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People with hearing loss who have been successful in their careers
Hearing Loss | Last Active: Mar 24, 2021 | Replies (60)Comment receiving replies
My husband is deaf in his left ear and it’s so frustrating for him when people who KNOW it talk to him on his left side. He always makes an exaggerated move to turn to his right and offer his right ear (which he is hard of hearing in) to whomever is talking. That is, IF he cares to hear the convo in the first place—he can be a “man.” Lol
All I can say is to continue to tell people, vocalize your condition, and socialize with those people who respect it. The public will not know but they will IF you inform them.
It is not easy and will never get easier.
I step in and repeat phrases of missed conversation IF my husband wishes it.
If any one who has the same issue has someone who can do this for them, it can help but it also can be just as frustrating as my husband has relayed to me. What it will do though is bring others attention to the issue or remind them but not to be a controlling factor for the person who can’t hear well.
Just what we’ve learned over the years. Take it with a grain of salt. Different things for different people.
Replies to "My husband is deaf in his left ear and it’s so frustrating for him when people..."
Thank you! Lately, I’ve been interested in learning out about assistive options that might be available to me now, and even that I might have had available in my work environment when I was younger and really struggling with this. Similar to how it is for your husband, people are aware of my hearing loss. However, in group social situations, just talking on my “good side” isn’t at all helpful for me in the grand scheme of things. Was having people talk on his right side sufficient for him to be successful and advance in his career? If not then did he make use of any other assistive options and did he find those to be helpful? I’m interested in learning about how people with hearing loss have managed to be successful in their careers, including in advancement. Not that I doubt that this can be the case for people with hearing loss; I’m more looking for these stories so that I can then use them as a source of hope for me as I move through the Vocational Rehabilitative Services process.
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That was my reality for years as I had bilateral hearing loss and was only fit with one aid initially. The second 'hearing aid' I was fit with was a bicross that transferred sound from the unaided side to the side with the hearing aid. That was long enough ago that I had a wire in the back of my head from transmitting device to the receiving device. Next fit was wireless as technology progressed. Now I have a cochlear implant on the totally deaf side and still use a hearing aid on the other side. It works well.
Your husband may want to look into a bicross hearing aid, or possibly a BAHA (Bone anchored hearing aid) that is designed especially for single sided deafness. A cochlear implant may also be an option.
Unless he wants to get help for this you are probably stuck being his hearing ear doll. Not a problem, but the independence one gains from using technology can be life changing. Definitely; to each his/her own.