To mark Deaf Awareness Week (5th-11th May), we’re celebrating the inspiring people who make our experiences truly special. One of them is Neil Doyle, a Tour Guide at the Coronation Street Experience. New to the team but not to the industry, Neil brings a wealth of experience – and a powerful message about resilience.
How long have you worked at the Coronation Street Experience? I’m very new to the experience, having only been here a few months!
What inspired you to work in the visitor attraction industry, and specifically at Coronation Street Experience? I’ve been in the tourism industry since leaving college. Being in Manchester, the Coronation Street Experience was a natural choice – it’s an iconic British institution and right on my doorstep. Across the tourism industry, I’ve done everything from training new starters and behind-the-scenes operations to being front and centre as a performer.
Would you feel comfortable sharing more about your level of hearing loss? I have had hearing loss since I was a child and spent many years with things like grommets. I learned to live with it. Unfortunately, three years ago, I started losing a lot of my hearing on my right side and I was having dizzy spells where I was unable to control my balance and stand up. I was diagnosed with Ménière’s disease which is a condition that will get worse over time. It’s resulted in 85% hearing loss on my right side and I still occasionally have fits of dizziness to varying degrees.
Do you use any assistive technology? Yes – I use hearing aids, mainly to balance my hearing and help reduce dizziness. I don’t hear typically through them, but my body responds to having ‘equal’ sound on both sides.
What challenges does being deaf pose at work, and how do you overcome them? Sometimes I need to lipread or be close enough to hear guests clearly. Public perception can be a hurdle, but it’s rare – and the support here is amazing.
How has the company supported you? My managers have been great, asking if there’s any adaptions that they need to make when communicating with me and making sure that they’re aware of what my condition means and how they would need to react if I was to feel unwell. I feel comfortable enough with the team here that if I did need to change something to help me do my job, I could ask and they’d do what they can to help.
What advice would you give to other deaf individuals considering a career in this industry? Your disability shouldn’t be a reason for you not to pursue your passion. There are so many different roles within the industry and there are a lot of ways that companies can support you to ensure that you can thrive in the workplace.
