Lip-Reading

One of the great, hidden crosses that a member of society may have to bear, sometimes for a lifetime, is deafness or being hard-of-hearing. There is no social stigma against having glasses, partly, at least, because so many of us wear them, and partly because the glasses-making industry works hard to make us happy with its products. The Diary is so at ease with its reading glasses that it happily hangs them in full view round its neck, where they collect items of food which miss its mouth and beard.

But there is a terrible stigma to deafness. Because deaf, or hard-of-hearing people sometimes don't catch what's said to them, or misinterpret what's said, they often seem slow. Worse, a hearing aid, which is often visible stuck like a piece of used chewing gum behind the ear, however hard one tries to comb one's hair to hide it, is not an object of beauty. As a result, many people put off going to see their GP even though they know they are becoming deaf.

For those who have been brave enough to 'come out' on their hearing problem, there is a great deal of support available. As an example, sufferers often have great difficulty hearing the TV, yet there is a neat pair of headphones that is available free-of-charge from the very helpful Lochaber Deaf Care Centre in Caol.

As everyone would expect of that socially-aware local Institution, the University of Kilchoan, its dynamic Vice Chancellor, Pat Glenday, has been running a Lip Reading course for some time. Its students don't all suffer from deafness, but all have an interest in the problems the deaf have in communicating.

Lip reading isn't a solution to the problems of deafness, but it does make a tremendous difference. Like everything, it's a skill which has to be learnt, but there's a great deal that can be done to teach it. The UoK course is lead by Linda, who comes out from Fort William once a month, and it has a dedicated local following. What's more, it's fun, as the above picture shows, with Pat MacPhail struggling to contain her mirth at the Diary's pathetic efforts to tell a story without actually saying anything. While she's out here, Linda also gives out batteries for hearing aids, shows how to clean and maintain them, and has a fund of advice.

Anyone interested in seeking more information, or joining the course, should contact Pat Glenday on 01397 874 260 (work) 01972 510 354 (home) or email pat.glenday@whc.uhi.ac.uk

Many thanks to Pat Glenday for the photo