Personal Story of Hearing Loss

Yesterday was Global Accessibility Awareness Day( GAAD). This week, I experienced direct discrimination from a provider through their failure to understand and apply inclusive techniques and technology for deaf and hard of hearing? customers and employees.

This provider was breaching the Equality Act. I do not name them because I prefer to work with businesses to avoid these situations arising in the first place for myself and others. But it illustrates that GAAD is as important as ever in removing barriers in facilities and workplaces.?

Here I'm opening up about my journey, hoping to shed light on the complexities and joys of living with deafness. It's crucial for others to grasp the challenges we face and respect the choices we make.

Diagnosis and Support:?

I was diagnosed as severely deaf at 13 months though doctors thought I had heard in my first months. I was provided with hefty pocket-sized hearing aids and my mother diligently sewed pockets with buttons onto all my clothes to accommodate them. The hospital also provided an excellent 3 day course which taught my mother several techniques to communicate with a deaf child e.g. always face the child when speaking , keep sentences short and uncomplicated and many more. At six, I was given? behind-the-ear aids, a more practical choice. These devices evolved as I did, introducing me to a world of sounds previously unknown. Still there remained many sounds that eluded me, prompting me to master lipreading. A skill that has been invaluable in both my education and career.

Change of hearing and impact:

In 2017, a further decline in my hearing rendered my hearing aids ineffective, plunging me into a silent realm reliant solely on lipreading and body language. With the support of my husband and family, we explored various techniques and technologies to foster inclusion. ?

After two years of silence, I opted for a cochlear implant—a decision that felt right for me. It offered a bridge to reconnect with the auditory world, including the therapeutic melodies of running water and birdsong. The journey with the processor demanded intense focus and rewiring of my brain over many months but it paid off. Audiobooks became my companions, guiding me from children's tales to classics like Jane Eyre.

Awareness of the BSL community

Through this experience, I've become acutely aware of the exclusion faced by those with little hearing and reliant on sign language. In 2024, I embarked on learning British Sign Language (BSL), recognising the time commitment it requires alongside my work.

Some argue that interventions like cochlear implants align with the medical model, but I see them simply as aids—much like wearing glasses. No one should feel guilt for embracing these tools, yet sadly, some in the deaf community perpetuate negativity, bordering on bullying.

Importance of choices and respect for them:

Whether one chooses spoken language, sign language, or both is a deeply personal decision. Offering both options benefits everyone, and families need support in navigating this journey. Being bilingual linguistically should be celebrated. If a deaf individual opts for sign language over speech or vice versa, that choice deserves respect.

This rings especially true for those with severe to profound hearing loss. Even with spoken language acquisition, challenges persist, underscoring the importance of visual communication options.

Join us in making services accessible for everyone:

We all share the responsibility of creating accessible services and respecting individual choices. Through initiatives like our deaf awareness training, we strive to create better inclusion and understanding. Through our MCA? and Empowering choices courses we help professionals to respect individual’s choices.?

Join us by making your? business supportive of deaf and hard of hearing customers and employees. In the UK there are over 12 million deaf people. Therefore there are 1 in 5 people who have a hearing loss at some level. The risk increases with age. With an ageing workforce this is not something you can ignore.?

Learn effective techniques and technology with your workforce.

Book our deaf awareness course today or by 22/05/24 to get a discount.

The next open course for individuals and small providers to book is on the? 26th June in the morning.

Email or ring for bookings: [email protected] (heading- bookings) or ring/whats app 07379433707

Details of courses are on our website: https://living4moments.com/services/training/deaf-awareness/

See you there.