Rebecca, who at age 4 had meningitis, shared her personal experience of living with hearing loss after meningitis and talked about some of the work the British Deaf Association do to empower deaf people.
The event focused on:
- Information about learning to live with hearing loss as a result of having meningitis.
- Information on British Sign Language (BSL)
- What support British Deaf Association can offer
- Sharing personal experiences, difficult thoughts and feelings with others who understand.
- A Q&A opportunity with Rebecca, Chief Executive of the British Deaf Association
- Signposting to support and information
After the event attendees overall felt more confident in managing their hearing loss. Attendees shared:
- "I have profound hearing loss in one ear, and moderate hearing loss in the other. It's good to know that I am not alone in this, and it was good to hear some inspiring stories."
- "It was good to learn about the charity and what they do and the future projects they are aiming to do."
- "I learned that I am not alone with hearing loss because of meningitis and how common it is as an after-effect."
Community Support Officer Ellie Trusty shared this about the event,
“The Keep Connected Hearing event went extremely well. Rebecca understands how those with hearing loss may have felt and may still be feeling today and used this knowledge to positively impact those navigating hearing loss. We had a range of supporters join for the event and it felt great to be able to create an environment that was inclusive to everyone’s needs. I’m looking forward to future events where we can offer more support for those impacted by meningitis.”
Thank you to our guest speaker Rebecca Mansell and to all who attended the event.
Find out more about our support events on our website.
