Latest news with #signlanguage
Daily Mail
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Gogglebox star reveals secret battle with deafness as they admit they're learning sign language in emotional update
A Gogglebox star has revealed his secret battle with deafness and admitted he is currently learning sign language. Daniel Lustig-Webb, 50, emotionally shared he is fully deaf in one ear and has been since he was a child. It's something that he admits he hid 'for years' but has now opened up about it to Scene Magazine. The hairdresser told the publication: 'I got mumps when I was younger, which caused an infection in my ear, and that left me with complete and permanent hearing loss in one ear. 'For years, I hid it. I didn't want people to see me as 'different' or less capable.' From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new Showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. The TV star recalled how his hearing loss made school difficult at times and he was 'picked on' by other students. Teachers underestimated his ability and he found it hard to concentrate at times, 'not realising it was because I couldn't hear properly'. As an adult, Daniel's deafness has continued to impact his life and he described trying to communicate during social occasions such as parties as 'exhausting' and admitted it 'takes a toll'. As he turns 50 years old, Daniel has decided to open up about his deafness and intends to learn sign language. 'I'm planning to begin learning sign language because I want to connect with the deaf community and support others who might be struggling like I did. Deafness isn't a weakness, it's part of me,' he said. Daniel previously featured on Gogglebox alongside his husband Stephen Webb. The pair revealed they were getting a divorce in April 2024 after six years of marriage. Speaking on Best's Suddenly Single podcast earlier this year, Daniel opened up about their 'traumatic' and 'devastating' shock split as well as his current dating life. Daniel previously featured on Gogglebox alongside his husband Stephen Webb. The pair revealed they were getting a divorce in April 2024 after six years of marriage Despite making the decision to split up, Daniel revealed he and Stephen were still living under the same roof while they continued to sell their apartment. He said: 'We're still living together. We're trying to sell our apartment. We cohabit really well together. (The split) was quite a slow process, for a while we were still sleeping in the same bed. 'Then when Stephen went on Celebs Go Dating we agreed we'd sleep in separate bedrooms. 'We've found a way to work together, live together and be dog dads. It's always been about friendship. 'As soon as we started dating, I said, 'this guy is so different to me' but we got on so well, even though we came from completely different backgrounds.' Talking about their split, he added: 'It was devastating. For me, it was traumatic and although I knew things weren't great, I didn't see it coming. 'It was quite a slow process because we were completely entwined for so long, with our businesses, the dogs, we were so close in everything we did. 'There was nothing underhand happening, no-one had slept with anyone else. Stephen was the complete opposite to me, and we'd say opposites attracted, but fundamentally that was our problem in the end.' Speaking on Best's Suddenly Single podcast earlier this year, Daniel opened up about their 'traumatic' and 'devastating' shock split as well as his current dating life Confirming he is back on the market, Daniel said: 'Once I got over the shock, in the summer I was going on date after date with all these different types of people, I was on apps all the time, and now I realise I was trying to fill a void. 'Friends took me aside to ask if I was okay. Now I'm happy being single. I love going on dates but I don't need a long term relationship, I need to repair myself a little and learn who I am again. 'The first guy I dated (after Stephen), I went on about six dates with him in London. He was very nice, he knew my situation and it was teenage dating, nothing sexual at all, we'd go somewhere really nice and have a snog in the end. 'He did end it, I think he realised I wasn't in the right frame of mind.'
