Oh where do I begin? I'm new here and may get around to the introduction forum, but this thread got my attention first.
When I explain myself the most common response is the joke, "What?" accompanied by laughter.
Doing all the work listening to a person relate a long drawn out joke, only to have the punch line whispered or understated for emphasis. Grrrr.
Explaining myself to every living human being I have contact with. Receiving an absolutely shocked look and refusal to communicate further as if I had insulted them irreparably.
People who say that it is unfair for me to "inflict" myself on the hearing world without presenting the alternative as to where I am supposed to go crawl away and die.
Having high grades in school met with deliberate sabotage and exclusion from study groups.
Working in health care, if I dare to ask a physician to repeat something I did not hear, getting either yelled at for daring "to question" the doctor or subsequently being asked for the "real" person in authority, which unfortunately is still me.
Doing everything in my power to help people, but having them still perceive something isn't quite normal with me, resulting in complaints to the company and loss of jobs for me--even though I go above and beyond requirements and have a superior service record on objective evaluations.
Having had to use a cane for awhile due to a broken knee, and having the general public make way, give concerned attention and patience for the visible need of accommodation--what a change from getting kicked in the teeth for "acting stupid" because deafness is invisible therefore "ok" to persecute at every communication juncture.
People who refuse to work for or under a hard of hearing person. And all the advice the hearies give you about how you just aren't stepping up to the management task due to some incomprehensible lack of character that is indefinable and therefore uncorrectable.
Having school lighting motion sonic detectors turn off my hearing aids and having the hearing aid manufacturer refuse to acknowledge the problem because "our clientele is older and they don't try to go to school."
Finding a balance of emphasizing the need for accommodation without presenting yourself as a danger to the public if you occupy a critical profession.
People, especially those in power, who are so insecure that they are compelled to tease or torture me just to make themselves feel better about themselves.
When working intensive retail and taking phones, communication takes a great deal of concentration and takes a heavy toll on health and peace of mind. When I do get a lunch break, if I get a lunch break, having the inability to get away from people who want to engage me in continued conversation so I cannot concentrate on my meal or get a mental break from work strain. Having this be considered unfriendly and rude.
I could go on and on, but this is it for now. Thanks for the forum to vent.
