat...
www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/treat...
Children's Cochlear Implants
Hearing loss can affect these areas of development. When hearing aids don’t help enough, a surgically implanted hearing device called a cochlear implant may help.
www.hopkinsmedicine.org
April 16, 2025 at 1:47 PM
This is interesting. It is clear from this and other reports that early intervention is the best approach.
www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/treat...
www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/treat...
Aaaaand here we go again.
Again we see this tiny splinter group trying to gain ascendancy in the Deaf world in spite of the fact that most deaf people do not sign.
The hope seems to be that if they bore the arse off enough people for long enough they will gain acceptance.
bda.org.uk/bsl-comes-to...
Again we see this tiny splinter group trying to gain ascendancy in the Deaf world in spite of the fact that most deaf people do not sign.
The hope seems to be that if they bore the arse off enough people for long enough they will gain acceptance.
bda.org.uk/bsl-comes-to...
British Sign Language comes to Parliament
MPs and peers have come together on a cross-party basis to bring the voice of British Sign Language (BSL) signers to Westminster.
bda.org.uk
April 13, 2025 at 2:07 PM
Aaaaand here we go again.
Again we see this tiny splinter group trying to gain ascendancy in the Deaf world in spite of the fact that most deaf people do not sign.
The hope seems to be that if they bore the arse off enough people for long enough they will gain acceptance.
bda.org.uk/bsl-comes-to...
Again we see this tiny splinter group trying to gain ascendancy in the Deaf world in spite of the fact that most deaf people do not sign.
The hope seems to be that if they bore the arse off enough people for long enough they will gain acceptance.
bda.org.uk/bsl-comes-to...
As usual where the issue is disability benefits there's a lot of fake figures floating around. It happens every time there's a controversy.
Don't be fooled. These are the Government's own numbers.
www.gov.uk/government/s...
Don't be fooled. These are the Government's own numbers.
www.gov.uk/government/s...
Personal Independence Payment statistics to October 2024
www.gov.uk
March 17, 2025 at 11:05 AM
As usual where the issue is disability benefits there's a lot of fake figures floating around. It happens every time there's a controversy.
Don't be fooled. These are the Government's own numbers.
www.gov.uk/government/s...
Don't be fooled. These are the Government's own numbers.
www.gov.uk/government/s...
And so here we are, well into the 21st century and yet the majority of discussion in the deaf world is still about sign language.
Isn't that odd? The CI in particular has given hearing to those who would not otherwise have any. Something of a miracle! It never gets a mention!
Isn't that odd? The CI in particular has given hearing to those who would not otherwise have any. Something of a miracle! It never gets a mention!
March 12, 2025 at 7:35 AM
And so here we are, well into the 21st century and yet the majority of discussion in the deaf world is still about sign language.
Isn't that odd? The CI in particular has given hearing to those who would not otherwise have any. Something of a miracle! It never gets a mention!
Isn't that odd? The CI in particular has given hearing to those who would not otherwise have any. Something of a miracle! It never gets a mention!
The big jump is the fact that so many facilities can be provided in such a small space.
Hearing aids and CI's are tiny, powerful, economical on batteries and most importantly of all they can be adjusted to the exact needs of the user.
We have a host of accessories. Hello the Roger pen! Phenomenal
Hearing aids and CI's are tiny, powerful, economical on batteries and most importantly of all they can be adjusted to the exact needs of the user.
We have a host of accessories. Hello the Roger pen! Phenomenal
March 12, 2025 at 7:30 AM
The big jump is the fact that so many facilities can be provided in such a small space.
Hearing aids and CI's are tiny, powerful, economical on batteries and most importantly of all they can be adjusted to the exact needs of the user.
We have a host of accessories. Hello the Roger pen! Phenomenal
Hearing aids and CI's are tiny, powerful, economical on batteries and most importantly of all they can be adjusted to the exact needs of the user.
