Mariana Paiva

apologise if I appear nervous, but I’m sure that when you read my story you will understand why.

As those who know me are aware, I was born deaf and many is the night I have spent crying because of the prejudice I have encountered. I work the streets, and as well as lip reading extremely well, I also speak really well.

This means I have few problems communicating with my clients. At first, some are a little puzzled at my manner, as they are not initially aware that I am deaf, and treat me badly. But I’m not playing a blame game; I’ve simply learned to live with it. And those get to know me, soon see the person behind the deafness. Nowadays, I use the internet, which helps me a lot. Even so, many people don’t believe that I’m deaf and insist on ringing me, when I am only able to use the phone to send and received text messages.

They don’t understand that I can’t answer. And so I always direct them to my blog, where I have explained the situation, in addition to providing a service, photos and videos.

I have sometimes found it really hard to overcome that initial barrier, but those who know me return again and again, as they know that I am a good person. Unlike some of my friends who manage their business online, I don’t have the luxury of being able to speak to clients, which I’m sure has cost me much work.

Some even have the cheek to ask me to do webcam shows for free; they appear to forget that this is my livelihood, even if I am deaf. But hey, I want them to understand that I am an honest person and I provide a good service.

It would be great if we could overcome this prejudice and start enjoying life together.

Thank you for your understanding and I await your comments.