Page 16 - Federation magazine: February / March 2017

Chief Inspector followed she hasn’t
hopes her story looked back, with her
will inspire others career going from strength
to strength and has been
Achief inspector who hasn’t let knew during her early days as a bobby she fully supported by the Force.
her hearing loss get in the was beginning to suffer from hearing loss. “They have always asked if I
way of her progression in the However, she was too scared to get her needed additional help and every
police service is hoping her story will hearing checked as she was worried it would time I have been to them with a
inspire others. affect her work. problem, they have found a solution,” she
Sally Simpson suffers from She explains: “I knew from my early days said.
congenital hearing loss, a condition in the police that I was beginning to suffer “I have never been restricted in doing my
which also affected her mum, sister hearing loss. But over time I felt it getting role at any time within the organisation. I
and grandfather, and once feared her worse. have been a custody sergeant, an inspector
disability may hold her back, “At first I was embarrassed about on response, and now a PPU chief inspector
Now she hopes her wearing my hearing aids at work; to be at Bournville; there is no reason why my
story will help inspire honest I did not deal with it well initially. career should be restricted.
others and dispel However, I started working with Clare “When I was posted on promotion to
myths and Knight Burness, who was my DI when I first Inspector to response, I was really concerned
misconceptions came into PPU as a DS. When I explained to about the radios. Having worked at Lloyd
about working Clare that I had to wear my hearing aids, House prior to this, I didn’t need my radio
with a disability. what she said made me feel more confident. much but it is critical as a response duty
Sally joined “She filled me with confidence. I no inspector. I spoke with the team who deal
the service 18 longer felt embarrassed or felt I had to hide with the airwave radios, and they told me
years ago and my experiences. It goes to show the about a special adaptor which I could get for
influence that line managers can have on the airwave radio.”
helping people to come to terms with a Sally’s lip reading has improved over the
disability. I might not be the person I am years and her hearing has now stabilised
today both personally and professionally and is unlikely to get any worse. She hopes
without her approach.” her story will inspire and give confidence to
And in the eight years that have other who suffer from a disability at work
“My view has changed over the years;
wearing a hearing aid is not to be hidden or
embarrassed about” she explained.
“People come to me and ask for advice. I
give them reassurance that there is nothing
to stop them in the organisation just
because of the hearing aids – it’s very little
difference to wearing glasses – it simply
corrects impairment. I hope that it will give
comfort to my colleagues who wear hearing
aids that they can feel confident within their
roles, their future and with the support of
West Midlands Police.”

16 federation February/March 2017 www.westmidspolfed.com