Rush Limbaugh was on-air discussing his hearing loss and what deafness meant to him prior to his cochlear implant. He made the point that a hearing loss is the only disorder/disability inre which people will get mad at the sufferer. When someone with a hearing loss needs people to repeat what they said, or not cover their face so he/she can read their lips, or turn up the volume inre the radio or tv, too often that set of needs is not recognized and addressed fairly and respectfully by people with normal hearing. Someone with a hearing loss looks normal. But the hearing loss problem is internal. There are no external signs of a hearing loss except for the requests for help from the sufferer. People with normal hearing therefore too often get mad at the pleas for help from a person with a hearing loss. But the hearing-impaired person has a problem: the radio or tv volume that is ok for normal people means if they will not turn up the volume and tolerate the loudness so a partially deaf person can hear whats being said, then they will condemn that person to a sonic communication isolation they themselves would not tolerate if they had a choice. Hearing aids work up to a point, but after that point the hearing impaired person has to ask for help. I have a hearing loss estimated to be 60%. Tinnitus—head noises. I know how infuriating and sad itiz to not hear what other people hear, even with hearing aids. I know what itiz to miss out on the verbal communication of ideas, concepts, principles, facts, opinions, desires, fears, priorities, emotions, and impulses that normally occurs between humans with normal hearing. Its no fun to go to a party and not hear or understand the raucus repartée of revelers—the rapid exchange of greetings and jokes and be afraid to ask someone What did he say? because at some point during his updating of me he will miss out on some of the repartée and get tired of being my human hearing aid and if he doesnt get mad he will most likely find an excuse to leave my side and thereby leave me alone to watch but not hear and thereby miss the fun and general happiness going on. If you are fortunate to have normal hearing then you might consider addressing respectfully the needs of a hearing impaired person when he/she asks for help and tolerating repeating yourself or telling him/her what someone else just said or turning up the radio/tv volume so he/she has a chance to enjoy the sounds, especially the human voice, that you take for granted.
Posted on: Sun, 11 May 2014 11:44:08 +0000
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