EVIDENCE of being deaf with Hearing Aid device

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Sweetmind

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http://news.independent.co.uk/people/profiles/article360995.ece

Personal Column: I'm good at being deaf
As a teenager, artist Sophie Woolley started losing her hearing. But it doesn't worry her
Published: 30 April 2006

People aren't born deaf in my family: it happens later on. For my mother and my sister it was in their teens. I first noticed I was having problems aged 19. I was working as a waitress and would sometimes get the orders wrong. The chef shouted at me to get a hearing test and I did. The audiologist said I had a very slight loss but didn't believe I had the family deafness.

I didn't think I would go deaf, but very, very gradually it's got worse. I still don't know whether I'm going to become profoundly deaf like my mum and sister, who both use sign language. My father isn't deaf and now finger-spells the first letter of every word for me. I'm profoundly deaf in high frequencies and wear hearing aids. When people are speaking I hear the vowels well and have to try and fill in the gaps with lip reading and guesswork.

When I'm lip-reading it takes a bit longer for my brain to process what people are saying. Sometimes I can see people looking slightly annoyed if I appear blank. I'm a performer of spoken-word monologues using mimicry and accents. A girl once came up to me after a show and said something, but I couldn't understand her. She asked if I was drunk. It turned out she was trying to tell me I was a genius, but she just ended up insulting me instead. But for every one person I meet who can't deal with my deafness I meet 10 who are brilliant about it.

I'm lucky in that I established myself as a writer and performer when my hearing was still pretty good. I now use an interpreter in rehearsals and a stenographer will provide an instantaneous transcription when we're working on scripts. Last year I toured Russia with the British Council giving creative writing workshops as well as performing.

If I don't tell people straight away that I'm deaf they think I'm being weird. I used to try and bluff my way through conversations, but it's tiring and I end up looking weird anyway. Some people think I'm putting it on to wind them up as deafness is believed to be something that happens to older people and also because my speech is normal.

My family has a really great attitude about deafness so I don't worry about the future. It's the day-to-day problems that crop up that do my head in sometimes. For example, if there's an announcement on the train, I won't know what's going on. Sometimes, if I'm reading a book, I've ended up in the sidings.

I also worry that people think I must fancy them because I'm staring at their lips a lot. So long as they don't have a beard or talk with their mouth full, I can lip-read them and I don't care what they think.

I miss out on ambient conversation, so I organise my social life so I don't put myself in situations where I'm at a dinner party with 15 people and everyone's talking at all at once. My boyfriend learned to sign as soon as we started seeing each other. Sometimes I call him and just talk at him and don't know what he's saying back.

The biggest change has been to my identity. I'm not the person I expected to be and have had to incorporate deafness into my personality. In my heart I'm still a hearing person, but as time goes by and as my hearing deteriorates, I am getting better at being deaf.

If I have children, there's a chance that they would inherit the gene, but I don't want any at the moment as I'm so busy with my career. When my mother first married, a doctor told her to get sterilised because she would have deaf children, but she ignored them. I'm more concerned about having a ginger baby than a deaf one. I'm a strawberry blonde but used to be more ginger.

Sophie Woolley was talking to Julia Stuart. Her touring one-woman show, 'When To Run', starts at the Edinburgh Festival in August with a finale at the Royal Festival Hall in December. For more information go to www.sophiewoolley.com. For information on deafness, hearing loss and tinnitus contact RNID's information line on 0808 808 0123 or textphone 0808 808 9000 or visit www.rnid.org.uk
Also in this section

© 2006 Independent News and Media Limited


This lady is latened deaf and has a very postive out look about being deaf that I have so much respect for her and also CSN who is d/Deaf blind and Latened deaf who told the truth too. They are very honest people about their own being deaf.

However I am very disappointed that many deaf oralist, CIers, hearing, and latened deaf with a very negative audist attitude are not being honest to themselves for a long time after all you dont feel good to use the term of d/Deaf. And also these people with audist attitude, hurts those d/Deaf chidren s needs that destroy their true identity.

