In this episode of Sunflower Conversations, James Dunn speaks with Mel Ogden about profound hearing loss alongside endometriosis, Hashimoto’s disease, and breast cancer, and how it's shaped her identity, work, and self-advocacy. 

Mel shares her journey from childhood through to adulthood, navigating communication, disclosure, and shifting access needs across different environments.

• Communication in daily life, including lip reading and the importance of captions
• Learning to disclose access needs, moving from masking to self-advocacy, and why confidence isn’t always linear
• The impact of chronic illness and cancer on identity, energy, and day-to-day life
• Challenging assumptions like “you don’t sound deaf” and how these moments shape the experience of non-visible disability

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