Each month we invite an inspirational or outstanding deaf role model to share their story. This can be from what they’ve learnt, to what they wish they’d have known as well as their best deaf tips.
Our role model this month is Richard D France. Richard is a mental health campaigner, author and poet. You can watch his full interview in BSL or read the English transcript below.
Please tell us a little about yourself. (career, family, achievements etc.)
Hello, my name is Richard D. France, and this is my sign name. I was born Deaf, as were my mum, my two sisters, two uncles, and my nephew. My father was the only hearing person in the family. Growing up, my mum taught me to sign, read, and write, while my father taught me to speak. I use hearing aids. When I was younger, I used the large radio aids that connected to your plug type ear moulds, but later I switched to over-the-ear hearing aids. Nowadays, I mostly use just one hearing aid at a time, switching between my ears daily because I have tinnitus.
The first school I attended was a Deaf school in Sheffield, but when I was 4 or 5 years old, I moved to a mainstream school with a Deaf unit. I had lots of speech therapy so I could both sign and speak. The first time I started writing, I fell in love with it. Writing became my first language, with my second being sign language and my third being speech. I use both sign and speech; for example, if I’m with Deaf people I will sign, and if I’m with hearing people I will talk. For me, it’s not about being Deaf – it’s about communicating clearly.
The first time I was recognised for my writing was when I won a competition at the age of 10. Then, at 16, my poetry was published in a magazine, which was nice.
My first job was at 16, working at a printer’s. I had gone to college to learn signwriting, for example creating signs to display the name of a shop, but I didn’t really enjoy it. So I moved to the printers, which I enjoyed. At the same time, from the age of 15 to 19, I worked in the evenings as a technician for a band. I would set up the drum kit, tune the instruments, and work on the sound system. I really enjoyed this job.
After that, I studied graphic design, printing, and photography, and got a job as a graphic designer at Coventry Art Gallery and Museum. I then decided to go back to university to initially study graphic design but ended up with a degree in TV and film design, which I enjoyed. However, I found it hard to get a job in this field. It was mostly hearing people and we had to use radios to communicate as part of the job. I originally wanted to join the army and become a helicopter pilot flying Chinooks, but because I was Deaf, I couldn’t.
Later, I moved to London and worked with Deafinitely Theatre as their project manager. I really enjoyed this job, but after 3.5 years I had some mental health issues, so I had to quit. It took me a long time to recover, but once I did, I got a job at StageText as the manager of live captioning. It was a great job as I set up live captioning for talks, events, and conferences. I worked at places like the Southbank Centre, British Museum, British Library, Buckingham Palace, and Windsor Castle! It was lovely to see these amazing places, but I become bored quite easily. After three years in the role, I left and then came the COVID lockdown. This was a really difficult time as work became very digital, which I don’t like, but I had to do it to pay my rent.
Later on, I started working at City Lit as their Deaf Support Organiser, helping to arrange communication support for students, including those who are Deaf, hard of hearing, have cochlear implants, or are DeafBlind. I enjoy this job.
Did you grow up in the Deaf Community or come to it later in life?
Yes, I grew up in the Deaf community. I lived about ten minutes’ walk from the Sheffield Deaf Club and went there regularly, just like my mum, two sisters, and my father. Funnily enough, when my father went to the Deaf club, there would be a queue of Deaf people wanting to talk to him because he was a steelworker. If anyone had a letter from the electricity company, gas company, or their bank, he would explain it to them. My father wasn’t a very good signer, so he would gesture and speak, but Deaf people could understand him quite clearly, which was a relief.
I then joined the Sheffield Deaf Youth Club and, from the age of 15, was in a band. I realised at that time that other Deaf people weren’t very interested in music. I had grown up enjoying music, especially the bass! I stopped playing in the band at 15 because I started going to nightclubs and pubs, and I met lots of hearing people who were punks, hippies, skinheads, and bikers. I had never really thought about being Deaf until I started speaking to them.
When I was 23 – 23 – 23 (there are lots of different signs for “three” and I’m mixing them up) – I had my first experience of mental health issues due to discrimination at work. I had been told that because I was Deaf, it was impossible for me to get a high-achieving job at a publisher in Oxford. This was the first time I had faced discrimination, and it made me question being Deaf and what it meant. This was the start of my journey in understanding my Deaf identity and how it connected me to “the world.” I say “the world” because some people talk about a Deaf world and a hearing world, but to me it is just one world, and how we all communicate with each other – whether it is through sign, speech, or both.
This had a large impact on me, and from the age of 23 to 30, I didn’t talk to any hearing people and focused on learning more about Deafness.
