Deaf and Hard of Hearing

Deaf & Hard of Hearing ( Hoh)

A little bit more about myself and my experiences with hearing loss...

As you browse my site it's easy to see the impact Spinal Muscular Atrophy has had on my life, in fact SMA is the reason that my website exists. These tiny heroes, and their families have given me so much. They've taught me to cherish each moment and never take a second for granted... They have helped me discover the person I want to be and my website is one of the tiny ways that I can give back - spread awareness, help raise funds, and encourage others to find within themselves their own answer to the question "why am I here?"

One thing that most people who've previously visited my site might not know is that I'm Hard of Hearing/Deaf. I was born with profound hearing loss on one side , and also have mild/moderate fluctuating loss on the other side. I am the only person in my family with hearing loss, and attended regular public schools without the added benefit of any assistance ( something that would NEVER happen today - things were so different back then). I grew up 'oral only', meaning that I relied on speech and listening skills to communicate without the added benefit of ASL ( American Sign language). Once I was old enough to make ( and have control of ) communication choices for myself, I started actively pursuing learning ASL , and about Deaf Culture. I've never looked back!! I now use both spoken/written English, and ASL daily to communicate, and value Deaf Culture tremendously. Being Hoh is a balancing act, I can 'get by' quite well in the hearing world... but it's not "my" world ... I have a deep connection with the Deaf World, much more than I ever will with the Hearing World - yet it's not really "mine" either ... being Hoh is something like being a tightrope walker working without a net. Though it's been a long journey - it's one that I would never change. I am Hoh ( meaning I can hear enough to communicate via speech & listening in a quiet environment, but I also consider myself Deaf (culturally).

A little bit about hearing loss

What's in a Name ? Sometimes alot !

Everyone's heard/seen people with hearing loss referred to as "hard of hearing", "hearing impaired", "deaf", "deaf&dumb" ... with all these terms floating around - it's hard NOT to get confused. If you think you're confused with all the terms, take comfort in the fact that even people with hearing loss don't feel there's a "right" term that works for all of us. What one person with hearing loss might find offensive, another might feel is "right for them. I refer to myself as Hard of Hearing / Deaf, because that's what's "right " for me, a friend of mine prefers Hearing Impaired for themselves...

It might be "only a name" for hearing people, but for a person with hearing loss , who's often struggled to find identity that feels right for them ... what we "label" ourselves is often very important ( even if it might not seem that it is ) If you know someone with hearing loss, please ask them what they prefer before you decide to "apply a label" to them - it only takes a minute !

Hard of Hearing ( HoH)

People who refer to themselves as HoH, usually are able ( and are reasonably comfortable) communicating orally, using their residual hearing and speech to communicate most of the time ( in a "good listening environment"). Some HoH people also may use Sign Language or a speechreading aid called Cued Speech to help communicate. Hoh people may or may not be involved in the Deaf Community.

Hearing Impaired

People who refer to themselves as Hearing Impaired usually communicate exclusively using speech, using any residual hearing ( often with Hearing Aids or Cochlear Implants) and speechreading to communicate. They tend not to use a form of signed language, but may use cued speech. People who identify themselves as Hearing Impaired generally are not involved in the Deaf Community.

deaf & Deaf

deaf ( lower case "d") is a medical term for hearing loss over 80-90db. People who refer to themselves as deaf are unable to hear speech without ( and sometimes with) amplification. People who are deaf may use any number of communication methods.

Deaf ( upper case "D") is used by people who are Culturally Deaf, and are involved in the Deaf Community. Deaf people use ASL ( or other signed language) to communicate with other Deaf people, and may or may not additionally communicate via spoken language & use of any residual hearing. Deaf people tend not to view deafness as a disability as much as a cultural difference - much like any other cultural minority we face communication challenges ( just as you would if you spoke German in a predominantly French speaking area) , and cultural "cross communications".

deaf and dumb

The only term that is widely regarded as highly offensive is "deaf&dumb". Originally "dumb" referred to "silent" - however in today's world "dumb" translates into less intelligent, stupid, simple etc. Please NEVER refer to a person with hearing loss as "deaf&dumb" ...whatever it might have meant in the past - today it's insulting.

Common Hearing Loss Terms

Tinnitus

Tinnitus is commonly discribed as "ringing in the ears", however it can also be a wide variety of other sounds, or head noises ( like sirens , running water, wind, mumbling, popping almost anything really ) which only the person with the Tinnitus can hear. Tinnitus can come and go , there are a number of things in daily life that can "trigger" Tinnitus to become louder - knowing what your personal triggers are is important in being able to keep it to a minimum. Tinnitus is almost always a symptom of hearing loss ( permanent or temporary ) and in some cases it can be so loud that it actually drowns out voices or masks them to the point where it's difficult or impossible to understand what is being said. For more information on Tinnitus please click here or scroll down to the bottom of this pages for a number of useful links.

Recruitment

Recruitment is a condition which is a result of sensorineural ( nerve damage ) hearing loss. Recruitment means that sounds seem to increase too loud, and too fast - the end result is that after a certain db level ( loudness) things can sound twice as loud to a person with hearing loss as one with 'normal' hearing. This is one reason why I, and many other people who use amplifying devices such as hearing aids - will turn them OFF in noisy situations ... what is loud for hearing people if absolutely PAINFUL for many of us. Another common problem recruitment causes is that the sounds we do hear are often fuzzy ...like listening to a radio station , that isn't quite properly tuned in- it makes some words sound identical, making it increasingly difficult (especially in noise) in situations where we need to rely on what we hear to communicate. For more information on Recruitment click here and/or visit some of the other links provided at the bottom of this page.

Hyperacusis

Hyperacusis is a condition where ALL sounds that a person hears sound too loud .. it can be a painful, sometimes debilitating condition - some people find the only solution is to wear some form of hearing protection at all times to help block out an all-to-noisy-world. There are a number of different types of re-training therapies which may help people with hyperacusis manage this condition. Hyperacusis can affect people with 'normal' hearing, as well as those with hearing loss. For more information on hyperacusis click here and/or visit the links provided below

Common Devices used to make the 'hearing world' accessible to people with hearing loss

AKA – I see what you hear

If you're a hearing person, or are new hearing loss, you probably wonder how people with hearing loss are able to independantly manage a number of common everyday things. How do we know when there's someone at the door? What do I do since I can's hear when the alarm Clock is going off ? How do I place a phone call , or generally communicate with hearing people? In this section I'll explain what I use on a daily basis to access typical 'hearing' situations.

My alarm clock – Since I'm unable to hear a standard alarm clock I use one which has been made especially for people with ANY degree of hearing loss, from very slight, to profoundly deaf. I use a SonicBoom clock from Sonic Alert, which has a number of methods of alerting me. I use the vibration feature ...There's a special “puck” type device that goes between the mattress and box spring, which then plugs into the alarm clock , and when the alarm goes of it shakes the mattress. It also has a VERY VERY loud buzzer option which is great if you live in a home, not so wonderful if you live in an apt ( unless you want to have very grouchy neighbours). The third option is a flasher – this means that you can plug a standard lamp into the back of the alarm clock and it will flash the lamp when the alarm goes off. My SonicBoom clock also receives signals from all the other signallers in my home ( phone, doorbell, etc.) so that I can 'see the sound' in my bedroom, much in the same way that hearing people are able to 'listen for the door/phone etc. from another room”.

More to come soon ...

Communication tips when talking with someone who has hearing loss

Communication Tips for friends, family and co-workers

Communication Tips for Teachers and educators

Family & social gathering tips