I was in the Pub earlier....

whiskeyonesix

whiskeyonesix

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....Wait let me finish :)

As you guys know I've recently acquired a pair of HA's which I'm slowly getting used to...
So, me and the missus were in the beer garden of our local pub just having a drink or two, it was fairly noisy, and I'd switched my HA's to a Quiet setting to block out the background noise so we could talk. I'm still fairly self-conscious about my HA's despite them being fairly hard to see ( the fact that other people probably dont even notice or care hasn't quite registered with me yet )
I saw an older couple and their grandchild at the next table, I notice the chap's got a CI, he's in his 50's and it seems only recent, he's got fairly short hair so it's visible and he has to adjust the volume on it as it's a loud pub. As we go to leave, my wife pushes her chair back, It's loud and it goes through me with my HA's but it really startles this chap.
I feel I ought to say something, so I mumble something along the lines of "sorry about the noise", gesture towards my HA's so he can see that I've got half an idea about the sharp noise and leave.

It's the first time I've ever seen someone with a CI. Maybe I should have spoken to him about it?
 
I would have chatted with him! I was at a store the other day and the clerk was obviously deaf. I was trying to see if she wore CI's but she had long hair. I looked for her as we were leaving to ask her questions but did not find her. I've seen families with kids with CI's but I'm on the look out for adults. I've been stopped and asked about my HA's many, many times. I'm happy to answer questions. Once was by an elderly man in our old neighborhood--many years ago. I was in my early 30's at the time, he was probably around 80. He thought that HA's would make him look "old". When he saw that I still looked young, he got some for himself. :giggle:
 
whiskeyonesix said:
....Wait let me finish :)

As you guys know I've recently acquired a pair of HA's which I'm slowly getting used to...
So, me and the missus were in the beer garden of our local pub just having a drink or two, it was fairly noisy, and I'd switched my HA's to a Quiet setting to block out the background noise so we could talk. I'm still fairly self-conscious about my HA's despite them being fairly hard to see ( the fact that other people probably dont even notice or care hasn't quite registered with me yet )
I saw an older couple and their grandchild at the next table, I notice the chap's got a CI, he's in his 50's and it seems only recent, he's got fairly short hair so it's visible and he has to adjust the volume on it as it's a loud pub. As we go to leave, my wife pushes her chair back, It's loud and it goes through me with my HA's but it really startles this chap.
I feel I ought to say something, so I mumble something along the lines of "sorry about the noise", gesture towards my HA's so he can see that I've got half an idea about the sharp noise and leave.

It's the first time I've ever seen someone with a CI. Maybe I should have spoken to him about it?
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I think you may have the wrong idea. A CI-user does not hear the way a hearing aid user does. For one, most CI-users aren't in the habit of turning their processor down in a loud environment... we need to hear and turning it down defeats the purpose. Loud sounds should not be bothersome the way they can be with a hearing aid. A CI isn't amplifying sounds. Loud noises are responded to the way anybody with normal hearing would. Lots of noise/talking can be tiring to a CI-user, but it's more of an information overload, as opposed to a "I can't take this aid screaming in my ear anymore!", thing.

I turned my hearing aid down in loud environments all the time as everything was always overdriven. With my CI, I sometimes turn it up in a loud environment as the extra input requires more power. It's possible the person you saw was doing this or switching to a noise program.

Volume works different on a CI from a HA. It's still perceived as increasing/decreasing volume, but it's more of a focus mechanism.

You could have approached him. I don't mind questions about my CI. What I do mind are assumptions.
 
Hmmm yeah, I didn't think maybe he was actually turning the CI up...... still, I know he lives fairly local now, so if I see him again in there I'll say hello to him.

Just out of interest, what sort of questions do you get about your CI?
 
ambrosia said:
Deaf accents are pretty distinct
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There's a "deaf accent" ? do you really mean to say that people who are deaf all sound the same? :)

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCPShOV28cg[/ame]

Does he sound deaf lol? :)


[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UF0G-u0hBns[/ame]

Does he sound deaf? :)
 
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Ambrosia is right. Not saying deaf people sound the same, just that they have a distinct accent, even if it is subtle, like I do.

From what I've observed:

Hearing people with speech impediments seem to try to formulate words, even if they can't, and most are aware of whether they are too loud or quiet.

Some deaf folks make noises that can startle people. Some just blurt out any kind of sound, and some try to say words the best they can. Most tend to be too loud for the environment they are in. Some sounds can be really irritating, bizarre, and disgusting.

Even the deaf folks with "excellent" speech have a distinct accent.

It all depends on their upbringing, training, therapy, etc.
 
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Such controversy. I guess if you have always been deaf, you just don't understand this. There is a very distinct way of speaking for people that have been deaf since birth or early childhood whether you want to admit it or not.
 
It's a combination of pitch, deaf voices are really monotone and I don't know how to explain it but the pitch is just off, and being really nasally. Since the deaf can't hear them they push the sound through their nose more so they can feel the vibrations.
 
I have only encountered 2 deaf people here in my town, a black couple that been to the local fair every year who sign and a girl who is deformed and wears CI at walmart.
I have wanted to talk to her about the CI but she is a cashier and don't want to hold her up with her fast paced job and the black couple I seen at the fair have been to a restaurant we frequent, but I have never introduced myself...should I? I just feel awkwards to just walk up and say Hi, Im deaf too...
 
ambrosia said:
It's a combination of pitch, deaf voices are really monotone and I don't know how to explain it but the pitch is just off, and being really nasally. Since the deaf can't hear them they push the sound through their nose more so they can feel the vibrations.
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I don't think anyone can say that someone is deaf just because they have a nasal voice, but whatever :P
 
It's not often that someone on a message board comes in and rubs everyone the wrong way. But you definitely seem to have managed it Oc318.
 
whiskeyonesix said:
Hmmm yeah, I didn't think maybe he was actually turning the CI up...... still, I know he lives fairly local now, so if I see him again in there I'll say hello to him.

Just out of interest, what sort of questions do you get about your CI?
Click to expand...

It's been a range of them depending on the education level/awareness of the person asking.

I've gotten: "What's that?" "How do you like your hearing aid?" "How do you like your implant?" I don't mind and I'm happy to educate them.
 
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