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Wednesday 12th of May ´óÏó´«Ã½2, 1.00pm

SH Line Producer | 18:05 UK time, Tuesday, 11 May 2010

On today's programme we meet severely deaf actress Genevieve Barr.

In her first major TV role she takes the lead in a high profile 4-part ´óÏó´«Ã½ thriller called 'The Silence', in which she plays a deaf girl who witnesses a murder.

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'See Hear' caught up with Genevieve for an in-depth interview to find out how the experience had been and what her plans for the future are.

Plus we get a sneak preview of the upcoming drama, which is due to hit our screen soon.

Genevieve plays Amelia Edwards, an eighteen year old teenager who has recently been fitted with a cochlear implant, enabling her to hear.

When her over-protective parents (Gina McKee and Hugh Bonneville) put pressure on her to adjust to a hearing world Amelia goes to stay with her party-loving cousins, homicide detective uncle Jim (Douglas Henshall) and warm-hearted aunt Maggie (Dervla Kirwan)

Although she is enjoying her new found freedom, she is still struggling to accept that she has a place in the hearing world...AndÌý her life is about to spiral even more out of control when she accidentally witnesses a murder.

We will be following Genevieve's career in the future on See Hear, and keep an eye on the ´óÏó´«Ã½1 schedules for 'The Silence'.

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And Radha went to meet Phil Graham from the Highways Agency to find out about a project aimed at improving emergency cover for deaf and hard of hearing motorists.

The new phones replace the smaller orange box-style emergency telephones that were a common sight along the Highways Agency's motorways and major A roads.

The emergency phones ring straight through to the Highways Agency Regional Control Centre, and calls are taken by one of a team of Traffic Officers based in the control room 24 hours a day, seven days a week. From there advice can be given to the caller, recovery arranged and further assistance sent to the scene if necessary.

The phones have been designed with a number of features that make them easier to use by people who are deaf and hard of hearing, disabled people and those who have difficulty communicating in spoken English.

A text facility allows deaf people to communicate with the Regional Control Centre and questions can be answered with tick or cross buttons. This test display can also be used by non-English speakers as it is available in five European languages in addition to English - Welsh, French, German, Italian and Spanish.

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Not all emergency phones have the text system at present, but more will be rolled out in the future.

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If you'd like further information on the new ERT's, please follow this link

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And we meet a soldier who cheated death when an IRA bomb exploded next to him and damaged his hearing.

Forced to give up his dream career in the army, Mike Buss tells us his story of hearing loss, homelessness and record-breaking endeavors.

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Like many ex-soldiers Mike struggled to adjust to civilian life.Ìý He tried to join the police and the fire service but his hearing issues prohibited it.Ìý

Losing all motivation and the will to go on he found himself eventually homeless on the streets of London.

After a couple of months of living rough in London Mike remembered reading an article about Paddy Doyle another former soldier who had broken many world fitness records.Ìý Mike decided there and then that this would be his motivation!

He signed up for the London marathon and ended up breaking the world record for the fastest ever marathons run carrying a 55 pound pack.Ìý

Since then back in 2002, Mike has been striving to become 'The Worlds Fittest Man' and become the record breaker of record breakers by breaking more world records than any other person before him and all in aid of military support charities.

Mike's aim is to raise £1 million by 2014.Ìý He has achieved everything else he has set his mind to so there is every reason to be confident he will do it.Ìý

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And if you want to catch up with Mike Buss' latest challenges, you can follow his progress on

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