At the age of 30, I moved to London and lived in a Deaf household. I loved being able to just sign with everyone, and I became part of the Deaf community in London. I felt better as part of this diverse community with lots of different people. Now, I am still part of the Deaf community, but I don’t really go to the London Deaf clubs. Instead, I go to BSL-guided art events or the cinema – like the Lumo TV events, which I enjoy.
Now I would say I am firmly part of the Deaf community, and I continue campaigning for better access to communication, specifically in mental health.
What was your experience of education and higher education as a deaf person?
My experience of education was alright. Most of my life I was taught in mainstream schools. At that time, there were no interpreters or technology, so everything was oral, or the teacher would write things down on the chalkboard. If they turned their back, we would miss what they said, so I would ask my friend for help.
College was different. It was the first time I had Deaf support one-to-one, along with extra tutoring. This was great, as I got support from the tutor who helped me to communicate and fit into the class. She was a very good tutor.
I went to Leeds College (there are different signs for Leeds; I used this one), and there was no interpreter. When I went back to study politics, communication, and environmental science, I enjoyed myself, and it was the first time I had a note-taker. This was helpful because, before, I had to lipread the teacher but would miss what they were saying as I made notes. The note-taker would sit next to me so I could watch the teacher and what they were writing down.
In 1997, I went to university and again there was no interpreter. When I left in 2000, that same year they started providing interpreting services. When I went back to university in 2007 to qualify as a teacher/lecturer for students aged 16+, I had an interpreter, which did help, but it felt quite crowded with two interpreters and a note-taker.
When I went back to teaching, I used live captions with an interpreter online, which made it easier for me to see everything. Everything has changed, and education is much better now because access to communication is much easier. The problem is, when you apply to university, you have to apply for Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) as early as possible because it has a really long wait time. If you delay, you may have to start university without an interpreter, which can be really difficult and have an impact on your studies.
You have written books including The Book of the Failed Jumper, Rise After the Fall, and Sign-in with Death. Did you always want to be a writer? Why was it important to write about these topics?
Yes, I did want to be a writer. It came about after a serious mental health crisis where I physically damaged myself and became disabled. After therapy I felt better and realised there was a gap in mental health support services for Deaf signers. At that time I had used drugs and become addicted, so I was trying to find mental health support along with addiction support, but none was available in BSL. They said they had BSL therapy for alcohol addiction, but at that time I didn’t drink, so what was the point in me attending this service when I needed support with drugs.
I have now finished therapy at a Deaf psychiatric hospital, which was better as I could sign. One of my friends said I must become a writer since I have written all my life. When we were in hospital, I couldn’t walk, so my friend gave me a notebook which I wrote in, and this became my first book: The Failed Jumper, which was written about my experience of being on morphine and how it addled my mind. My second book, Rise After the Fall, is about my experience of being in a Deaf psychiatric hospital and talks about mental health.
Growing up I always had a ‘dark mind’ and a dark self, so I became interested in exploring these dark thoughts. Also, the first time I moved to London, I would meet people on the street at night and talk to them, and they all had drug and alcohol problems. The dark side of humanity was interesting to me, and it is why I campaign, because there are so many Deaf people with mental health or wellbeing issues.
There is a lack of access to support, and if I want to access a Deaf psychiatric hospital I have to contact my GP, who contacts the community mental health teams (CMHT), who then refer me. I am not happy with this process. The last time I contacted CMHT they asked where my interpreter was. I was surprised that I had to organise an interpreter because the psychiatrist didn’t know how to book one. I feel we are worn out by the lack of access to mental health and wellbeing support in our language, BSL. That’s why I write these books!
You’re very open about your mental health and experiences being in psychiatric hospitals. What are some of the barriers you faced in mainstream hospitals?
The main barrier in mainstream psychiatric hospitals is communication and access to sign language. I always end up in fights when I have been admitted to a mainstream psychiatric hospital. I remember one patient punched me because I was lipreading him, and he said, “Why are you staring at me?” I tried to explain to him that I had to lipread him, but there is no access to sign language in these settings.
Also, the patients have serious mental health conditions. One man had schizophrenia, and he was very violent towards me. Later, the nurse explained to him that I was Deaf, but he said, “But I didn’t know, how could I know?” This made me feel like I needed to have a large “D” on my head to show I’m Deaf, which obviously wouldn’t work.