AND also, Whats more I was forced to show the fact of being deaf by a hearing person that is no difference between d/Deaf oralism and latened deaf by a former hearing while they were being so cruel with their own audist attitude toward d/Deaf people like me, CSN, and others. Why cant you just listen to d/Deaf people who have a very positive attitude about being deaf. So now the evidence I have told the whole truth for a long long time because I care for d/Deaf children's best interest to have their ASL in their earliest age .

And it s still no difference between CI as internal and Ha as external devices. So be it! except for Latened Deaf who can take the risk to see if they will get their hearing back. It doesnt promise for them 100 percent.

So I am free like a freedom bird because I know what I am talking about being deaf myself and d/Deaf 's true experience that is no difference from you in many situations. Mind you, It s not from the old past days only but it s update today that shows the evidence I have the same thing as she is. I have been going through with all my honest truth writings for years and years.

I am more relieved to show this true evidence now and make my day. :whistle: I will reply more later.

Thank you! ;)
Sweetmind
 
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Sweetmind said:
....And also these people with audist attitude, hurts those d/Deaf chidren s needs that destroy their true identity.
You're right, that is terrible. Any decision a parent takes based on straightforward audism is wrong.

When we found out that our daughter was deaf we had her fitting with HA's to see if she would benefit from it. We bought books regarding deafness and deaf culture because we were unfamiliar with deafness. We sent her (1 year old) to a deaf kindergarten so she would be with other deaf children and with deaf teachers so she would learn sign quickly.
We, and our children, started using sign to her and went to courses to learn sign and get additional information.
We investigated in CI in case HA's wouldn't work and applied for that as well, so that when HA's wouldn't help her we wouldn't need to wait too long.
Keeping her deaf was also considered. Learning sign language was no problem, especially after allready having learned 3 to 4 other languages PLUS it's a beautiful language to use. (And when not carrying 2 grocery-bags, very practical.)
But we decided against "no operation" because all our family is hearing, our friends, 98% of the world.. Also, if she wants to be deaf, she can stop wearing the CI.

A decision should be based on information. Not on fear or dislike. That is true for hearing parents, but also for deaf parents.
 
I now understand where you are coming from Sweetmind, What you are saying is that some people who are oral, those who wear CI, those who lost their hearing in later life, are not accepting themselves for who they are, as being deaf for one. No matter what, weather they have a CI, who speaks very well, who lost their hearing later in life, they're still deaf, We know the truth, Let them lie to the society for all I care, because I know nothing is a cure to help anyone to hear, Unless if Jesus came down and gave me a chance to hear, Now that would be a miracle, without any devices to support my hearing, that would make me a hearing person instead of a deaf person. ;)
 
Good for her! She is leading her life exactly how she wants it and what works for her. She shows a positive example in her approach to life and as a late deafened person she has used her early advantage of hearing to help her.

I personally think though she would be horrified to know that her story was being used against people who chose to use hearing aids and CIs as "evidence" that their lifestyle is wrong. I think her story is more about the achievements of a deaf person, not a lesson on how to be deaf.

We are all different and have different needs and circumstances. What is right for one person may not be right for another. Hearing people make different choices in their lives and with deaf people coming from all walks of life, different races and becoming deaf in different ways and stage of their lives it is unreasonable to expect everyone to be the same. Those differences should be celebrated rather than seen as a threat.
 
Cheri said:
I now understand where you are coming from Sweetmind, What you are saying is that some people who are oral, those who wear CI, those who lost their hearing in later life, are not accepting themselves for who they are, as being deaf for one. No matter what, weather they have a CI, who speaks very well, who lost their hearing later in life, they're still deaf, We know the truth, Let them lie to the society for all I care, because I know nothing is a cure to help anyone to hear, Unless if Jesus came down and gave me a chance to hear, Now that would be a miracle, without any devices to support my hearing, that would make me a hearing person instead of a deaf person. ;)

What's the difference with Jesus coming to heal your deafness - how is that more accepting of your deafness?

