🩺 "Called From the Corridor" — An Audiology Appointment Without Deaf Awareness

I had my two young children with me that day, both in their pram. We had an appointment at audiology for a hearing test—nothing unusual, just part of the routine. We arrived on time and sat quietly in the waiting room, tucked away near a door that led down a long, sterile corridor. The children squirmed; I tried to keep them calm, glancing up each time someone entered or exited the waiting room.

We waited, and we waited, and we waited… Eventually, I went up to the reception desk, politely letting them know we'd been sitting here for quite a while and hadn’t been called yet.

The receptionist looked up and said, “We called you three times already.”

My heart sank. I looked back at the corridor door.

“They called... from that door?” I asked, confused.

“Yes,” she replied, as if it were obvious.

I stood there, stunned. “I’m deaf,” I said. “I can’t hear anyone shouting from a corridor.”

And this was the moment the irony hit me.

We were at audiology—a place specifically for people with hearing issues. Yet no one thought to physically come out and check the waiting area? To wave or call my name where I could see them? But no. I had missed my appointment slot, the receptionist explained, and I’d now have to rebook.

I left that day feeling frustrated—not just by the missed appointment, but by the lack of awareness in a place that should understand better than anywhere else. How many times has this happened to people?

#DeafAwarenessWeek2025 #Access #HappenedAgain