We have a host of accessories. Hello the Roger pen! Phenomenal
The woderful thing about digital is that it makes everything smaller. Hearing aids became tiny and more powerful. Purpose designed chips brought in comprehensive sound processing, the aid is set up using a laptop
Cochlear Implants made a big jump forward with digital technology. The quality improved
Cochlear Implants made a big jump forward with digital technology. The quality improved
March 12, 2025 at 7:23 AM
The woderful thing about digital is that it makes everything smaller. Hearing aids became tiny and more powerful. Purpose designed chips brought in comprehensive sound processing, the aid is set up using a laptop
Cochlear Implants made a big jump forward with digital technology. The quality improved
Cochlear Implants made a big jump forward with digital technology. The quality improved
Miniaturization was definitely working in favour of deaf people and around this time profoundly deaf people signed up for the brand new Cochlear Implant. The first ones of these were not very good, a better than nothing option for deafened people.
And then we had digitisation. Ta-da!
And then we had digitisation. Ta-da!
March 12, 2025 at 7:20 AM
Miniaturization was definitely working in favour of deaf people and around this time profoundly deaf people signed up for the brand new Cochlear Implant. The first ones of these were not very good, a better than nothing option for deafened people.
And then we had digitisation. Ta-da!
And then we had digitisation. Ta-da!
The later programmable aids were extremely capable, they were powerful and could be configured to the patient's needs. People could keep going back for tweaks until they got it right. Some people were able to adjust their own
We also had a lot of accessories, many of them used the loop system.
We also had a lot of accessories, many of them used the loop system.
March 12, 2025 at 7:16 AM
The later programmable aids were extremely capable, they were powerful and could be configured to the patient's needs. People could keep going back for tweaks until they got it right. Some people were able to adjust their own
We also had a lot of accessories, many of them used the loop system.
We also had a lot of accessories, many of them used the loop system.
This was a big improvement for deaf people who struggled with the very basic medresco aids. The NHS was able to supply powerful and configurable aids which had comprehensive control.
It was possible for the first time to tailor the response of the aid to the actual hearing loss. More
It was possible for the first time to tailor the response of the aid to the actual hearing loss. More
March 12, 2025 at 7:13 AM
This was a big improvement for deaf people who struggled with the very basic medresco aids. The NHS was able to supply powerful and configurable aids which had comprehensive control.
It was possible for the first time to tailor the response of the aid to the actual hearing loss. More
It was possible for the first time to tailor the response of the aid to the actual hearing loss. More
We then saw an increasing amount of miniaturisation, not just aids but the accessories too.
There was a wider range of analogue aids available and thanks to the efforts of RNID Chairman James Strachan who enabled the issue of private aids through the NHS. No longer were they Medresco!
There was a wider range of analogue aids available and thanks to the efforts of RNID Chairman James Strachan who enabled the issue of private aids through the NHS. No longer were they Medresco!
March 12, 2025 at 7:08 AM
We then saw an increasing amount of miniaturisation, not just aids but the accessories too.
There was a wider range of analogue aids available and thanks to the efforts of RNID Chairman James Strachan who enabled the issue of private aids through the NHS. No longer were they Medresco!
There was a wider range of analogue aids available and thanks to the efforts of RNID Chairman James Strachan who enabled the issue of private aids through the NHS. No longer were they Medresco!
Towards the end of the 20thC we started to see B/E aids. A big step forward but they were relatively crude, a basic tone control was provided. THe big step here was better mobility. You could bop on a disco without worrying about dropping your aid.
B/E aids were a great step forward but still basic.
B/E aids were a great step forward but still basic.
March 12, 2025 at 7:02 AM
Towards the end of the 20thC we started to see B/E aids. A big step forward but they were relatively crude, a basic tone control was provided. THe big step here was better mobility. You could bop on a disco without worrying about dropping your aid.
B/E aids were a great step forward but still basic.
B/E aids were a great step forward but still basic.
In the mid 20th C a lot of gadgets came on the market such as loops and telephone coils, made possible by the new transistor technology.
