Olivia Smit was born in Ontario, Canada, and loves small towns: although she has never lived in one, she writes about them often! Olivia is currently pursuing an Honours Specialization in Creative Writing, English Language, and Literature at a local university, and she’s passionate about writing Young Adult fiction that faces hard truth with hope and encouragement.
And in case you were wondering about the name like I know I was here’s Olivia’s Explaniation: “Growing up with Welsh grandparents, cwtch is a word I heard a lot. It’s one of those cool words that doesn’t really have an English equivalent; it can be a hug/cuddle, a safe place created in the hearts of two people, or it can be a literal hiding place (ex. the cupboard under the stairs.) It’s a word full of softness and non-romantic love for another person; just a quiet place where you can relax and be safe.
And that’s what I want for my blog. A big hug and a safe place.“
Some Definitions relating to the deaf/Deaf/Hard of hearing/hearing impaired:
(from the Canadian Association of the Deaf)
deaf: A medical/audiological term referring to those people who have little or no functional hearing.
Deaf (with capital D): A sociological term referring to those individuals who are medically deaf or hard of hearing who identify with and participate in the culture, society, and language of Deaf people, which is based on Sign language. Their preferred mode of communication is Sign.
hard of hearing: A person whose hearing loss ranges from mild to profound and whose usual means of communication is speech. It is both a medical and a sociological term.
hearing impaired: This term is not acceptable in referring to people with a hearing loss. It should never be used in referring to Deaf people. “Hearing impaired” is a medical condition; it is not a collective noun for people who have varying degrees of hearing loss. It fails to recognize the differences between the Deaf and the hard of hearing communities.
Have you had a story that helped you get through a tough time in your life and would like to share we’d love to hear it. Who knows who might be encouraged by your story today?
