The Shame of Wearing Hearing Aids
Hearing aids are a fact of life for many Deaf and hard of hearing people. Whether they give some hearing to a profoundly deaf user, or enhance the gaps in hearing for a partially hearing person, they're not going away any time soon.
But in this latest article by Ouch! columnist Charlie Swinbourne, he finds that many people who would benefit from wearing them... don't.
Have a read of his article hereÌýand see what you reckon. Hearing aids... force for good, plain evil, or just an embarrassment?
Comment number 1.
At 12th Sep 2009, MM wrote:Been there done that, wore the T-shirt. It is not shame as such, but we know joe public assumes deaf people are stupid, and no-one wants to be seen as that. "What's the time ? I feel fine.." is a standing and pat joke we all know about, but it conceals real trauma mostly, the stress is immense, and hearing aids are 'hidden' too, mostly because they are advertised that way, which all goes towards the negative perception and all indicates aid manufacturers play on our stress too.
If you had the older hearing aids as I did with the box and wires, it was almost impossible to 'hide' even if you wanted to, my recourse then was NOT to wear it, especially as peers thought it great fun to ridicule you and abuse the fact. When you are losing hearing that is the very worst time of your life, going completely deaf is often a bluddy relief to some, no more concerns have I missed this, said something, silly or what ? any more. I could suggest awareness doesn't work at all, no awareness will, the world revolves even MORE around instant and rapid hearing and verbalresponses now, so it hasn't got easier. Roll on an 100% effective and secret CI implant, me first I hope in the que for one, and roll on the end of deafness too.
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