Everything electronic was getting smaller, people had noisy little radios called transistors, they were as common as a mobile today.
Private aids were available.
Everything electronic was getting smaller, people had noisy little radios called transistors, they were as common as a mobile today.
Private aids were available.
March 12, 2025 at 7:00 AM
In the mid 20th C a lot of gadgets came on the market such as loops and telephone coils, made possible by the new transistor technology.
Everything electronic was getting smaller, people had noisy little radios called transistors, they were as common as a mobile today.
Private aids were available.
Everything electronic was getting smaller, people had noisy little radios called transistors, they were as common as a mobile today.
Private aids were available.
Medresco aids were issued by the National Health Service audiology clinic. Medresco is a shortened term for Medical Research Corps the Governments own disability specialists
Medresco aids were loud and that's the best you could say for them. The tone varied from aid to aid but could not be adjusted
Medresco aids were loud and that's the best you could say for them. The tone varied from aid to aid but could not be adjusted
March 12, 2025 at 6:55 AM
Medresco aids were issued by the National Health Service audiology clinic. Medresco is a shortened term for Medical Research Corps the Governments own disability specialists
Medresco aids were loud and that's the best you could say for them. The tone varied from aid to aid but could not be adjusted
Medresco aids were loud and that's the best you could say for them. The tone varied from aid to aid but could not be adjusted
We had the transistorised Medresco, much smaller and ran off an AA cell. You could get a box from the hospital or get an Ever Ready in a radio shop. A basic 3 transistor design on a breadboard with discrete components.
Later models came with a loop switch. The sound quality was awful, but loud! M/F
Later models came with a loop switch. The sound quality was awful, but loud! M/F
March 12, 2025 at 6:50 AM
We had the transistorised Medresco, much smaller and ran off an AA cell. You could get a box from the hospital or get an Ever Ready in a radio shop. A basic 3 transistor design on a breadboard with discrete components.
Later models came with a loop switch. The sound quality was awful, but loud! M/F
Later models came with a loop switch. The sound quality was awful, but loud! M/F
Hearing aids in this country go back a long way
We had the big black Medresco in the 1950's.
A three valve (tube) amplifier with no tone control and both high and low tension batteries. Boy we hated those.
The batteries were carried in a satchel and you couldn't run and jump with it on. Then ...
We had the big black Medresco in the 1950's.
A three valve (tube) amplifier with no tone control and both high and low tension batteries. Boy we hated those.
The batteries were carried in a satchel and you couldn't run and jump with it on. Then ...
March 12, 2025 at 6:46 AM
Hearing aids in this country go back a long way
We had the big black Medresco in the 1950's.
A three valve (tube) amplifier with no tone control and both high and low tension batteries. Boy we hated those.
The batteries were carried in a satchel and you couldn't run and jump with it on. Then ...
We had the big black Medresco in the 1950's.
A three valve (tube) amplifier with no tone control and both high and low tension batteries. Boy we hated those.
The batteries were carried in a satchel and you couldn't run and jump with it on. Then ...
One of the most remarkable advances in the deaf world has gone largely unremarked and uncelebrated.
As one who has haunted the online groups for more than 20 years I'm sure I wouldn't have missed it!
So, what is it? Digital technology. Digital hearing aids have been a massive help to millions.
As one who has haunted the online groups for more than 20 years I'm sure I wouldn't have missed it!
So, what is it? Digital technology. Digital hearing aids have been a massive help to millions.
March 12, 2025 at 6:40 AM
One of the most remarkable advances in the deaf world has gone largely unremarked and uncelebrated.
As one who has haunted the online groups for more than 20 years I'm sure I wouldn't have missed it!
So, what is it? Digital technology. Digital hearing aids have been a massive help to millions.
As one who has haunted the online groups for more than 20 years I'm sure I wouldn't have missed it!
So, what is it? Digital technology. Digital hearing aids have been a massive help to millions.