What are the biggest difficulties deaf or HOH people face nowadays?

@bookysue

The Deaf Culture people do not like it when we label ourselves deaf. We have been told to use the word “deaf” with a small “d” as opposed to a capital “D”. I have known and associated with many who were born deaf and also a lot of late deafened or hard of hearing people like myself. When I was learning sign language I had one woman in my group who disparaged finger spelling and actually turned her back on me in conversation. I have had only a few encounters with truly Deaf people but my sense is that they can be a very insular group. Those of us who have some sort of hearing loss can flounder when we have to identify ourselves. We have had this discussion before and I have personally found that using the terms “I read lips, please face me “ or in the case of mask wearing...”I read lips and need to use an app to see what you are saying” or something of that nature works well for me. I found that those particular words seem to decrease the stigma of hearing loss and many of the misconceptions about me including hard of hearing means dumb. Maybe it’s the fact that people think wow...this old broad uses apps or they are intrigued with the app.

I don’t like either of the words impaired or challenged... Are we visually impaired or challenged if we wear glasses? Anyway the people you are referring to haven’t walked in your shoes, Don’t let them say negative things to you....really they don’t have a clue but you can educate them. Such people can be very judgmental .....gets my dander up. And don’t be apologetic...ain’t your fault you can’t hear as well as they do....so don’t apologize and hang back. Had a woman say to me years ago with a real superior attitude .”You know they make state of the art hearing aids” No kidding Dick Tracy! I put her nose out of joint too...with a smile on my face.
Please don’t judge something you don’t know about.
.
16 years for a hearing aid is phenomenal. I think the normal life expectancy is 5 years. Go get new ones and a hearing test too. And yes, you got an amplifier erroneously labeled as a hearing aid so no wonder your tinnitus increased. The advertisers are more careful today in making the distinction....might even be a law...I forget.

I don’t even know what discussion this is a part of so hope I didn’t stray in recipes or walking lol.

FL Mary

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I use the word challenged because not only are we working to overcome something, making it a challenge, Hearing challenges involve more than just hearing loss, they involve tinnitus, Meniere's, vertigo, noise and other sensitivities as well

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I usually just say "I don't hear well", and leave it at that.

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@bookysue

The Deaf Culture people do not like it when we label ourselves deaf. We have been told to use the word “deaf” with a small “d” as opposed to a capital “D”. I have known and associated with many who were born deaf and also a lot of late deafened or hard of hearing people like myself. When I was learning sign language I had one woman in my group who disparaged finger spelling and actually turned her back on me in conversation. I have had only a few encounters with truly Deaf people but my sense is that they can be a very insular group. Those of us who have some sort of hearing loss can flounder when we have to identify ourselves. We have had this discussion before and I have personally found that using the terms “I read lips, please face me “ or in the case of mask wearing...”I read lips and need to use an app to see what you are saying” or something of that nature works well for me. I found that those particular words seem to decrease the stigma of hearing loss and many of the misconceptions about me including hard of hearing means dumb. Maybe it’s the fact that people think wow...this old broad uses apps or they are intrigued with the app.

I don’t like either of the words impaired or challenged... Are we visually impaired or challenged if we wear glasses? Anyway the people you are referring to haven’t walked in your shoes, Don’t let them say negative things to you....really they don’t have a clue but you can educate them. Such people can be very judgmental .....gets my dander up. And don’t be apologetic...ain’t your fault you can’t hear as well as they do....so don’t apologize and hang back. Had a woman say to me years ago with a real superior attitude .”You know they make state of the art hearing aids” No kidding Dick Tracy! I put her nose out of joint too...with a smile on my face.
Please don’t judge something you don’t know about.
.
16 years for a hearing aid is phenomenal. I think the normal life expectancy is 5 years. Go get new ones and a hearing test too. And yes, you got an amplifier erroneously labeled as a hearing aid so no wonder your tinnitus increased. The advertisers are more careful today in making the distinction....might even be a law...I forget.

