Part 1: Learning to Drive as a Deaf Person by Imogene

Hey, so I've started to learn to drive. Simply because we need transport as a family, we need to be more independant (rather than relying on parents/grandparents to give us lifts to places) and well it'd improve on our family life in general.
Being a mum i'm constantly worrying about money and whilst driving is an additional strain to the family finances, it'll be worth it in the end as my Grandad has offered to give us his car so that we don't have to worry about financing that - and looking at the insurance, it seems annually it's not a bad deal either, so that helps tremendously. Also, we'll have that much needed transport!

I've booked up with RED driving school and went for my first 2 hour assessment lesson and is said to probably need around 40 hours - apparently it's the average for most learners with no experience. I managed to speak to my instructor on the phone and I did explain to him that I was deaf, because I always find it's polite to explain it and also means that he understands if I don't hear him, why I didn't. He seemed really understanding of the matter and said to tell him if there's anything I didn't get and that he'll help in the best way he can. I really enjoyed it after feeling sick with nerves, but once I got in the car it seems it went away (I guess the unknown is super scary!) and my instructor seemed really nice! Chatty, has a clear voice (definitely needed!) and explains things in a way that's easy for you to take in. All of them qualities are really good for being deaf, and actually they were the things I worried about most! I got in the car and adjusted A LOT of the settings, as my instructor is a broad rugby player standing at 6ft 4.. so yeah, adjustments needed! He told me about where everything was and what I need to do to move off. I never realised as a passenger how much work is actually involved in driving, how much you need to be aware and what you need to think about - I guess most of this is due to what's happening with your feet. Your feet does most of the leg work (no pun intended!). And you don't as a passenger see what the driver is doing with their feet!
I stalled as soon as I set off and as a beginner you're constantly like "what did I do? I did what you said!" but slowly through the lesson you start to realise what you did that made such a such happen. My problem mostly was letting go of the clutch too early! (The worlds most sensitive thing going, eh?) but my REAL problem was hearing the biting point.. for the life of me I just couldn't get it. My instructor told me to listen and "feel" when it's right to go, but I felt like it was impossible to do. I still need to work on it but, I'd like to think I'll get better and at least feel what I need to, to go. I found it terribly frustrating - it was one of the moments where I genuinely hated being deaf! Why can't I just hear it like everyone else, because it'd make things a lot easier - there again, when was anything easy in life? I just thought to myself that there's no point in thinking and feeling that way, and that I should just improve what I can hear and feel and well, hope that I get better at it. I know it's only my first lesson, I have plenty of time to learn and get it before my test! I have to stick with the positives.
I found the best way to interact with my instructor was to talk through my actions. It gave me the reassurance that I knew what I was doing and if I hadn't done something right he could jump in and correct me - I found it the best way to progress through the lesson, meaning I understood what I was doing and like he told me "driving is a routine".

I shall post regularly about my lessons and hopefully i'll get a hold of that biting point! Feel free to share any of your learning to drive stories and the ways you have found that makes your driving experience easier as a deaf/hearing person. Any tips or suggestions are massively welcome :)

Driving with the RAC by Eleanor

So, just had pretty much everyones nightmare happen. My car breaking down whilst at least an hour drive from home.
 Left Norwich last night, usual time, heading towards home. About 5 minutes into it and my dashboard lights turned off (meaning I couldn't see my mph, temp, petrol gauge etc) and completely panicked thinking the front lights had turned off too. Luckily after testing I could see they were still on (this is about 9pm in darkness on a dual carriageway!). However people behind me kept flashing me indicating something was wrong and I suspected my rear lights had turned themselves off too. A woman pulled up besides me at traffic lights and she looked at my front lights and looked extremely confused, giving me more suspicion that my rear lights weren't on.
 I pulled over at the first opportunity, a layby in the middle of the A47 dual carriageway. My suspicions were right and I wondered if I could get away with driving home with no lights on (pretty stupid thought, and probably would have upset quite a few people after they'd gone into the back of my car  not being able to see it!!).

 After considering all options, I did what anyone would do and called my mum. Mum was a tad busy so the next port of call was my grandad who I knew I wasn't that far from (about 15 minute drive away). He said the only thing he could do was come and find me and call the RAC. It is the hardest thing in the world to explain to someone where you are, when you don't know yourself! We must have spent about 10 minutes trying to work out where I was (I knew, but trying to explain it sounded different to where I actually was!).  I am not a very confident person on the phones but I can just about call my mum, and I am getting used to talking to my grandad - he is slightly hard of hearing too  (I suspect but not diagnosed so don't go telling him I said that!!) so we talk quite loudly and clearly to each other!! It was an instant relief to know that my grandad was coming, just to have some company on a busy A47, parked up behind some big scary lorries (which I suspect weren't empty..) in a broken car.

 When my grandad came (about 15-20 minutes later) and after having had all the possible lights on (front lights and hazard lights) just so he could see me I felt so much more comfortable and supported. I wasn't worried about anything, nor annoyed, nor frustrated... I didn't feel anything other than comfort and happiness that someone would do this for me :).
 After explaining to him that I didn't feel comfortable calling the RAC (thinking they only had a number to call rather than text) he did it, and thank gawd he did. Listening to him trying to explain where I was, the road names, the places... I'd still be stuck there now if it was down to me! They said they would be a maximum of 2 hours - they have to tell you the longest possible time they will be but hopefully before then.

 40 minutes later and the RAC man arrived!! We explained to him that I was hard of hearing. He was a mumbler, just my luck, but I had an awesome grandad that stepped in :) Turned out to be a blown fuse and after about 30 minutes of fiddling and trying a new bulb, taping wire etc he was done!
 I think it was difficult for the RAC man to know how to deal with me - he tried to talk to me a few times but I didn't really respond (out of not knowing what he was saying) and he'd turn to grandad to repeat it. It was really difficult, in the dark not being able to lipread what he was talking about and being too tired to keep explaining that I couldnt hear. Maybe it was a bit of laziness on my part but you hope after being told once you make the effort to remember/demonstrate understanding.

 I googled the RAC just now and it turns out they do have a mobile number to text, this would be extremely interesting for the future to use if I were ever stranded somewhere with no grandad nearby to help out. I must admit I didn't know about the text number and I'd never considered breaking down and needing their help. I've gone about 3 years without breaking down (minus one or two setbacks but family were around to help in those cases). Hopefully *touch wood* it will be another 3 years at least before another one...

 I am so grateful and blessed to have such an amazing grandad and I'm so relieved to get home. I love you grandad xxxxxx