BBC show Waterloo Road recruits deafness expert

Adjusting to hearing loss can be a difficult procedure, which is why one actress needed first-hand advice from someone who suffered from the disability.

Kirstie Steele, who played schoolgirl Imogen Stewart on popular BBC drama Waterloo Road, was given tips and pointers from a 13-year-old girl who knows all there is to know about hearing aids.

Casey suffers from full deafness in her left ear and partial hearing in her right, and she had never shied away from the issue, dealing with it in a degree of maturity that belies her years.

Waterloo Road's producers, Shed Productions, sent for Casey after her mum Tracii got in touch asking for advice with both of her daughters wishing to take up acting in the future.

Casey, whose school has a Hearing Impaired Unit, told the Daily Record she enjoyed the experience of helping Kirstie out.

"I enjoyed telling Kirstie about the kind of things which have happened to me," she said.

"It’s little things, like sometimes listening can be tiring.

"People will say something and maybe you don’t pick it up and you ask them to repeat it and they don’t because they can’t be bothered.

"It can be hard, when there are a lot of people, around to pick up."

It was revealed that Imogen wore a hearing aid during a dramatic scene in the show with Casey saying at times it was hard to keep schtum and not reveal any storylines.

"They were asking me what episode I am in but I couldn’t say too much because Imogen being deaf was still a secret," she said.

It just goes to show that life with a hearing aid can often differ a lot to begin with, but as with all changes, once you get used to hearing aids and loops things quickly get easier.

Our audiologists aren't just there for the beginning we're in it for the long haul to make your life as easy as possible.