Irish Times
06-06-2025
- Health
- Irish Times
Leaving Cert student diary: ‘I'm proof there's an alternative to incredibly stressful exams'
I'm only young, so it's fair to say I don't follow the ins and outs of education policy. But I do hear, from my friends and on the news, about how incredibly stressful the Leaving Cert is and how it needs to be reformed. I and the other 4,512 students sitting the Leaving Cert Applied [LCA] are living proof that there is a different way. The LCA means students like me, who prefer practical and vocational approaches, are not left behind. I know Ireland is trailing other European countries in terms of offering this vocational option, although the numbers sitting the LCA are growing every year. The LCA offers entry routes to college too. I am hoping to get into a post-Leaving Cert course: nursing studies at Moate ETB [education and training board]. It gives us a foundation in nursing, includes practical experience and a work placement, and is also linked to a general nursing course at TUS [Technological University of the Shannon]. READ MORE Over the past few years, I decided to learn sign language. I'm not doing it as an examined subject, but I felt that it would be a really useful skill for a nurse to have, as it means I can communicate with more people. I'm not fluent, but I can hold a basic conversation and I hope to improve. As for the exams? It's a case of so far, so good. I appreciated the layout of the papers and they haven't been as difficult as I expected. English and communications was probably my best so far, as a lot of the topics I studied appeared. Hotel catering and tourism, however, was probably the most challenging, although still achievable. In this subject, we learn about restaurants, tourist sites and we work on menus for parties and for people with food allergies and intolerances, such as coeliac disease. LCA students have already done a lot of projects and continuous assessment throughout the year, so that relieves the pressure of a single, high-stakes exam. [ Leaving Cert and Junior Cycle: Record 140,000 to sit State exams Opens in new window ] I can't believe the end is in sight, as I finish up on Tuesday with an exam on construction and graphics. I'll miss my classmates in school. There's only been eight of us in the entire LCA programme, so we became tight-knit. I currently commute for over an hour every day to and from school. This is because we moved a few years ago but I wanted to stay in the same school. I wish there was better public transport, particularly for rural areas, as there's currently only two buses a day. It's safe to say that I won't miss this commute. – Amy Cox is a Leaving Cert Applied student at Athlone Community College
CTV News
05-06-2025
- Entertainment
- CTV News
Sign for your supper
Ottawa Watch Dark Fork in Ottawa's ByWard Market has opened a sign language patio. As CTV's Shaun Vardon report, diners will need to use sign language to order.
Free Malaysia Today
03-06-2025
- General
- Free Malaysia Today
Sign-language interpreter Tan Lee Bee receives royal award
Veteran media personality and sign-language interpreter Tan Lee Bee with her Bintang Ahli Mangku Negara award. (Bernama pic) KUALA LUMPUR : For her dedication as a sign-language interpreter spanning more than four decades, Tan Lee Bee received the Bintang Ahli Mangku Negara (AMN) from Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Ibrahim yesterday. Tan, who often graces the corner of the television screen during news broadcasts, described the award as a 'great recognition' in her 'silent struggle to convey the voices of the voiceless'. 'I feel happy, moved, I feel like crying, too… I feel very grateful,' the veteran media personality told Bernama after the investiture ceremony in conjunction with the king's official birthday celebration at Istana Negara. 'This recognition is not just for me, it's a symbolic tribute to every interpreter who works silently for a fairer inclusivity in Malaysia,' the 64-year-old added. Tan was among 16 individuals who received the AMN at the ceremony, during which Attorney-General Dusuki Mokhtar and armed forces chief Gen Nizam Jaffar were bestowed with the Darjah Panglima Mangku Negara, which carries the title Tan Sri. Tan's journey as an interpreter began out of love for the person closest to her heart: her younger sister, who is deaf. 'I learnt sign language because of her … people always ask me how I learnt sign language, and they're always surprised to know I never took formal training before I began my career,' she told FMT in 2021. She then served as a teacher for the deaf for 17 years, which she initially found challenging. 'I found it very hard to teach the deaf and I would sometimes cry. At times I just could not make my students understand.' Tan is best known for gracing the corner of TV screens during news broadcasts with her dynamic signing and compelling facial expressions. (Tan Lee Bee pic) During those years, she also served as an interpreter with the federal court. Tan went on to become Malaysia's first court sign-language interpreter in 1994. Still, one might be surprised to learn that her contribution to the world of broadcasting began much earlier, when she appeared on television circa 1985 on the show 'Selamat Pagi Malaysia'. Her facial expressions and signing actions became important visuals in news broadcasts as well as in official communication videos, advertisements, and various broadcasting mediums. Apart from RTM, Tan provides her services to companies with employees who have disabilities. She told FMT five years ago that she derived great satisfaction from serving the deaf community. 'Whatever we interpret, it has to be understood,' she said. 'I have to make sure my interpretation is clear and that I do not make any mistakes. 'As an interpreter, when the deaf understand you well enough and are happy about it, they will come to tell you. As long as my hand is able and my mind is still okay, I will go on interpreting … it is my passion.'
