An Invitation to Hearing-Impaired People
I am the new Information Coordinator for hearing-impaired people. I am looking forward to getting e-mails from all you valiant Co-Counselors with hearing impairments. My role is, first, to assemble your stories into a newsletter and send it out to all contributors and, second, to encourage you to lead small and large groups on the topic of hearing impairment.
I know that some hearing-impaired people do not want to admit their difficulties. However, here in the safety of RC, you are welcome to tell your story. Your story could include (but doesn’t have to) how your hearing impairment developed, how long you’ve had it, your successes and challenges in connecting with everyone in your life, and who your allies are. How have you used your brilliant mind in thinking about this issue? Do you have sessions on hearing impairment? What restimulations do you need to discharge?
Here’s a brief version of my story (I’ll probably expand it for the newsletter): I am a sixty-six-year-old white U.S. woman. I was in a car accident a couple of years ago; the airbag exploded in the closed space, and I lost a lot of my hearing—just like that. I have Blue Tooth hearing aids with a microphone system, but even so it’s often difficult for me to understand what people say. I refuse to give up human contact, though my patterns often tempt me to withdraw, so I constantly have to train individuals and groups in how to help me. This effort can get exhausting, so I have sessions to renew my determination. My husband is still working to grasp that I can’t hear the telephone ring when there is music on the radio, but he is trying his best. My hearing aid dispenser is a lovely woman, possibly the only person I know who truly understands what I am up against.
I am eager to hear from you in any language and in any amount of detail.
Corvallis, Oregon, USA
(Present Time 187, April 2017)