I was in a Spanish psychiatric prison, which was very difficult because my hearing aids were stolen, no one spoke English, and I couldn’t contact my family. I was getting into fights every day and had to learn to speak Spanish to calm people down. I even asked other patients’ families when they were visiting for a cigarette, and they gave them to me. This was because if someone was aggressive towards me, I could give them a cigarette, and they would leave me alone.
It is difficult in the UK and England too. Mainstream psychiatric hospitals are not suitable for BSL users because of the communication barriers. I was in one hospital, and finally, after a lot of effort, I managed to get a social worker for Deaf to visit me. When they came, they said, “I will help you, see you tomorrow.” The next day, I was not well, feeling anxious and depressed, and I waited for the Deaf social worker to come. They never turned up.
I was at Bluebell, which is the Deaf psychiatric hospital at Springfield University Hospital in South London, and it was good. The first morning I woke up there, I was in a wheelchair because I had hurt myself. I went out, opened the door to go outside, and was greeted by a nurse signing and saying, “Hello, good morning, you coming to breakfast?” I wheeled myself back into my room, closed the door, and cried because I couldn’t believe this was real – I thought I was dreaming. I opened the door again, wheeled myself out, and the same nurse greeted me again, saying, “Hello, you’re okay!”
In the 22 years I have been involved with the psychiatric system, it was the first time I had access to psychiatric nursing in sign language, and it made such a big difference to me. The psychiatrists could sign and understand Deaf identity, so I was able to connect with them. Recovery in mainstream settings is not good for Deaf people.
You are also open about being bipolar. Is there enough support out there for deaf people who are bipolar?
This is the sign I use for bipolar. Some people also use another sign. I think this sign reflects the highs and low mood swings. I am open about being bipolar – it affects my behaviour and how I communicate with people. When my bipolar is low, I don’t want to communicate with anyone. When my bipolar is high, I am very social and make lots of friends. I am open about it because I think I have to be, so people can understand my behaviour and how it affects my signing and speech, along with my processing.
Bipolar has had a big impact on my life – some days I can’t work because I am so low. I am open because I want people to realise that lots of people have bipolar. Many Deaf people hide that they are bipolar because the Deaf community is so small and everyone wants their life to be private. Also, the Deaf community doesn’t often talk about mental health using BSL because it feels like any issues with mood must be kept quiet – I wonder why people feel they need to hide this.
If I am open, then more people become aware of the mental health and wellbeing issues in the Deaf community. If we are more open about mental health and wellbeing, it means more people will be aware and this could lead to more funding for treatment and more access to Deaf trained counsellors, because there aren’t enough. I was supported through my bipolar at Bluebell ward, but after I left there was nothing. I am still bipolar; I have good and bad days, but I always try my best to get through the day.
As a mental health campaigner, you’ve delivered lots of talks sharing your story. Is it difficult talking about it or does it get easier over time? Would you encourage others to share theirs?
Mental health campaigning is so important because hearing people often ignore the Deaf community and the mental health and wellbeing issues we face. We have to fight to make people aware of our community of Deaf sign language users. We also need to encourage them that if their wellbeing is not good, they should contact the right services so they can get the support they need.
I feel there are too many Deaf people who pass away because they don’t have access to support services in our language. Hearing people have access to all these services, while Deaf people mostly only have SignHealth. SignHealth are great, but the problem is there are so many Deaf people with wellbeing and mental health issues because we face communication barriers that affect our mental health and wellbeing.
We have to campaign to encourage more Deaf people to be open so that it becomes a mainstream topic. Mental health for Deaf people should be seen on TV, and people should be able to ask, “Why are all the mental health campaigners hearing?” I use my platform to talk about my mental health experiences, as they might help others. I share my journey by signing, as this could be the first time someone can relate to my story.
It is not easy giving talks – it can be very emotional, and I often want to cry, but I can’t because I don’t want other people to cry. Our community has shed enough tears, and now is the time for action. Hearing mental health services and support are not accessible, and we need to encourage them to consider our language needs.
We have spoken languages like German, Spanish, Italian, French, but where is sign language? That’s why we have to campaign. We want more people signing, and this will lead to more awareness. The problem is funding – with more of it, we can move forward with more support services for Deaf sign language users.
What more needs to be done for deaf people experiencing mental health problems and what do you hope to see change/improve over the next 5 years?
There need to be more improvements in services, and they need to be accessible support services. Previously, RAD (Royal Association for Deaf People) had a live chat service where you could video call in times of crisis. I liked it, but the funding for the service was limited.
I think all hearing people should pay 1p extra in taxes and this money could go towards accessible support services, which we urgently need more of. I have used SHOUT before and their text service, but text is not fully accessible. You can’t always express how you are feeling over text, so this needs to be made more accessible.
