#hardofhearing

[qbdatabase]

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[stilliwait]

Okay hear me out

I'm hard of hearing, and I have been since I was 18. (31 now). I have a theoretical question. If I were to be approached by one of those annoying men who sees me wearing a band t-shirt and goes "Oh, you like such-and-such band? Name all of their albums!" or whatever bullshit comes out of their mouths...is it morally wrong for me to pretend I'm *completely* deaf just to make them look bad? Like I'm hard of hearing, I don't wear a hearing aid because I don't have 1500 bucks to get one (yay US healthcare), and I do genuinely miss what people say a lot of the time, so like...would it be wrong?

[dheepk]

[toomanyhobbiesandthisisoneofthem]

MildHearingLossProblems #29

You hear a faint sound coming from the other room.

Now it’s time to play a game called, “is someone talking to me or is it just the house creaking?”

[brainboxschool]

Sign language is a language that goes beyond cultures and countries. Happy International Day of Sign Languages!

[concerningwolves]

Hi, I wanted to ask under what circumstances would a deaf/HoH person choose not to use hearing aids at all? Would be a matter of physical comfort, a political statement, or something else entirely?

Hi, and thanks for the question (*^▽^*)

Why would someone choose not to use hearing aids?

The really short answer to your question is "all of the above, and more" – which is to say there are a lot of reasons why someone might choose not to wear hearing aids, and often more than one of those reasons can be true simultaneously.

Much like cochlear implants, hearing aids can carry a lot of baggage for d/Deaf people. Although they don't require an invasive surgical procedure, similar issues of personal and medical autonomy apply to them. (Here's a post where I broke down the various issues around cochlear implants; I recommend giving it a read, especially because it will give you a wider scope of d/Deaf opinions). So, yes, there absolutely can be a political element to a person's choice not to wear HAs, just as there may be a political element in the choice not to use implants – but that political element doesn't have to be a negative one.

A big part of Deaf culture is about the joy of being Deaf, and choosing not to wear hearing aids can be an extension of that. It's a celebration of our own languages, ways of communication, ways of interacting with the world, humour, history, and perspectives. I think it's very easy to fall into the trap of only thinking of Deaf culture as a "fuck you" to hearing society, and forgetting that it has its own merits. (I've definitely fallen into this trap myself).

Personally speaking, physical comfort is probably one of the biggest reasons why I don't wear my hearing aids. Having bits of plastic in my ears is a Very Bad combination with autism-related sensory issues. The type of hearing aid plays a big part in how they feel, though, so I can only speak for the comfort level of behind-the-ear (BTE) with earmould hearing aids. Have a look through deaf-centric social media forums like r/hardofhearing or r/hearingaids to find more input. As a starting point, here's a guide which explains the different types of hearing aids.

Related to physical comfort is the mental/emotional toll that hearing aids can take. The constant barrage of auditory information can be overwhelming for some people, especially if they're used to a much quieter or (mostly) silent world. Similarly, when you're deaf/hard of hearing, you're used to not hearing things. That's why questions like "how deaf are you?" are so hard to answer outside of a clinical context. If a hearing person suddenly had their hearing levels reduced to match mine, they would think their world got very quiet, but I've never known anything different, and I've been compensating (often subconsciously!) for this my entire life. Because this is what I'm used to, hearing aids feel pretty pointless for anything except specific uses (e.g., listening to music, or in combination with other assistive tech when I was in school). The rest of the time, I like my world as it is, and don't want to spend all my time being assaulted by a terrible aura of loudness.

Cost can also be a significant barrier between someone and hearing aids. I'm in the UK and eligible for hearing aids on the NHS, which means I also get my batteries for free, as well as some basic maintenance equipment. If my hearing aids ever broke, I'd be able to get an appointment to fix them free of charge (but only if the breakage were through no fault of mine, in which case I'd have to pay a fee of about £1,000, iirc). I was lucky that the kind of hearing aids the NHS offer were suitable for me – they typically only offer BTE and receiver in the ear (RITE) types, so if you needed a more specific type you would likely have to seek private treatment or go without.

To give some idea of the cost, assuming someone is paying out of pocket, they would need to pay for:

The hearing aid – cheaper models usually fall in the range of £500 and the pricier models can cost more than £3,500 (sometimes each, sometimes for a pair, depending on the seller). Different models have different specifications, so it's unlikely a person would be able to pick a cheaper hearing aid and hope it does the job. Children will need ear moulds replaced as they grow, and some types of ear moulds (like BTE) need to be custom-made.

Batteries – smallest pack size is six batteries per pack at around £1.70–2.50 depending on brand and battery size. A battery can last anywhere between 3–22 days depending on model and amount of use (when I was using my HAs regularly for school, my left one needed a new battery roughly once a week and my right one needed a new battery about twice a week).

Maintenance equipment – hearing aids need cleaning! There’s a pretty wide range of stuff they could use at varying price points. My hearing aid kit that I took to school contained an air puffer for removing condensation from the tube that connects the ear mould to the ear hook (essential, especially during hot weather!), an earwax brush (also essential), and sachets of wipes. The air puffer lasted me forever, but cleaning wires and brushes needed replacing fairly regularly. Tubing will sometimes need replacing too.

Appointments – they’d need to meet with an audiologist to be assessed and discuss options and then be fitted for ear moulds (where applicable; not always in the same appointment), and it can sometimes take several appointments before the hearing aids are tuned correctly. There may also be regular check-ups which involve hearing tests.

