I’m done saying sorry for being deaf – I want to change how society treats people like me | Liam O'Dell

When I first wore hearing aids I was ashamed of my deafness. Learning not to blame but to advocate for myself changed that

Sorry, I'm deaf," I say. I gesture to the apparatus in my ear - the universal sign for my hearing aids not working quite as well as they should, hoping the mildly annoyed waiter in front of me repeats his question with a little less visible frustration.

I'm in a burrito bar trying to order dinner, but this kind of exchange can occur in any customer service scenario. Harried staff want to get the orders in, and customers behind me are hungry. Hearing people perhaps don't notice how frenzied daily communication is in our fast-moving society. But it has a significant impact on deaf people like me, who regularly struggle to access information.

Liam O'Dell is a Deaf and disabled freelance journalist and campaigner

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