In a candid conversation, actress, comedian, author and business owner Samantha Baines reflects on finding confidence in her deaf and disabled identity, raising a disabled daughter, and using her platform to expand representation across TV and media.
When did you first start losing your hearing and how would you describe this experience?
I don’t actually know when I started losing my hearing, but I remember being in school and sitting in the front row of the class so that I could lipread the teacher. I didn’t realise it was because I was deaf at the time - I just assumed that everyone could hear at the same level as me. It wasn’t until I got my second type of tinnitus and went to the GP about it that I was offered my first hearing test at the age of 29. That’s when I was told I needed a hearing aid.
What kind of an impact did your hearing loss have on your career in acting and comedy?
At the time of my diagnosis I was working on shows like Call the Midwife and The Crown, and I worried that I wouldn’t be able to wear my hearing aid on set because these dramas were set in the 1950s. I thought if I wore it, I would lose my job. I was also presenting on BBC Radio London and was worried that I couldn’t be a deaf radio presenter. However, since having one hearing aid and now two, I’ve done both of those things. I needn’t have worried.
Discovering I was deaf meant that I started writing books for children with deaf main characters to improve representation in literature. I’ve also become a deaf and disability advocate and taken part in campaigns, spoken in the House of Commons and become a patron for RNID and Stagetext, as well as the NSPCC. Being deaf has changed my career because it’s given me a purpose and it’s changed my life because it’s helped me understand more about myself. I can now honestly say, almost 10 years down the line, that I love being deaf and wouldn’t change it.
As a comedian, have you used humour to cope with everyday challenges?
For me, humour has always helped me to explore my feelings, my identity and my place in the world. I share my experience publicly to raise awareness and hopefully help other people going through the same things. I know that making jokes about your own experience isn’t right for everyone - it’s all about finding your individual outlet. But, for me, comedy breaks down barriers, helps people make connections and opens conversations that might otherwise be avoided.
Could you talk me through your journey to becoming an advocate for deaf and disabled people?
When I discovered I was deaf, I looked for a book that would explain the experience to me, and I couldn’t find one. That’s why I ended up writing Living with Hearing Loss and Deafness: A Guide to Loving it and Owning it. I also reached out to the deaf community, and it was through connecting with other deaf people and families with deaf children that I realised just how important awareness and representation are. Those connections gave me the motivation to use my profile to drive change. As well as being deaf, I also have ADHD and Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (hEDS) and I love being part of the deaf and disabled communities.
What inspired you to share your story through your work as a professional speaker and highlight the experiences of others through your presenting work?
I love talking, and probably do it too much! So being a professional speaker and TV presenter are the perfect careers for me. But I also like using my voice to try and create meaningful change. It made total sense for me to talk about my deaf experience and to pitch stories of deaf and disabled injustices and wins to TV programmes. Representation in the media is so important, and if I can help increase the number of disabled people and communities shown on TV, I absolutely will.
As a mum of a disabled child, how have your experiences helped you to support her?
Advocating for myself has definitely helped me prepare for advocating for my daughter’s needs. In fact, after my daughter was born, I was told repeatedly that she was fine, until I took her to hospital, where a doctor confirmed that she had heart failure. Thank goodness I continued to advocate for her because she had the heart surgery she needed and is now doing well. As a proud deaf and disabled person myself, I hope I’ll show my daughter that being disabled is something to embrace and be proud of. She will also grow up surrounded by my deaf and disabled friends, which will hopefully give her the representation she needs and ensure she never feels alone. She already loves British Sign Language and watching people sign fluently.
What impact has your work had on other deaf and disabled people? Have you received any specific feedback that has made you feel proud?
I’m always so honoured when someone takes the time to send me an email or a letter and tell me about how my work has impacted their experience. The feedback I’ve received about my books show just how important disability representation is in literature.
I’ve delivered deaf awareness talks in corporate environments, and after my sessions people have come up to me to tell me that they wear hearing aids, but they’ve never told anyone at work. They’ve said that hearing from me has given them the confidence to share that information with their colleagues and ask for the communication aids that they need.
Sometimes it’s something as simple as an Instagram video that I’ve posted that might introduce a hearing person to a new way of thinking or make a deaf person feel less alone. Those small things can make such a big difference. People have even told me I’ve changed their life, but really, it’s representation that’s changed their life and I’m happy to be a channel for that.
You’re the founder of two businesses – Penguin in the Room and Baines London – what motivated you to set these up?
Penguin in the Room has been going for 15 years, and I set that up straight out of drama school. We manage the social media profiles of individuals and companies in the arts as well as charities. I now have a team of incredible people who work for me, most of whom are disabled.
Baines London is a new venture and was inspired by the experience I went through when my daughter was fighting for her life in hospital. I couldn’t stay the night in intensive care, so I used to go to a small park each day before visiting her. I found that green space incredibly healing - I used to sit there and breathe or cry and try and prepare myself for the day.
When we returned home from hospital after three months and my daughter was doing well, I looked up the impact of green spaces and flowers on mental health. I discovered several scientific studies which showed that looking at flowers, even an image of one, can reduce stress, anxiety and even trauma symptoms. In some environments, like intensive care, nature is inaccessible, so I wanted to create a way for people to carry a sense of nature with them wherever they go. I decided to digitalise pressed flowers and print them onto homeware and accessories like silk scarves and satin ties. My first product was a notebook because I always had a notebook with me in hospital to write down questions for the doctor and list my daughter’s medications.
I also want to change the landscape around recruitment for disabled people - so please sign up to www.hire-disability.com to be part of that!
You’ve had an extremely varied career. What achievements are you most proud of?
Having my daughter, advocating for her and getting to see her grow up.
What advice do you have for other deaf and disabled people who’d like to get into writing, acting, presenting or running a business?
Do it! A lot of people will tell you how difficult it is, but you don’t know until you try, right? Give it a go, take a course, message some people on LinkedIn, film some videos in your living room and see if you enjoy it. I went to drama school before I became an actor but didn’t have any training to write a book, become a presenter or start a business. I made plenty of mistakes along the way and still do, but that’s part of the joy of it. So, embrace your mistakes learn from them and keep going.
Samantha Baines will speak at Naidex Roadshow South on September 9. Her session on content creation and driving change across social media platforms will take place in the Village Green at 11.45am. Get your free tickets for the show here.