Fletch@ is one of the UK's leading Deaf Sign Song Performers. Fletch@ works by translating the lyrics of songs and performing them in sign language. Her emotive and captivating performances give deaf people access to songs, whilst hearing people have the chance to experience the song both audibly, but more intensely, in a visual and powerful way.
When I was about nine I started to listen to music – I could hear a bit of sound but couldn’t hear the words. I remember going downstairs to ask about the noise and my mum explaining it was music. I didn’t even know the word music, so my mum explained and the world literally opened up. My mum got out the CD case, showed me the lyrics, played the track and followed the lyrics with her fingers while moving her lips to the music. It was Celine Dione’s ‘Think Twice’. From there I fell in love with sign song – Blue, Spice girls, all the 90s bands and singers. I had a hair brush and would sign along. I learned dance routines and knew I wanted to be famous like the musicians.
I am 40 now and it is still a passion of mine. At the age of 11 I did sign song in assembly. I was a huge Ronan Keating and Boyzone fan and every night I dreamed of performing with Ronan – a dream that came true when at 16 I performed with him in Wembley, signing to ‘When you say nothing at all’.
At14 a group of us – all deaf – formed a band. We created dance routines andevery Wednesday we learned sign songs to perform all over the UK – in shoppingcentres and other venues. We were determined to show that deaf people could doanything.
Mydream was to teach performers to sign themselves too - to give deaf and hard ofhearing people full access to performances. At 19 I became solo – known asFletch@. The Princes Trust gave me a loan to buy my own camera and Apple Mac,equipping me to film and edit music videos. In a short time I was gettingthousands of views.
Acouple of years ago I did 15 shows for Ed Sheeran, joining him on his UK touras a performance interpreter.
Growingup there were so many barriers – I don’t want deaf people to go through what Iwent through. I want them to have a better life. School and college denied meof doing music.
Myfamily – my brother and parents - don’t sign and I’m the only deaf person in myfamily. Medical professionals told my family it was better not to sign or itwould encourage me to be mute. I begged them to learn but they didn’t, eventhough they are really proud of me and in awe of what I have achieved.
Ihad never heard of this charity and when the CEO Jenni got in touch I knew Iwanted to help. Deafconnect is small and I knew that if my face was attached tothe charity I could bring attention and recognition, help it grow and supportmore people than ever.
Lastyear my mum got rushed to hospital. She fell into a coma, was having brainseizures, was then on life support and a kidney machine. She was in hospitalfor two and half weeks and then passed away. The experience was horrific.
Mybrother doesn’t sign so I had to phone my friends to sign for me, to help mecommunicate to the professionals and to my family. The jargon was challengingand I begged for an interpreter so I could understand what was going on.
Ikept asking the nurses and in the end called an agency myself and managed toget an interpreter, a huge relief.
Whenthe doctors came I’d ask them to wait for the interpreter to arrive but aftersix days the interpreter I’d managed to secure had to step away – it turned outthe nurse wasn’t signing the necessary timesheets. I was discriminated againstand at one point I was told I could only have an interpreter if I was next ofkin, which my brother was listed as. My brother agreed immediately to make menext of kin, but we were cruelly told my mum was the only person who could signto make that decision – she was linked up to machines and unable to talk. Thiswas an impossible request.
Ihad eight days without an interpreter and my mum died without me being able tofully understand what was going on or to communicate.
Iwant to fight for change. The impact is devastating, this should never happenagain but it will if there aren’t changes.
I am always really anxious and nervous when it comes to doctors and hospitals. I am scared to go to hospital in case there is no interpreter. There is no access for deaf people – this must change.
Fletch@is from the West Midlands, but performs all over the country at corporate, community, festival and charity events and appeals to both deaf and hearing audiences alike. Her performances have also taken her internationally too and has gained her recognition as a ‘Pride of Britain Finalist’ in 2013, and a ‘Young Achiever of the Year Award’ from The Princes Trust. Fletch@ has been performing since the age of 9 and therefore has a wealth of experience and has performed alongside artists such as Ed Sheeran and Ronan Keating.