It's good to know somebody makes informative and awareness videos about hearing loss regularly. Thanks for sharing your views and experiences on CI. I used to look at your videos before getting my Cochlear implant. Keep it up and good luck.
hi nelle, i like your sympatic explainations very much. i myself am a user of strong hearing aids for about 10 years. i cant hear high frequencies like s, f, th, sh, z. all the best from austria!
I've pondered this often in the past two years, the answer is as simple as, when my Deaf teacher asks my why I learn sign, and I just break down and cry.
Sign language is for anyone who wants to use it. There is not a specific level of hearing loss where you are 'allowed' to learn sign language (obviously or there wouldn't be any hearing interpreters). I think it's a pretty common experience to feel like you're 'not deaf enough' for whatever reason. I get that all the time because I lost my hearing as an adult and have a cochlear implant so don't fit into the stereotype of a deaf person. If your teacher makes you feel any lesser for wanting to use sign language then that's their problem. You didn't chose your degree of hearing loss any more than they chose theirs.
Actually, my teacher for the past year has been super-supportive, she and my upcoming Deaf teacher who runs the Deaf Commission held an event in the fall where they showed "I Am Deaf Enough", and their solid show of support is why I cried soooo deeply during that, they have more experience and they're ahead of me on how I feel about my own deafness, they made me realize that I can accept it without fear from gatekeepers, whom I've also met a couple years ago. I find more uneducated Hearing who think that deafness is like an on/off switch, and I have my own life experiences that show me otherwise, parents hard of hearing all my life, they never pursued ASL or anything Deaf, but they accept that I have. I was always hyperacusis and avoided sound, and formerly attributed things I noticed to vision problems, a concussion, bad sound mixing in movies, but now I understand, it's things like vertigo, it's not the sound quality of the room, it's me, maybe it's a little bit soft spoken people, but even there, it's still me. Nearly two years ago, another person from the Deaf Commission asked me how I was taking it so well, I hadn't figured everything out yet, but now I understand enough that the cracks are showing, and it's okay, I'm in good hands~
On top of my baseline deafness I can be variably more deafened, due to stress, cold, and loud sounds, all happening together, the first time my hearing dropped out was because of this, and ever since I've focused on preparing for it. It was the first time I connected things in my life to deafness, and that's a rabbit-hole right there, and it goes deeeeeep. I have two completely Deaf coworkers, so maybe some Hearing don't understand my exact situation, but having watched Switched-at-Birth taught me to self-advocate for my deafness, and I do get quite a bit of deaf accommodation at work, although some people don't know where to start, same as myself when I just started. Everything works-out~
It is so confusing and like, you, situational explaining I find easier. As I’m profoundly deaf in my left ear but have the same condition developing in my right ear. At the moment it is mild/moderately deaf but will get worse over time. I currently wear hearing aids but my left one doesn’t do much. I use BSL quite a lot to help and do struggle to hear people and especially directional sounds. I find that difficult. Most of the time I do say to people “Sorry, I’m hard of hearing”. It is so interesting. I was 11 when my left ear got diagnosed and had 2 surgeries to try and fix it, to be told it spread to far (otosclerosis) to my cochlea so will be deaf (profoundly) in that ear for life. Same issue is happening in my right ear too which is annoying. You’re so right with situations though, I totally agree on that one. And like speech, I tend to struggle more with low frequency sounds and do mispronounce a lot of words (heightened more when I started teaching phonics, as I did early years-primary education with QTS at university). Goodness, the amount I had to use my TA to help me pronounce sounds was frustrating. But generally, my speech is clear. I don’t think hearing people get sometimes that we have to have speech and language and so much help, 1:1 work etc to get clear speech too xxx
Yes 100%. Because I don't have the typical 'deaf accent' when I pronounce words wrong, people see it as a reflection on my intelligence (which in my opinion is unfair even for hearing people). People don't realise that hearing loss affects the way I pronounce words sometimes, even though it's not always obvious.
Hi nelle🌹yet another interesting video! With so many valid points! What hearing people don't get is if your profoundly deaf how is your speech so good! What they don't realise is you have only been deaf for 2 and a half years & had perfect hearing before that! You were unlucky in a way as you went deaf during covid,if it happened now your hearing might have been saved with steroid injections but you suddenly went in to an almost silent world! So unless you were born profoundly deaf your speech will be good! I don't know once your implant is out whether you can hear with your hearing aid as the CI people try & give you a hearing aid that works with a cochlear implant! A lot of people that call themselves deaf can hear a little bit without hearing aids! If you had both ears implanted at the same time when they were taken out you would not hear a single sound which would scare the life out of me! It's like blindness is a spectrum,not all blind people only have complete darkness,it's like being deaf is a spectrum,yes if both ears are implanted when they are taken out you don't hear a sound but sometimes when you take a hearing aid out you can hear a tiny bit but still be classed as profoundly deaf! As a matter of interest Nelle have you a time frame for getting the other ear implanted? I know it's down to money & what you have saved & the go fund me is nearing 10K which is amazing! You probably want it done sooner whilst your brain remembers what sounds are like in that ear! Thank goodness you have a hearing aid which stimulates the auditory nerve! I will continue to donate until you get enough money 💖💖💖
I’m in a similar situation but I do not have a CI. I am profoundly deaf and use ASL because I live in the US. I am late deafened so my voice is clear. I confuse people!
