I'm delighted to see young Louise Isles break through the glass ceiling and become Britain's first deaf model. I did not know that deaf people had a hard time doing modelling, but apparently that is the case.
I could understand it if they had no ears, limiting their ability to model spectacles and earrings. Otherwise I'm not entirely sure how impaired-hearing would be a difficulty.
The only thing I can think of is that the bright lights of the catwalks temporarily blind models. They probably employ a man or lady with a megaphone to stand at the end of the catwalk shouting "You're at the end of the catwalk! Do that thing where you dip your shoulder a bit, do a pout and then walk back." I can see how that would be a problem for people who are on the Mutt and Jeff side.
But, damn it, is this not the 21st century? Can we really not find a technological solution for this.
Of course we can! And here it is...
A whopping great sign.
Of course we can! And here it is...

Volunteers will sit at the end of the catwalk holding the above signs, in high visibility white on red. When a deaf model reaches the end of the catwalk, they will hold up the signs, allowing her or him to dip her or his shoulder a bit, do a pout and then walk back.
I know what you're thinking. What about deaf-blind models? In that case, I recommend that they make the end of catwalks bobbly, as they do with road crossings.
Frankly, I don't know how the fashion industry has bumbled on without me for so long, nor how the number deaf-blind catwalk model fatalities has been so low.
1 comment:
Strange but true .... the hand-gesture-based dance movements in the video for 'Vogue' by Madonna are, in sign language, actually an incitement to rise up and destroy the fashion industry and its indefensible anti-deaf model practices.
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