Malay Mail
02-06-2025
- General
- Malay Mail
‘I feel like crying': Malaysia's first court sign interpreter Tan Lee Bee receives AMN after decades of silent service
KUALA LUMPUR, June 2 — With more than four decades of dedication as a sign language interpreter, Tan Lee Bee was amply recognised when she was received the Bintang Ahli Mangku Negara (AMN) from His Majesty, Sultan Ibrahim, the King of Malaysia today. Often gracing the corner of the television screen of news programmes with expressive facial expressions, Tan, 64, described the award as a great recognition for her in the 'silent' struggle to convey the voices of the 'voiceless'. 'I feel happy, moved, I feel like crying too... I feel very grateful,' the veteran sign language interpreter conveyed to Bernama after the Investiture Ceremony in conjunction with the King's official birthday celebration, at Istana Negara today. Although the award was celebrated in a ceremonial atmosphere at the palace, for Tan, it came with long memories and the twists and turns of life in a career that received little public attention. 'This recognition is not just for me but a symbolic tribute to every interpreter who works silently for a fairer inclusivity in Malaysia,' she said with a tearful tone. Tan was among 16 individuals who received the AMN award at the ceremony. — Bernama pic Tan was among 16 individuals who received the AMN award at the ceremony, which also saw Attorney General Tan Sri Mohd Dusuki Mokhtar and Armed Forces chief Gen Tan Sri Mohd Nizam Jaffar being bestowed with the Darjah Panglima Mangku Negara (PMN), which carries the title of Tan Sri. Tan's journey as a sign interpreter began not because of ambition, but because of love and empathy for the person closest to her heart, her younger sister, who is deaf. 'I have a deaf sister... I learned sign language because of my sister. Then I started working as a teacher for the deaf. 'I was a teacher for 17 years. While I was a teacher, I also served as an interpreter with the Federal Court of Malaysia,' she said, who was also the first court sign interpreter in Malaysia in 1994. The contribution of the native of Segamat, Johor to the world of broadcasting began earlier than many expected, around 1985 when she appeared on television through the show Selamat Pagi Malaysia. Her face and sign language actions became important visuals in news broadcasts on RTM as well as in official communication videos, advertisements and various broadcasting mediums that played an important role in conveying information to special groups. Apart from RTM, Tan also provided her services to corporate companies with employees with disabilities, offering information, meetings, and briefings. Meanwhile, Deputy Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay, who was bestowed with the Darjah Panglima Setia Mahkota (PSM), which carries the title of Tan Sri, said the award was a great recognition for him as well as an honour for the Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM). 'Thanking His Majesty for this gift, I will continue to carry out the duties and responsibilities entrusted to me as DIG with full commitment, to ensure that the country's security is always maintained,' he said. He also called on all enforcement officers at various levels to uphold the spirit of Sultan Ibrahim's decree, which requires them to carry out their duties with trust and integrity. Present at the ceremony was Her Majesty, Raja Zarith Sofiah, the Queen of Malaysia. Also present were the Prime Minister's wife Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, Speaker of Dewan Rakyat Tan Sri Johari Abdul, Speaker of Dewan Negara Datuk Awang Bemee Awang Ali Basah, Minister of Communications Datuk Fahmi Fadzil and other members of the cabinet. — Bernama
