Deaf Model From Cheltenham Appears In British Vogue

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A young woman with a hearing impairment has featured in British Vogue, modelling designer hearing aid covers.

Imy Harris, 22, from Cheltenham, was featured in the February edition of the world-famous fashion magazine, published on January 15, after working with designer Destiny Pinto, who creates fashionable medical devices.

Ms Pinto recently won the Vogue and BMW Future Creators competition and Ms Harris was chosen to model her designs.

⁘I had massive imposter syndrome, but it was incredible,⁘ said Miss Harris, who has also appeared on this year's series of Channel 4's Great Pottery Throw Down. ⁘So many people will look at that magazine and be able to relate.⁘

She explained that growing up she did not see anyone like her on television or social media until her late teens.

When face masks were introduced during the Covid-19 pandemic, it meant she found it very difficult to understand people.

She did not want to get a cochlear implant because she was ⁘embarrassed to have something so visual⁘ and ⁘didn't want to embrace it⁘.

Unlike hearing aids, a cochlear implant does not amplify sounds, it sends sound signals directly to the auditory nerve, bypassing damaged parts of the inner ear.