Why are people who wear hearing aids and CIs not accepting of their deafness compared to those who would be healed by Jesus?

Are people in wheelchairs less accepting of their condition because they use devices as opposed to waiting for healing from Jesus?

I don't think there is anything wrong with using devices to make your life easier. It doesn't mean you don't accept that you aren't deaf. I think the problem is more that other people don't accept that they are deaf!
 
R2D2 said:
What's the difference with Jesus coming to heal your deafness - how is that more accepting of your deafness?

Why are people who wear hearing aids and CIs not accepting of their deafness compared to those who would be healed by Jesus?

Are people in wheelchairs less accepting of their condition because they use devices as opposed to waiting for healing from Jesus?

I don't think there is anything wrong with using devices to make your life easier. It doesn't mean you don't accept that you aren't deaf. I think the problem is more that other people don't accept that they are deaf!


Don't misunderstood me hun, I meant was nobody is hearing based on what devices they wear, The only way someone is hearing unless there was no device to help us hear, that would make us hearing instead of deaf now wouldn't it? That's what I meant, I'm not saying I don't accept myself being deaf, which I do. I'm just giving an example of being hearing vs being deaf. ;)
 
Okay I got you now and I agree with ya. Thanks for explaining :)
 
I have totally accepted the fact that I'm deaf. Its a fact of life for me. That doesn't mean it has to be the END of sound though. The fact I have a CI doesn't mean I'm afraid of my deafness or ashamed of it - it simply means I enjoy the benefit of being able to hear *WHEN I WEAR IT* (I added this, of course since several people love to throw the accusation that we who wear CI's consider ourselves normal hearing people.) I identify myself as deaf, I make no bones about it, I don't try to hide that fact, and it doesn't embarass me.

I'm living my life *exactly the way I want it* too! I never introduce myself to new people as a hearing person. I tell them I'm deaf and have a CI which helps me hear better.

sweetmind said:
However I am very disappointed that many deaf oralist, CIers, hearing, and latened deaf with a very negative audist attitude are not being honest to themselves for a long time after all you dont feel good to use the term of d/Deaf. And also these people with audist attitude, hurts those d/Deaf chidren s needs that destroy their true identity.

I'm latened deaf with a CI. My attitude about it is not audist at all. Why should I have to use labels in order to "prove" to Deaf Culturalists that I'm not ashamed of my deafness? I should't have to use the term "d/Deaf" to make people happy - when I'm the person whose happiness matters the most to me :)
 
R2D2 said:
Okay I got you now and I agree with ya. Thanks for explaining :)


You're welcome. Glad to clear this up for you. ;)
 
neecy said:
I have totally accepted the fact that I'm deaf. Its a fact of life for me. That doesn't mean it has to be the END of sound though. The fact I have a CI doesn't mean I'm afraid of my deafness or ashamed of it - it simply means I enjoy the benefit of being able to hear *WHEN I WEAR IT* (I added this, of course since several people love to throw the accusation that we who wear CI's consider ourselves normal hearing people.) I identify myself as deaf, I make no bones about it, I don't try to hide that fact, and it doesn't embarass me.

I'm living my life *exactly the way I want it* too! I never introduce myself to new people as a hearing person. I tell them I'm deaf and have a CI which helps me hear better.



I'm latened deaf with a CI. My attitude about it is not audist at all. Why should I have to use labels in order to "prove" to Deaf Culturalists that I'm not ashamed of my deafness? I should't have to use the term "d/Deaf" to make people happy - when I'm the person whose happiness matters the most to me :)

But, You also stated in a thread somewhere that you don't use ASL anymore since now that you have CI. Sounds like to me you changed.
 
