Christine O'Mahony

Christine O’Mahony was born in 1952 in Northampton. As a young child Christine spent time in Nazareth House children’s homes with her two sisters, before returning to family life in Camden, London aged five. Christine attended local C of E and Catholic primary schools and a local Catholic Secondary School, also spending time in hospital aged seven.

Reasonable Adjustments

Here Christine talks about what helped and what would have helped at school.

Office Phones

Here Christine remembers working in an office environment without accessible equipment.

You Can’t be a Teacher

Here Christine describes studying and being told she couldn’t be a teacher because she was deaf.

Humiliation

Here Christine describes a culture of humiliation in her lessons.

None So Deaf

Here Christine describes attitudes within her family about her deafness as she grew up and became an adult.

Pray for Me

Here Christine recalls an experience at school assembly.

Getting Hit

Here Christine talks about being hit as a punishment at school.

Makeup

Here Christine talks about the low expectations she experienced on her Secretarial Course

Ice Cream 99

Here Christine talks about her experiences in hospital and the impact on her family relationships.

Miss Ainsworth

Here Christine describes her ‘horrible’ chain smoking teacher.

Eating Plasticine

Here Christine talks about being taken to school for the first time.

Mashed Potato

Here Christine describes having to eat mashed potato at school.

Lipreading in School

Here Christine talks about her difficulties trying to lipread in school and how that impacted on how she felt about herself.

Nazareth House

Here Christine recalls her early life spent in children’s homes.