I don’t even know what discussion this is a part of so hope I didn’t stray in recipes or walking lol.

FL Mary

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The terminology surrounding hearing loss gets as weird as the assumptions people make about hearing loss.

The difference between being Deaf of Deaf culture, and being partially deaf or hard of hearing is important to understand.

Those of Deaf culture, most often people who were born deaf who use manual communication exclusively, believe that deafness as they experience it is their norm. They don't want to hear, and resent people who tell them they should want to hear. Therefore, they do not accept the term 'impaired', because they don't believe themselves to have an impairment.

Hard of hearing people experience hearing loss differently. Most want to hear and will do what they can to bring clear sound to their 'impaired or damaged' ears. We HH folks don't embrace our hearing loss as beautiful. While we can bring these populations together to work on common goals, it is next to impossible to expect complete collaboration. One groups solution to communication access is sign language. The other group's solution is technology that helps them hear. It just doesn't mesh very well. Yet, we can certainly respect each other's needs and opinions as we look for things we can work together on.

I hope you can find the support you need to get decent hearing aids that will help you.

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I cannot afford new aids ( do not qualify for care credit) . I am a candidate for cochlear implants also . That is something I really cannot to do for it the 20 percent needed between what Medicare covers and I have to cover. I love music and as as the Cochlear implants have improved; there still not up there quite there.
There are trying HLAA and others are trying to set rules about standards for over the counter aids. The folks in the mild to moderate range should do okay ( Nano). Forget higher levels of loss for over the counter aids.
It is really interesting or scary how in a Twitter feed I dare write that I am not willing to state that I am deaf.
I feel people who function without need of signing or cued speech, etc and do somewhat okay speech in a hearing world is not deaf. It is I think a U.K. vs USA thing.
As for we call yourself in a hearing world; at the last HLAA convention( Rochester, NY) ,; I got hell( That was wrong at that level) from several folks overheard I as a hearing impaired person. They stated to me that I am to call myself hearing challenged. Political correctness in a deefenned/ deafened world
This perhaps may be a reaction to everything going on but perhaps I feel a need to just only be aided on need to need basis and be “deaf” rest of the time. It is too hard dealing with people . I read/ draw. Hike - all solitary.
I put in all this at an end of a discussion on Life transcript ( android phone) has high reviews overall for what it does. Otter for Apple; I done the free version has done surprisingly okay .
Sorry for long bit.

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@imallears, I would like to clarify your response to @catladyde9. Cell phones have both an M and a T rating. M stands for Microphone compatibility and T stands for Telecoil compatibility. The values go from 1 - 4, with the higher number being the most compatible. Yes, we need to choose a phone that has at least an M3/T3 rating. An M4/T4 is ideal, but I am happy with my M3/T3 iPhone. You may not even find an M4/T4. Surprising, probably due to the advocacy efforts of HLAA members, the sales folks in the the phone carrier stores have become more aware. The M/T ratings are advertised more. If you do not see the M/T rating listed on the packaging or display kiosk, ask the sales person. They may have to go in the "back room" to find the answer, but you need to request this information. If it's not available, then do not buy that product (and tell them why) and consider yourself an advocate for others with hearing loss. Cell phone manufacturers are required by law to have a certain percent of their products accessible.
Tony in Michigan

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@tonyinmi Thank you so much for clarifying M4/T4 ratings. Recently purchased my second pair of HAs (Resound Preza @ Costco). Last year I was forced to hurriedly purchase an Alcatel flip cell in June. My previous one year old cell phone's speaker suddenly "died". It was an emergency purchase at the height of the pandemic. I had to have a usable cell phone for a very long drive in unfamiliar area for a critical pre-op cataract surgery appointment early the next morning. Alcatel user manual states it is "M4/T4compatible". Its poor voice quality & clarity as well as poor volume controls contrast negatively with the far superior vice quality, clarity, and volume controls of my still fairly new Panasonic Amplified landline telephone which provides maximum 50MB receiver volume with its booster.

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