Cast Offs

Tonight on Channel 4  new comedy drama series will start called Cast Offs. Now when I first heard about this, I wasn’t sure what to think, as I got the wrong of the stick with it, and thought basically that people with disabilities would be pulled to bits. But I discovered I was wrong this morning when I watched This Morning on ITV, and they were talking about it and showing clips, and it looks good, and it will highlight that just cos there may be a disability, does not mean your not good at something. Two actors who are in this, appeared on This Morning to talk about it, and like one of them said, disability will be raised, and what is good about this drama he said, is that you see it as it is. Also it’s nice to see actors and actresses with disabilities themselves playing the part, rather than get someone to act out a disability.

So hopefully film makers, when they need an actor or actress to play a disabled part, they get a disabled person to play it, rather than someone fake it. After all there are plenty out there who could do it.

So I will be watching it tonight.

Here’s the link here to read more about this programme.

Willowbrook Medical Practice

For those of you that live local in Sutton-in-Ashfield, if your doctors is at Willowbrook Medical Practice. Did you know you can now make appointments online? I discovered that myself not long ago, but only just decided today to enquire about this, and now I’m registered so I can book my appointment with the doctors this way.

Idea for anyone, but if your HOH or deaf, than it’s brilliant news for us that this is available. So if you’re interested booking your future appointments this way, then enquire at the reception desk when you next visit.

Great news I think!

See this link regarding The Development of Subtitles in the Cinema that funnyoldlife has discovered on I look so I can hear blog for more details. http://funnyoldlife.wordpress.com/2009/05/07/the-development-of-subtitles-in-cinemas/ I think this is great news.

Here’s also a link to Your Local Cinema too http://www.yourlocalcinema.com/

Gave up looking

For over 3 years I looked for work, as I was planning leaving where I currently am for better working conditions, but in all that time of applying for different jobs, I only had 3 interviews (2 at the same place), so I gave up looking any longer, and decided to stick where I am. Unless I was to try my hand at being Self Employed in my spare time doing my favourite thing… hand made greeting cards, and see where it takes me that way after 2 years. But this is a big IF at the moment now at the moment with how I’ve been recently. I may still decided to keep it as a hobby.

And I think one of my job interviews I particular went for. Deafness got in the way. But I can’t do anything about that as had the interview. (Which I mentioned about this also in an earlier post on 17th February 2009), click this link if you want to read that again too at http://l1zblog.wordpress.com/2009/02/17/do-you-work/ Other place where in total I had 2 interviews a year apart, because I still shown interest in the company. I was absolutely gutted 2 months later after last years interview. This interview I had I was aware there was no job going yet, but because I was still showing interest in the company a year later he interviewed me again, and I was offered a work trial, which I accepted as so he could see if I was good, but also if I could see myself there as I never done his job before. I did this work trial on a Sunday 7am till 11am, and I was buzzing with excitement in making my way down which was local to me. I was shown the ropes by 2 women that were doing a shift there, and had a go myself after watching how it was done. And I really enjoyed it! They said I’d done a good job, and I wasn’t bad for a first timer. So I was happy even more knowing that when I left they’d be a good report for the boss, and hopefully if a job came up soon then I’d be offered as promised.

I carried on looking for work at the job centre, and about 2 months later from that work trial, at the job centre I came across a job that looked very familar. I handed it to the desk and said, don’t tell me, I’ll tell you, and said who I thought it was. Turned out I was right. You can imagine how annoyed, gutted and upset I was then. I contacted my adviser from the RNID who I was under and texted her about it. I told her to say he has a good long term memory, he has a terrible short one. I’ve seen a job for the exact position I was promised that I did a ork trial for, and told I was good. But I’ve heard nothing. She got in touch with him, and texted back to get in touch with him. But I said there’s no way I’m doing that now. I don’t trust him. I’m not going to throw away a secure job only for him to take me on for so long, and then get rid of me if that’s what he wanted to do. He promised he’d get in touch. He forgot me in 2 months but could remember me from a year ago. It does not give me a good impression of him.

Turned out I made the right move in staying where I was too. I have heard stuff about him, and it’s not good. He’s not that nice as he made out to be.

How do you feel when it comes to the job your in or applying for. Do you feel the same. Vote below. 

