Hackney People
Laraine Callow
The visual nature of signing makes it virtually impossible to learn British Sign Language (BSL) through a book alone, says Deafworks Director Laraine Callow.
"You have a go," she smiles, pointing to an illustration in her new multimedia guide 'Teach Yourself BSL'. I try to copy the drawings for 'Are you deaf?'. "You've just said, 'Hi, my art is that way,'" she laughs.
Laraine has been helping both deaf and hearing people from diverse backgrounds learn about deaf issues - as well as 'knocking the heads together' of the not so receptive - for 40 years, earning the lively Shoreditch resident an MBE in the New Year's honours list.
Born into a family of coal miners, factory workers and part-time boxers in Yorkshire, she lost her hearing a day after being born, when she was given Streptomycin to treat an eye infection.
"Being deaf has never bothered me, but it can be a burden; we live in a hearing world where people don't understand the issues. If you haven't had the experience, it's hard to describe," says the former teacher.
However, she does allude to lonely school holidays as a child. Laraine also encountered barriers when she decided to go into teaching in the 1970s. She says: "It was very hard to get into and they kept trying to think of excuses to not allow me to be a teacher." So was she discriminated against? "It wasn't called that at the time, it wasn't really called anything. Some staff just felt deaf children didn't have the right to grow up and become teachers," she says.
Things improved however, when she started working in education services in London in the 1980s. Laraine speaks warmly of working with lecturers and head teachers in roles that saw her ensure students have signers, interpreters, lip reading help and other facilities needed for their learning. Laraine went on to found social enterprise Deafworks, now based in Shoreditch, in 1989.
The chief concern of its staff - made up of hearing impaired freelancers, with the exception of her hearing daughter and husband - is to make everyday life better for hearing impaired people.
The organisation's work ranges from helping deaf prisoners to communicate, to running deaf awareness courses for large corporations.
She says: "Deaf people getting promotions is close to my heart. I love getting them to the next level, whatever that is - chief executive or help getting someone their first job."
In 1991, responding to her own experiences as a child. She also launched Playmix a holiday scheme at Coram Fields, WC1, for kids with hearing difficulties.
"Segregation is very unpopular but it isn't really segregation, it's about young deaf people sharing the same experiences, so you become strong. Then you can go out and kick the ass of the world," she says.
Receiving her MBE for services to deaf and hearing impaired people earlier this month, publishing a new BSL DVD and book, as well as celebrating her 60th birthday, has given Laraine time to reflect. She muses: "It's come at a good time as it's tied up the first two phases of my life: teaching then running a business. I've been thinking of setting up a deaf artist exhibition to celebrate both my birthday and MBE.
"Hackney is a good place to do it with so many galleries popping up and cultural history like the old workshops and Shakespeare theatre.
"I've got another phase to go hopefully but the next will be quite different, I don't have the answer to what that will hold, but I'll still be slapping people around with a wet fish."
Curriculum Vitae
- 1951 Born Halifax, Yorkshire
- 1953 Attended Yorkshire School for the deaf
- 1971-74 Teacher training at Leeds College
- 1974-89 Teaching in a range of educational establishments
- 1989 Launches Deafworks
- 2010 Publishes Teach Yourself BSL
- 2011 Receives MBE for her services to deaf and hearing impaired people
More information
Laraine is looking for a gallery to host her exhibition. Call: 020 7689 0033; or visit: www.deafworks.co.uk
Page updated: 14 Apr 2011
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