Cheri said:
But, You also stated in a thread somewhere that you don't use ASL anymore since now that you have CI. Sounds like to me you changed.

The only reason I don't use ASL right now is because everybody in my family is hearing, and I have no deaf friends here. All my deaf friends are scattered throughout the USA/Canada (I met them at RIT/NTID.) I don't NEED to sign with my family/friends since I can hear them when they speak. If I were to talk to my deaf friends, I'd sign :)
 
R2D2 said:
Good for her! She is leading her life exactly how she wants it and what works for her. She shows a positive example in her approach to life and as a late deafened person she has used her early advantage of hearing to help her.

I personally think though she would be horrified to know that her story was being used against people who chose to use hearing aids and CIs as "evidence" that their lifestyle is wrong. I think her story is more about the achievements of a deaf person, not a lesson on how to be deaf.

We are all different and have different needs and circumstances. What is right for one person may not be right for another. Hearing people make different choices in their lives and with deaf people coming from all walks of life, different races and becoming deaf in different ways and stage of their lives it is unreasonable to expect everyone to be the same. Those differences should be celebrated rather than seen as a threat.


:gpost: I agree well said!!
 
Cheri said:
But, You also stated in a thread somewhere that you don't use ASL anymore since now that you have CI. Sounds like to me you changed.

Pardon me, why does that matter to you or others? Where is the crime or problem?

For her a CI allows her to do some things that she couldn't do for a long time. It is bound to change her as it did me. We adapt to what we can use especially if we find we can take advantage of it. What is the problem with that?

I find the fact that people changing being though of as a threat (or a problem) one of the most ludicrious things I ever heard. People change all the time and when a CI works for you...it is bound to change one's life. Your outlook is different and the possibilities for life have expanded.

I say as long as she recognizes that she is deaf (no matter what) and doesn't spurn the deaf then more power to her and we should rejoice with her instead of quibbling over things that don't matter in the scheme of things.

One last thing on the subject of change, people need to constantly reevaluate who and what they are as they go through life. If they don't, they become ossified and "stuck" and like a broken record that can't get out the rut they created for themselves. Change is good.
 
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sr171soars,

I wasn't talking to you, nor was my post direct to you? Learn to stop jumping on a bandwagon. There no reason for you to attack me for what I've seen on some threads, I was pointing out the truth, Do you mind? Thank-you. *rmes*
 
Cheri said:
sr171soars,

I wasn't talking to you, nor was my post direct to you? Learn to stop jumping on a bandwagon. There no reason for you to attack me for what I've seen on some threads, I was pointing out the truth, Do you mind? Thank-you. *rmes*

I wasn't attacking you (believe me you haven't seen me attack you if you really want to know). I was asking a question that needed to be ask. If you are defensive, then my question had merit. Truth is not the issue here as my question proved it's point.

As for jumping the bandwagon, if it were just between you and her, then PM each other instead of airing it out in public. It is a public thread. I did say "pardon me" which is the proper way to interject.

The business of a person changing due to a CI is one of the many issues that has repeatedly come up time and time again. It needs to be put to rest. Accusing another of "gasp" changing due to a CI (especially a successful outcome) is to be expected. To expect otherwise reveals a person's thought process for what it is either wishful thinking or ignorance.
 
:zzz: @ sr171soars It's a good thing that they have an ignored iggy provide here in AD. I gotta start using that. :whistle:
 
Cheri said:
:zzz: @ sr171soars It's a good thing that they have an ignored iggy provide here in AD. I gotta start using that. :whistle:

Umm...I guess that will work for me too.... :zzz:

As they say "What was that all about?" ;)
 
Ouch.....

See.....CI causes many people to feel very painful because of the arguments....see....CI is so evil....that's why God did NOT plan on CI. CI really hurts so many deaf people due to their identities.

F O R G E T about CI.. Why can't you quit discussing about CI? I wish that CI is not here so that way everyone would feel peace and happy!
 
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