With a new bank now

  With a new bank now. I went to Nationwide after not long writing last post, and have opened an account with them. I have them already regarding savings, but before opening this account I discussed my needs with them, and as I mentioned in my comments on last post, I opened one with them after realising they are the one for me. They were very helpful and couldn’t do enough. They even shown me how there internet banking works. Any problems that need a phone call, I’m just to call in at my local branch and they will help me out. If it involves phoning someone, they will phone for me on my behalf after gaining permission, and they will relay the conversation to me.

Why didn’t I just open it sooner with them? Maybe better late than never, hey!

Banks…Arrrrrrrr!

Banks.. Arrrrrrr!

My last post “Had to take it further and now its sorted!” was when I let you know I had to take it further with my bank, but after being given a chance to sort it by Ombudsman, before I could take it further, it was sorted, or so I thought. And it was left to that.

Well just recently this month, I needed to get in touch as I have a problem, and using the agreed methods of contacting, I decided to write a letter. I’ve received no letter. So last night I sent a secured message which I received a response, and its started all over again. I’m to phone. HELLO…… Alliance & Leicester, WHICH part of HOH or deafness did you not understand. I was reassured this would not happen again. I was told in letter I could write, send a secure message, or go into any local branch. But you did not answer my letter, and when I sent a secure message I’m now expected to phone! DID I NOT HAVE THIS PROBLEM LAST YEAR??

Well I’ve sent a reply of disgust via secure message, so I’m looking forward to their response. This lady who wrote to me higher up at a different A & L branch sent me apologies, and reassured me it would not happen again. AND IT HAS! So this customer service are either ignoring it, or she did not discuss it with them in the first place when I complained.

Well my comment I made to this person last year by letter who apologised, still stands. You lot at Alliance and Leicester need Deaf Awareness Training because I seriously feel let down by you ALL. You are not accessible in my eyes for deaf people, because what I’m told I can do as in means, in what way I can contact you, you are failing on.

Got it sorted!

Received an email from PALS after I complained about Audiology. They had spoken to a Specialist Audiologist on there about my difficulties, and I have her email address as so when I need to contact them for repairs, or appointments, I could use her email to do that.

Which when I tried this email address, it worked! So I’ll be collecting my tubing for my hearing aids today.

Ended up putting in a complaint to PALS after all!

  Well today I ended up putting in a complaint to PALS about Audiology. To see in depth the problem I had with them, look under tag ‘Audiology’ and this will bring up the two posts I previously written.

I needed to contact them today so I could request tubing for my hearing aids, so they have warning like they wanted so it would be ready to collect later that day. Although for my convenience I wasn’t in any hurry so wasn’t planning to collect until Friday.

So using this other email address that was given to me when I had to last time call in, because previous email address wasn’t working, I started to write my email out as advised and put in the address they had given, only to find this was not going anywhere either. There was no way I was going to play about with this email address like I did with the other for half an hour, only to probably find the same thing it not going anywhere, so I’ve emailed PALS and told them the problem, and asking them to either email me or get Audiology to as so its typed down as it should be put, as to save any confusion, and hopefully…. this time…. I’ll have a working email address!

I’ll keep you posted!

Here’s a lovely story

Here’s the link to Hearing Dogs for Deaf People website, where’s there a lovely story of the youngest person ever to have a Hearing Dog http://www.hearingdogs.org.uk/pships_testimonials_show.php?id=15

Do you work…

People are not supposed to discriminate disabled people when it comes to applying for a job, and the acts are there to stop this. But does it help?

I believe in my own experience that in the past a couple of jobs out of the few I applied for, I was discriminated because of my deafness. But its hard to prove. I was experienced in the area I applied for, and flexible too. But never got anywhere, so I feel I’m stuck where I am. I have even gave up applying for jobs after over 3 years of doing this. Not because of the discrimination I feel possibly went on, but because how everything is at the moment with the recession and people loosing their jobs. I feel I need to stay where I am because its safe. You may say that no job is safe now. And I agree with that mostly, except for hospitals as they always need cleaners…. we do where I am, so this is why I feel I need to stay where I am.

But it doesn’t mean I have lost my dreams of doing something new in addition to my job or completely new if it went well. I’ve always liked the idea of giving it go as business with my hand made cards again. But I need to start this from home, and I can’t because of what the tenancy rules say. But maybe this will happen sometime in the future depending on if wherever I move to, if their tenancy agreement is different.