Deaf Awareness Week: 'Hearing loss didn't stop me'

Will Moseley-Roberts is studying medicine and shared his story during Deaf Awareness Week

A man with hearing loss said it has not stopped him from following his dream career to become a doctor.

Will Moseley-Roberts, from Cardiff, has shared his story during Deaf Awareness Week.

The19-year-old said he found it difficult at first to accept he was disabled.

He has progressive bilateral hearing loss (PBHL), and said his declining performance in hearing tests made him feel like a "constant failure".

Mr Moseley-Roberts started to experience symptoms when he was five years old, and had to move schools to get access to more support.

By the time he was in Year 9, he struggled to hear one-on-one conversations or keep up with teachers during lessons - meaning he was so tired from focusing, he would fall asleep when he got home.

Will Moseley-Roberts started experiencing symptoms when he was young

"When I was younger I didn't want to feel disabled or constrained by my disability," he said.

"I think it can be really damaging for disabled children in general with the idea that generally they don't achieve as well."

By the end of the year, Mr Moseley-Roberts felt it was time to consider cochlear implants, and had them fitted by the end of September in his first year of studying for his GCSEs.

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He had to miss a month of school and teach himself what he had missed - but had to drop two of his planned GCSE subjects due to exhaustion.

"My hearing completely controlled my life - and I think I'd definitely say that if I hadn't had the cochlear implants and hadn't had the support I'd had... I wouldn't have been able to apply for medicine.

"I wanted to study medicine so that I could help other people in other situations of vulnerability, similarly to how I was helped when I was younger."

Mr Moseley-Roberts is now studying medicine at St Andrew's College in Scotland and is coming to the end of his first year.

"Covid-19 has made this a weird first year at uni, but everyone has treated me normally and I feel like I really fit in at the university."

Cochlear implants are like a microphone that speaks directly to your brain

Mr Moseley-Roberts was also supported by a Careers Wales coach, Dylan Evans.

Mr Evans said: "Will is such an inspirational young person and I am so pleased to have been able to have worked with him.

"Whilst I helped him to focus on his ambitions and how to achieve these, it was Will's sheer determination to not let his disability define him that pushed him to success.

"I have no doubt he'll make a brilliant doctor."

Debbie Thomas from the National Deaf Children's Society Cymru, added: "We were delighted to hear about Will's inspiring story and it shows that with the right support, deaf young people can do anything their hearing friends can do.

"There are around 2,500 deaf children and young people across Wales and they're showing incredible potential as they finish school.

"As they approach this critical stage of their lives, it's vital they get the support, guidance and inspiration they need to aim high and secure the right career for them."

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