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A Dialogue Of The Deaf
Checking in for my eight am briefing on who our Prime Minister is today I was met with a very unwelcome development. Our national television service has decided to reduce the screen size by something between a half and a third, surrounding the business part of proceedings on three sides with a huge white space.
Within this space but somewhat also overlapping the business part is a man signing for the benefit of deaf viewers. To say it was a distraction is something of an understatement. I found the whole thing unwatchable and switched over to Sky News. However, I am prepared to have a dialogue with Britain’s deaf people:
“My elderly aunt is hard of hearing and mildly dotty but she happily spends twelve hours and more every day watching the box and reading the subtitles, though she cannot — as most of you can — lip read. If we can have our screen back, and you were let off paying the licence fee, how would that sit with you? (Or a small dude tucked away in the corner and half the fee.) Give me a call.”
