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Simown

Simown

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I've been really busy recently getting ready for University, sorry if anyone has tried to contact me, send me a personal message AGAIN if you'd like :) I'm sure you all missed me?

Anyway, I am moving into halls of residence in October in another city to start my University Degree and will be living (and socialising) with 20-odd people on a daily basis from the start (obviously more if I can survive that long :P)

My question is: how is it best to explain you are deaf to someone when you first meet them? I can hear a little with a cochlear implant, one to one is fine, but not well enough to talk in a large group of people. I only went deaf very recently so this is all new to me :Oops:

I usually end up saying "Err.. I'm a bit deaf..so you know" and sound completely stupid. Any feedback appreciated.

Thanks.




And no, please don't move it to the welcome thread.
 
If it is a person you must interact with on a daily basis, explain that you are deaf and what they need to do, ie, look at you when speaking, whatever you need and get it out of the way so no awkwardness builds.
 
Hey, Simon. Glad to see you around here again. I just say, I have a hearing loss so you're going to have to face me directly. Play around it and see what you feel comfortable with. Don't worry. Everyone's in the same boat when they start university. Your freshman dorm mates will want to make new friends, too.
 
Simown said:
My question is: how is it best to explain you are deaf to someone when you first meet them?

I usually end up saying "Err.. I'm a bit deaf..so you know" and sound completely stupid. Any feedback appreciated.
Click to expand...

Good question!
I'd also like to know if their is a better approach that..."Err.. I'm a bit deaf!"
 
Yeah, quick replies. Thank you!

sallylou said:
I have a hearing loss so you're going to have to face me directly. Play around it and see what you feel comfortable with. .
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I think that's the problem, I don't really feel comfortable with it, but I'm sure it will get easier with practice :)
 
Don't worry, Simon. It does get easier with time. It's just a big adjustment. Let us know how it goes. :wave:
 
Direct approach is best. Just look them in the eye and say "I'm sorry. I am deaf, please be patient with me. Look at me when you speak. I may need to have you write on a pad." There is no better way than telling them. As long as they are people you will deal with often, they will learn how to deal with it.
 
I'm also very terrible at introducing the fact that I'm HOH. I never ever think to talk about it with people because I guess I kind of expect people to know that the things in my ears are hearing aids... it's not that I think like that it's just I forget that I even have them :Oops: and don't think about people wanting to know what they are.

When I met one of my friends for the first time at the beginning of last year, we got to know each other and then a couple weeks later someone was talking about me being HOH or something and then he goes, "Yeah, what are those things in your ears?" I was quite dumbfounded and told him that they were the latest craze and that everyone wanted to wear a fashionable hearing aid. :P It was something along those lines... I just had to say a smartass comment. :lol:
 
I remember when I was at a station. I wore a Cubex hearing aid (body worn).

I asked this guy to repeat himself and he said "you would hear much better if you took your walkman off"
 
dreama said:
I remember when I was at a station. I wore a Cubex hearing aid (body worn).

I asked this guy to repeat himself and he said "you would hear much better if you took your walkman off"
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:rofl2: <roll on the floor laughing so hard>
 
dreama said:
I remember when I was at a station. I wore a Cubex hearing aid (body worn).

I asked this guy to repeat himself and he said "you would hear much better if you took your walkman off"
Click to expand...

:laugh2: That's a good one!
 
Loghead said:
I'm also very terrible at introducing the fact that I'm HOH. I never ever think to talk about it with people because I guess I kind of expect people to know that the things in my ears are hearing aids... it's not that I think like that it's just I forget that I even have them :Oops: and don't think about people wanting to know what they are.

When I met one of my friends for the first time at the beginning of last year, we got to know each other and then a couple weeks later someone was talking about me being HOH or something and then he goes, "Yeah, what are those things in your ears?" I was quite dumbfounded and told him that they were the latest craze and that everyone wanted to wear a fashionable hearing aid. :P It was something along those lines... I just had to say a smartass comment. :lol:
Click to expand...

Good response!....I've found that as you get older, a sense of humor about ur deafness breaks the ice.....when ur young, too. Some people assume if ur an older person and can't hear, you're HOH, so they automatically get in ur ear and hollar....Whenever that's happened to me, I keep repeating..."say what,? say what?".....Laugh it off, and say, don't hollar in my ear, I can't hear a damn thing!"....I've been asked many, many times, over and over, the reason why I can't hear.....(gets tiresome)....so I responded...."too much rock 'n roll"!
 
rockin'robin said:
Good response!....I've found that as you get older, a sense of humor about ur deafness breaks the ice.....when ur young, too. Some people assume if ur an older person and can't hear, you're HOH, so they automatically get in ur ear and hollar....Whenever that's happened to me, I keep repeating..."say what,? say what?".....Laugh it off, and say, don't hollar in my ear, I can't hear a damn thing!"....I've been asked many, many times, over and over, the reason why I can't hear.....(gets tiresome)....so I responded...."too much rock 'n roll"!
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LOL! :lol:

And so true, it is a great way to break the ice. :) I don't usually have anyone ask me about them except little kids. I guess most people my age and older may feel it's rude to ask (or can tell what they are)... I really don't mind them asking questions. What I don't like is when people seem to think that you're mentally disabled because you have hearing aids, and then proceed to treat you like a mentally disabled person... until you say a few words to them and then they realize you aren't as dumb as they thought. :lol: :hmm:
 
Make sure you explain about your deafness properly and make sure they understand that you CAN hear with your CI etc.


In college few years ago. 1 1/2 years into a course, my friend only just realised I could hear them...... after playing with a chicken toy, I asked her to stop, it was annoying me! You should have seen her face haha!! She even told my CSW when she entered the room, she was like I know...I'v been working with melissa for the past 3 years. the friend felt so stupid.
good luck!!

E.g

hey my name's Simown, I'm deaf won't really do at all.
 
Thanks for the advice!

I still think I'm going to mess it up on the day :P I think I'll need some practice.
 
I'm a Deaf university student myself. I never did the res thing though.

Normally I have interpreters following me around when I am on campus so that tends to tip people off that I am Deaf. I have a voice-off rule on campus too so that means I don't speak or read lips. I only use interpreters.

However, if I am in a speaking environment I don't do the "Hi, I'm Jenny! I'm Deaf, I need to look at you when you speak..blah blah blah" thing. normally I start the convo and if it gets to a point when I can't understand (normally within the first 10 seconds this happens) I interupt and say "I'm Deaf, I need to read your lips when you speak." normally the other person looks up and says sorry and then we are fine for the rest of the conversation.
 
Thinking of getting a tape recorder, saying....Oh...HI! I'm deaf....ur dumb....don't like it?...Ho Hum!....Piece of gum?"
 
Yeah, you could always get one of those red circles with a slash through it, and paste it over your ears.

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