Predictably the BBC haven't pointed out this decision is due to Reform's leadership in Durham County Council. A party which rejoices in ignorance and longs to destroy our arts and creative industry sector www.bbc.com/news/article...

This stock image should be removed from all platforms immediately. It has the potential to put people off seeking help (if they think this is what hearing aids look like in 2025).

I'll volunteer if they're looking for adult participants! #HearingLoss

'Single-sided hearing and you' - A leaflet I produced for Phonak in 2012 about discovering the benefit of the CROS system following my sudden profound hearing loss.

Coaching with Angie, The Hearing Loss Coach 1-to-1 sessions (with live captioning) £50 for 60 minutes £70 for 90 minutes Packages of six sessions available.

Sudden hearing loss is a medical emergency. If this happens to you, please go immediately to A&E. suddenhearingloss.support #HearingLoss

I'm available for online coaching (with live captioning). Message me if you'd like an introductory video call. #HearingLoss #Coaching #LivedExperience #PeerSupport

I'm available for online coaching (with live captioning). Message me if you'd like an introductory video call. #HearingLoss #Coaching #LivedExperience #PeerSupport

““ #ChronicPain is not just physical pain. It’s an #emotional turmoil of guilt, anger, mourning & #sadness. It touches every aspect your life. And it doesn’t care when you’ve had enough.” – Melisa A.”: buff.ly/g5s5PkQ from @themightysite.bsky.social #Chronicillness #awareness

Feeling lonely, disconnected, or unsupported? You’re not alone—and you don’t have to face it alone. 1 in 6 people on this planet feels lonely. Read WHO’s new report to learn why social connection is important: bit.ly/3Gpw1zN

“What others never see is how we prepare for the performance..The carefully timed #medications, the clothes selected for comfort disguised as style..The #recovery periods afterward..the price paid for participation.”: buff.ly/4QAnjhv by RoiShternin #InvisibleIllness #ChronicPain #ChronicFatigue

Congratulations 🎉 #Suriname is the first country in the Amazon region to be certified malaria-free by WHO. This milestone is a testament to nearly 70 years of efforts to #EndMalaria across its vast rainforests & diverse communities 👉 bit.ly/44pLRCl

Yet another interview (PM) where the relevant minister is being allowed to get away with implying that PIP is an out of work benefit. ITS AN IN WORK BENEFIT

For people who don't use screen readers, it can be difficult to understand how screen readers work. If you're interested in learning how people use screen readers, check out this demo from Marc Sutton and The University of California San Francisco. youtu.be/dEbl5jvLKGQ

A former minister told the BBC it is easy to ‘game’ the PIP form based on knowing what to fill in This is untrue. PIP forms are not only notoriously difficult to fill in but require huge swaths of evidence - and even then many people don’t get what they are due until tribunal.

1/4 Please enjoy the latest clip from my read-through of 'Listen: How Evelyn Glennie, A Deaf Girl, Changed Percussion'. To view the full video on YouTube here: youtu.be/vNVMZLx-jX8 #EvelynGlennieReadsListen

“ #ChronicPain is unlike anything I have ever experienced..There is no light at the end of the tunnel, no physical therapy & no #medication, nor time, can heal my pain. It is with u every moment, every second of every day.": buff.ly/NHFkxYh via @themightysite.bsky.social #MentalHealth #fibromyalgia

“List three things that you’re capable of accomplishing for today. They can be small, simple things, too.” - Plus more #mindfulness #WritingPrompts in the post! Theme for July is “Freedom, #Creativity & #SelfExpression.”: buff.ly/0fkvfNC #MondayBlogs

I had to stand up at a U York Conference and insist they fix the audio before we continued. Everyone was using the microphone but all were inaudible and the organisers were too gutless to insist the U York tech folk do their job. How to become Mr. Beloved.

Eurgh, there was a "do I need to use the mic?" guy. Everyone said it was fine, but I took too long to process the question (bc that's harder for me without the mic) so didn't have a chance to object before he launched into the talk. Seriously folks, just always use the mic. #Metascience2025

“I started exploring new interests and passions that aligned with my current #abilities, and I challenged myself to find value and purpose in ways that weren’t tied to #productivity or external validation.": buff.ly/wzHPdJQ #ChronicIllness #DisabledPeople #spoonie by @thethrivingspoonie.com

Automatic speech recognition (ASR) captions are captions generated by computers. These might be cheaper and faster than captions written by humans, but ASR captions are less accurate. If you do use ASR captions, don't forget to have humans edit them before publishing.

“Most people may think #pacing activity is just common sense, but managing activity with regard to #CRPS and persistent #pain is contradictory to the way you have lived prior to becoming unwell.”: buff.ly/1wQ7vz7 via BurningNightsCRPS #ChronicPain #ChronicIllness

You don't necessarily need to say "image of" in your alt text for users to know it's an image. Screen readers will announce that it's an image. But it can help readers to specify the type of image: hand-drawn image, Polaroid, infographic, screenshot, chart, map, diagram, or so on.

Very insightful!

