The all-rounder

Umesh Valjee talks to Tim Russell about his life on the cricket pitch and in front of the camera.

It’s a testing time for England’s deaf cricket captain Umesh Valjee. Since hitting a record score against Australia, he’s been playing for two London teams, working at his family’s jewellery shop and filming a new series of the deaf TV soap opera Switch.

“I think a lot of people want to watch deaf actors in deaf programmes,” Umesh says. “But first I want to win the Deaf World Cup in India. The 2005 tournament will be the biggest yet, with large crowds and nine countries taking part.”                                               

First impressions

Getting your first hearing aid can be a rewarding – yet challenging – time for you and your family. So it’s good to know exactly what to expect from the experience so you can make the most of it.

A hearing aid is not a ‘quick fix’ and you need time to get familiar with all aspects of it. It requires a lot of patience, motivation and enthusiasm. It is important not to rush the process, but equally it is important to build up the amount of time you wear the hearing aid and not limit its use.

The audiologist will advise you on how to build up the use of your hearing aid, but you should expect it to take two to three months to become fully used to it.

Ask the experts

If you have a technical query or hearing aid problem, our panel is here to here to help.

I have seen advertisements for over-the-counter wax removing apparatus. Is this something  RNID can recommend?

Audiology information officer Laura Skorupa says:  "We cannot recommend any wax removing equipment for home use. Ear wax should always be removed professionally. We strongly advise patients not to attempt to remove it themselves. When studying audiology I was told 'never poke anything smaller than your elbow in your ear'!"