Sharing the burden of hearing loss

Thodson3 - Several times I have had to approach "friends" because I could see they felt it was okay to ridicule me and make me the butt of jokes because of my hearing disability. I explained that hearing loss is a disability just as a physical limitations is a disability. They always back off and apologize and say they really never thought of it as a disability.
Ray

@jshdma
Hi,
I was fortunate to not have worked in a toxic environment in my years at MetLife and at an Orthopedic practice although I came across my share of unthinkably rude and thoughtless people. This is an invisible disability and I fault the hearing aid manufacturers for advertising hearing aids as “so small no one will know you are wearing them.” This only increases the stigma of hearing loss. It’s no wonder people don’t know how to deal with someone like us. Some people are uncomfortable and I think it is up to us to make them more aware and show them how to speak to us. I do this right away when meeting new people.

I am glad I am retired and continue to be shocked at the hostile work environments some of you encounter on a daily basis and have to fight alone so often. I have succeeded only once in getting a hearing system installed in a local playhouse although they went ahead without asking for input from me. They installed a system not beneficial to me. I am in the process of trying to get one small library in my area to have a looped room. It’s a constant uphill struggle.

I would like to see the hearing aid manufacturers advertise the right way on national TV. I would like to see 60 Minutes and other programs do pieces on hearing loss. I saw a sign in a Walgreens that had a quiet counter section in the pharmacy pick up for people that had difficulty hearing. I would love to see those signs everywhere! I want these signs prominent so all will notice them. This would be an easy sell....not even asking for looping. I want billboards! I want commercials about hearing loss. I want the world to know how many of us are out here and how devastating hearing loss can be. I want awareness. It will come...slowly...but it will and we can’t be lazy and sit back and let other people do it. Kudos to Mayo Clinic and other hearing loss forums for providing us with the knowledge and experiences of others.

And finally....stop making all these assisted devices so out of reach financially for so many, including hearing aids. Now that’s a hard sell.

Regards from FL Mary

Yes, there is a vocational rehabilitation in my city. That is a needed program, but the people running the program here are just skimming the surface. Real concrete help is badly needed in this area for people like us.

@raykraemer Yes, hearing loss is often not recognized as a "disability." The reason may be that it is associated with old age, and old folks are freely the butt of jokes (granny, old guy, eh? what'ed you say? etc.) Remember, the youth culture is dominant. Over 40 = over the hill. Not to mention over 70.

@jshdma- This 74 year old grammy can vouch for your words. I wish I had even one dime for the times I've had to say, "s'cuse me?"

Most of us at some time have made a statement that includes something like "I want to live in a hearing world" but "the hearing world' doesn't have the awareness, the interest, and desire to "let us in." Some just don't know to include us but we link them self-consciously with the bullies and yes there are bullies. We are blessed with the few who do accommodate us. The attacks are very hurtful and they happen much to often.
I am trying to learn to advocate for myself . I am still hesitant to do so for fear that I, (yes I), have said the wrong thing.

I have been following these posts with great interest because it affects me every day. I have Roger Select because "I want to live in a hearing world" but it's not the perfect solution. It won't fix the hearing world.

@dorothynoz45
Hi, advocating for yourself is not easy ,it takes practice over time. I've been doing it for a long time so it comes easier to me.Always do it with a smile and a sense of humor where appropriate. About to go into my gym class and remind him to turn the music down because even those in the back row cant hear him

FL Mary

Thanks for the encouragement because you are so right, it isn't easy.

I have been lucky - California in the latte 80’s to mid 90’s- employers bent over backwards in getting the right phones for two of us. Me in other offices. And I was an independent contractor. In Philadelphia in late 90’s Tomis 2000- forget it I could not even get a good chair.
Why I decided to work just as anAnimal care provider- critters are almost always on my side( cats are tough but I love it).
Olly helps on speech to text. Not 100 percent
Use that along with roger pen

Advocacy is not just for us. It’s helps paves the way. Penn care has learn a lot from me because I speak up. Pushing for non phone access for appointments and questions. They are awesome though .
I am working on Sociel security being more understanding of my limits as a single hearing impaired l cannot work in previous field and less as in animal care . Expenses are high for hearing costs etc . They reduced my payment to cover Medicare . It is tough. Waiting for appeal date
Life is hard- chocs. /Critters/ aids off when I can and books / wanderings. So great.

@bookysue

Hi,
I have a friend in her late 50s who was being pressured to resign as IT librarian after 30 something years. She chose to retire rather than work in such an environment but was worried about her health benefits as she has MS along with her hearing difficulty. I told her she could apply for disability social security. She wanted to sell her house and car and move into an independent facility but did not want to deplete her savings waiting until she was of social security age. She hired a disability lawyer and , to my surprise, was approved for full time disability insurance because of her hearing, not her MS.

It took only 4 weeks for approval . These lawyers who specialize in this area really know their stuff. If you apply on your own the consensus is that you will be turned down the first time around.

Just putting this out there.

Regards from FL Mary