The Government claims they are cutting benefits to 'encourage' Disabled people into work. Yet with a disability pay gap of 17%, a underfunded Access to Work programme and reasonable adjustments overwhelmingly ignored, it is employers, not us, who need the incentive. DR UKs Dan White on @lbc.co.uk

"I figured out how to pace my activities and I did so. I promptly forgot this lesson when I went into the #workforce .. #Denial kicks in & I forget it when I decide I have #goals & ambitions that far exceed my capacity to cope.": buff.ly/WIztAUd by @brainlessblogger.bsky.social #ChronicIllness

" #HearingLoss doesn’t flip a switch from “typical hearing” to “not #hearing.” It’s slow, creeping. You start asking people to repeat themselves. You feel exhausted after social events. You laugh along with jokes you didn’t quite catch.": buff.ly/HC3Z4fg via @theconversation.com #human #awareness

Again, I can’t judge an AI medical service, but I can judge AI translations. And from what I know about AI translations, I’m not going to trust an AI ‘doctor in my pocket’.

"I hate that I need [ #opioid #medications] to function. I hate how expensive it is. I hate how I have to endure background checks like drug tests and interrogations to get it — like I was a criminal.": buff.ly/k3cyfcG via @painnewsnetwork.bsky.social #NEisVoid #ChronicPain #spoonie

"No one sits you down and explains how to manage #ChronicIllness and #finances —it’s a crash course you’re forced to take while barely holding things together. But you don’t have to go it alone.": buff.ly/3PAhSQT #PersonalFinance #disability #CostOfLiving by @unremarkableme.bsky.social

If you like gentle music without words when working, I just found this excellent YouTube channel, and the amusingly named 'Lullabies for Adults' compilation. I've been looking for channels that are real people, not AI mixes. www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQIZ...

"Anyone can become #disabled at any time, but this fact doesn’t sink into #healthy people’s brains. I can’t blame them for that, as the devastation of #ChronicIllness & #disability is impossible to grasp, unless u live that reality yourself.": buff.ly/4gU7CPe #dating

“Nobody realises that some people expend tremendous energy merely to be normal. - Albert Camus” – Don't forget to #BeKind this week, both towards others and yourself 🙂 #MondayBlogs #ChronicPain #InvisibleIllness #empathy

Playing at SIFF Cinema Uptown July 11 - 17, 2025. All screenings open-captioned. It's playing elsewhere around the country, too. Looks like an outstanding film. We 💙Marlee! #HearingLoss #OpenCaption kinolorber.com/film/marlee-...

This would be such a great advance!

Oh yeah nice one kid hook that hope for humanity right into my veins

Holy shit 😱

“Living with #ChronicIllness changes everything, how you think, how you plan, how safe you feel in your own skin..And it’s not just physical. It messes with your #confidence, your #relationships, & your #MentalHealth.”: buff.ly/xiFCMxZ #ChronicPain By @by @melanyfreytesthrpy.bsky.social

We are excited to share the Annual Disabled Student Survey 2025. Designed by disabled students for disabled students, the survey aims to amplify your voice and improve accessibility in UK Higher education. Contribute and make a difference! 👇 app.onlinesurveys.jisc.ac.uk/s/dsuk-resea...

These are lovely people to work with! I loved my time @stagetext.bsky.social!

We're looking for a deaf, deafened or hard of hearing artist to create our 25th anniversary artwork. The chosen artist will receive £2,000 to create something that captures the spirit of Stagetext. We want your vision! Applications close 29th May. www.stagetext.org/working-for-...

Check out this very exciting opportunity for a deaf visual artist with my friends @stagetext.bsky.social disabilityarts.online/opportunity-... #deaf #art

*It's important to note that sudden sensorineural hearing loss is a medical emergency which needs treatment in the form of steroid injections into the ear if any hearing is to be saved.

Hyperlink text should make sense when read out of context. Screen reader users can navigate from link to link, and can listen to links in a list. When navigating this way, only the link is read. So "click here" or "read more" won't make sense.

The difference between closed captions and open captions: Closed captions are on a separate track that can be turned on or off. Open captions are captions that are burned into the video, so that they are always showing. The viewer cannot turn them off. www.w3.org/WAI/media/av...

#PIP The vile DWP are sending out a toxic survey on how disabled people in receipt of PIP spend their money DWP have no legal right to ask this information & you have no legal obligation to respond to this survey Or you can send a letter of opposition about the proposed changes (cuts to pip)

"do some research before u depart for your #holiday, so u know where the better #hospitals are, and if they have a #medical team who speaks your language. #Communication matters, especially during crises, as it leads to more accurate diagnoses & faster treatment.": buff.ly/wbvRKzT #ChronicIllness

I have a new email address dedicated to my Coaching work. Contact me for a FREE 30-minute online introduction to discuss how coaching might help you achieve your goal.

“ #SignLanguage is a beautiful language that works well for people in the #Deaf community, but as someone who developed #HearingLoss later in life, it is not a workable option for me”: buff.ly/BaMyIyV by @sharieberts.bsky.social #DisabledPeople #disabilities