The Bluebell ward, Jasmine Suite in Birmingham, along with the John Denmark Unit in Manchester, are accessible, but the process to be admitted is not easy. You have to be referred by a GP, who refers you to the community mental health team, who then refer you to a specialist Deaf psychiatric service. It is not easy, because when I was in crisis I had to contact my GP, then CMHT, then wait for an appointment, and then I had to explain why I wanted access to the specialist psychiatric services.
There is a long waiting list with many Deaf people waiting for accessible services. It would be nice to have something similar to calling 999, but the problem is no one wants to pay for it – which means no one wants to pay for our wellbeing and mental health support access. All hearing people seem to think our lives as Deaf people aren’t worthwhile. It’s no surprise people want to die.
Who inspires you and why? (In the deaf community or otherwise)
I am inspired by Ruth Montgomery, the flautist, and Zoë McWhinney, the actor, performer, and musician, and Evelyn Glennie, the percussionist.
Also Punk Chef, I love him, he is so funny, and John Smith (sign name), because he has made hearing people realise Deaf people can be really funny.
Paula Garfield, the creative director of Deafinitely Theatre, has such a passion for Deaf actors, she is phenomenal.
Abigail Gorman has made some big changes in the Deaf community through her work on policies at SignHealth.
Rebecca Mansell is great because she took over the BDA and it has renewed energy.
Reg Cobb, the CEO of DeafPLUS, has made some really positive achievements.
One more person, Craig Crowley, the CEO of Action Deafness, is very active, pro-Deaf and positive.
Any more people…..that’s it for now, I think that’s enough!
What ways do you think hearing people can be allies to the deaf community? Any DOs and DON’Ts?
I think hearing people can help Deaf people by learning sign language. I get annoyed with hearing people because they go on holiday to places like France, Spain and Italy and use lots of different gestures and body language, but when they come back to Britain or England after holiday, they stop doing that! Your body language needs to be open – it can be really easy to communicate with the Deaf community.
Deaf people communicate better than hearing people because we use our different senses: our eyes, our mouths, our noses, touch and sign. Hearing people just use their mouths and it’s really boring.
Also, hearing people need to be open-minded when it comes to video calling, the Deaf community is already advanced. The first hearing person, Alexander Graham Bell, created the telephone but actually he was trying to make a hearing aid for his Deaf wife and ended up creating the first wind-up telephone that you could speak into and listen to.
In the 19th century Deaf people couldn’t access this, but then in the 20th century, especially around 1990 or 1992, technology started to turn digital. Deaf people became ready, got texting, and then started using video calls. In the 21st century we are still using technology from the 19th century, over 200 years old, and no one has worked out how to improve it. Phones are still expensive and do the same thing as the first phone. Deaf people have improved communication through sign language, so I wonder why hearing people are behind and haven’t kept up.
I think Deaf people communicate better across the world than hearing people. There has been someone campaigning for the GCSE in sign language in schools, which is really important. I think all students in schools and colleges must learn sign language. My argument is: why are we learning French and German in school? French can sometimes be useful, German isn’t really. I wonder why we don’t teach them sign language instead. French is sometimes useful, German maybe less so. Why don’t we teach them sign language? It would make communication more open and help sign language become more mainstream in the media and help with access.
3 top tips for deaf people? (e.g. everyday life/learning/communicating/ socialising/travelling etc.)
Tips… tips… tips!
If a hearing person thinks you are rude or isn’t communicating nicely with you, walk away.
If you are in a shop and someone challenges you, ask for a manager straight away and make a loud noise – hearing people get easily embarrassed.
If a hearing person has a bad attitude, challenge them.
If a hearing person at your work has a bad attitude, contact your line manager, contact HR and contact the EDI (Equality, Diversity and Inclusion) team – keep contacting people!
If you’re walking down the street and you see a group of teenagers messing about, ignore them and don’t make eye contact – just walk past them. If they touch you, shout and use BSL 999 to call the police. You have to challenge any hearing people with a bad attitude!
Those are two tips…
My third is: you can have a rich, wonderful, beautiful life as a Deaf person. Just remember – hearing people need Deaf people more than Deaf people need hearing people. Hearing people don’t want to lose their jobs. We have Deaf social workers, teachers and psychologists, so challenge hearing people who say you can’t do something. Challenge and complain. You can do it – if I can do it, I know you can.
Never, never, never be afraid of hearing people.
Bye!
To read more inspirational role model interviews, take a look here. If you would like to be an ally to the deaf community and learn sign language, check out our courses here.
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