Extra equipment – there’s loads of extra equipment out there, ranging from adaptors that connect your hearing aids to a phone or TV (pricing starts around £100), to hearing aid receivers (£30–50 each, roughly), and FM hearing systems (anywhere between £120–1,900). I got an FM hearing system through the funding from the education system and it was revolutionary, but that funding was only there in first school and middle school.

So, as you can see, there’s a lot to consider financially as well. Obviously, I only know the situation in England firsthand, and pricing and availability of devices and equipment will vary around the globe (e.g., I’ve read that most medical insurance providers in the US won’t cover hearing aids).

Finally, hearing aids aren't suitable for every kind of hearing loss, or for every person. Some deafness is too profound and/or is related to some underlying cause that a hearing aid can't compensate for.

If anyone wants to weigh in with their reasons for not using hearing aids, that'd be really great :D

I hope that helps! For more on hearing aids, there's a whole bunch of stuff in my hearing aids tag.

[vibrantvitality2025]

Deafblind Awareness Week.

#deafblind #deaf #deafcommunity #signlanguage #deafawareness #deafandproud #deafculture #deafworld #americansignlanguage #deafnation #learnsignlanguage #signlanguageinterpreter #signlanguagequote #signlanguagelove #signlanguageforchildren #hearingaids #auslan #deafkids #bsl #britishsignlanguage #deafhumour #deaffashion #deafapparel #asl #deafidentity #hardofhearing #blind #inclusion #deaftalent…

[beetloafuu]

#my art ahhhhh #my first time posting on tumblr #i was highkey nervous lmao #robinhood #elmushterri #hardofhearing #deaf #hearing aids

I drew Robin! I really like your take on his character! Especially the fact that he’s hard of hearing and uses hearing aids, because as a hard of hearing person who uses hearing aids it makes me feel seen! :3

A question I have is: what is Robin’s favorite musical artist/song?

Also, your art is scrumptious and I enjoy your storytelling, and you somehow manage to make every story you create so compelling that I’m left constantly wanting more! Great job!! :D

LOOK AT HIM! Thank you for this, he’s gorgeous! 😭😭😭✨✨ And glad to make you feel seen!

I don’t tend to consider character’s favourite songs as though they had our real world songs! So hmm.. Something very bassy, that would be something he could hear better than high pitched. Maybe rock music as well. (I’m not a rock person so I don’t know what example to use!)

He’s probably a concert-goer, for the vibes and vibrations (without his hearing aids on, I believe, as people say they can be too loud in crowds? (correct me if I’m wrong)) But he likes to feel music!

And thank you! I try to think of stories in “show” style. As a teen, I’d make ocs and go from vibes, but now I sort of think with “University Animation Student” brain.

[criticalbennifer]

That “someone has to” - meaning “not me” - meaning “not my problem” is hella cold. So he’s got no words for the kid? No, “you can still call me” or “sorry it didn’t work out”? Just nothing, because he’s mad at her mom? It’s good he only sees his own kids 3-4 days a week. Imagine the damage he’d inflict on them if he had to be a more permanent presence.

[kuyavancreations]

Ears to hear and eyes to see both are gifts from the LORD. Proverbs 20 : 12

கேட்கிற காதும், காண்கிற கண்ணும் ஆகிய இவ்விரண்டையும் கர்த்தர் உண்டாக்கினார். நீதிமொழிகள் 20 : 12

#hearing #hearingloss #hearingaids #audiology #hearingaid #audiologist #hearinghealth #ear #hearingtest #deaf #hearinglossawareness #ears #hardofhearing #tinnitus #health #hearingimpaired #audpeeps #hearinglosswontstopme #h #deafculture #hearingcare #cochlearimplant #earwax #deafness #hearingprotection #sound #cochlear #signlanguage #asl #listening

[qbdatabase]

10 Horror Titles: Join us for a week of color-themed posts! Today, we have 10 green horror titles 💚🍏🐍🤢💚 ..... View the full summary and rep info on wordpress!

[dim-echo]

Despite sitting in the back row, Mateo feels excluded because he can't hear the school announcements due to his profound hearing loss. The frustration of not hearing this vital information in order to stay connected and to be empowered by an education leaves out anyone who is hearing impaired.

#hardofhearing #hearingloss #hlaa #BetterHearing #safelistening #worldhearingday #KeepListening Campaign #TheMoreYouKnow #

[drugsdontworkgeorgia]

Make a difference-share this key information: The 988 Lifeline now offers American Sign Language services for people who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing. Visit 988lifeline.org and select “ASL Now.” #Deaf #HardOfHearing #DeafCommunity #MentalHealth #988Lifeline

[toomanyhobbiesandthisisoneofthem]

MildHearingLossProblems #30

Discovering that the rest of your family can actually hear people talking from INSIDE the bathroom. Like. They’ll be in the bathroom and then they walk out and just casually join the conversation and I’m like “????…How????!!!”

[eric-sadahire]

I purchased some noise canceling headphones...

I thought people would find them annoying but so far I haven't heard any complaints.

[venus-dawnstar]

This dog image with a question mark and the Huh? audio is the reason that when anyone says anything beyond my comprehension you hear a pitiful honk of a, "Huh?" Until I understand or hear you.