It's so difficult to explain that to people. People equate hearing with speech so much. And then you get the dreaded question "Why do you need sign language when you can speak?" like sign language is some sort of last resort for the 'lost cause' deaf people or something.
![My First Month Using a Cochlear Implant (Cochlear Nucleus 7) [CC]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Xz6JNMrRNn8/mqdefault.jpg)
![My First Month Using a Cochlear Implant (Cochlear Nucleus 7) [CC]](/img/tr.png)
![All the hearing related technology I use [OC] English/Español](/img/n.gif)
It's good to know somebody makes informative and awareness videos about hearing loss regularly. Thanks for sharing your views and experiences on CI.
I used to look at your videos before getting my Cochlear implant. Keep it up and good luck.
hi nelle, i like your sympatic explainations very much. i myself am a user of strong hearing aids for about 10 years. i cant hear high frequencies like s, f, th, sh, z. all the best from austria!
I've pondered this often in the past two years, the answer is as simple as, when my Deaf teacher asks my why I learn sign, and I just break down and cry.
Sign language is for anyone who wants to use it. There is not a specific level of hearing loss where you are 'allowed' to learn sign language (obviously or there wouldn't be any hearing interpreters). I think it's a pretty common experience to feel like you're 'not deaf enough' for whatever reason. I get that all the time because I lost my hearing as an adult and have a cochlear implant so don't fit into the stereotype of a deaf person.
If your teacher makes you feel any lesser for wanting to use sign language then that's their problem. You didn't chose your degree of hearing loss any more than they chose theirs.
Actually, my teacher for the past year has been super-supportive, she and my upcoming Deaf teacher who runs the Deaf Commission held an event in the fall where they showed "I Am Deaf Enough", and their solid show of support is why I cried soooo deeply during that, they have more experience and they're ahead of me on how I feel about my own deafness, they made me realize that I can accept it without fear from gatekeepers, whom I've also met a couple years ago. I find more uneducated Hearing who think that deafness is like an on/off switch, and I have my own life experiences that show me otherwise, parents hard of hearing all my life, they never pursued ASL or anything Deaf, but they accept that I have. I was always hyperacusis and avoided sound, and formerly attributed things I noticed to vision problems, a concussion, bad sound mixing in movies, but now I understand, it's things like vertigo, it's not the sound quality of the room, it's me, maybe it's a little bit soft spoken people, but even there, it's still me. Nearly two years ago, another person from the Deaf Commission asked me how I was taking it so well, I hadn't figured everything out yet, but now I understand enough that the cracks are showing, and it's okay, I'm in good hands~
On top of my baseline deafness I can be variably more deafened, due to stress, cold, and loud sounds, all happening together, the first time my hearing dropped out was because of this, and ever since I've focused on preparing for it. It was the first time I connected things in my life to deafness, and that's a rabbit-hole right there, and it goes deeeeeep. I have two completely Deaf coworkers, so maybe some Hearing don't understand my exact situation, but having watched Switched-at-Birth taught me to self-advocate for my deafness, and I do get quite a bit of deaf accommodation at work, although some people don't know where to start, same as myself when I just started. Everything works-out~
I'm so glad things are going so well for you, well done for advocating for yourself because it's not easy to do.
It is so confusing and like, you, situational explaining I find easier. As I’m profoundly deaf in my left ear but have the same condition developing in my right ear. At the moment it is mild/moderately deaf but will get worse over time. I currently wear hearing aids but my left one doesn’t do much. I use BSL quite a lot to help and do struggle to hear people and especially directional sounds. I find that difficult.
Most of the time I do say to people “Sorry, I’m hard of hearing”. It is so interesting. I was 11 when my left ear got diagnosed and had 2 surgeries to try and fix it, to be told it spread to far (otosclerosis) to my cochlea so will be deaf (profoundly) in that ear for life. Same issue is happening in my right ear too which is annoying. You’re so right with situations though, I totally agree on that one. And like speech, I tend to struggle more with low frequency sounds and do mispronounce a lot of words (heightened more when I started teaching phonics, as I did early years-primary education with QTS at university). Goodness, the amount I had to use my TA to help me pronounce sounds was frustrating. But generally, my speech is clear. I don’t think hearing people get sometimes that we have to have speech and language and so much help, 1:1 work etc to get clear speech too xxx
Yes 100%. Because I don't have the typical 'deaf accent' when I pronounce words wrong, people see it as a reflection on my intelligence (which in my opinion is unfair even for hearing people). People don't realise that hearing loss affects the way I pronounce words sometimes, even though it's not always obvious.
Hi nelle🌹yet another interesting video! With so many valid points! What hearing people don't get is if your profoundly deaf how is your speech so good! What they don't realise is you have only been deaf for 2 and a half years & had perfect hearing before that! You were unlucky in a way as you went deaf during covid,if it happened now your hearing might have been saved with steroid injections but you suddenly went in to an almost silent world! So unless you were born profoundly deaf your speech will be good! I don't know once your implant is out whether you can hear with your hearing aid as the CI people try & give you a hearing aid that works with a cochlear implant! A lot of people that call themselves deaf can hear a little bit without hearing aids! If you had both ears implanted at the same time when they were taken out you would not hear a single sound which would scare the life out of me! It's like blindness is a spectrum,not all blind people only have complete darkness,it's like being deaf is a spectrum,yes if both ears are implanted when they are taken out you don't hear a sound but sometimes when you take a hearing aid out you can hear a tiny bit but still be classed as profoundly deaf! As a matter of interest Nelle have you a time frame for getting the other ear implanted? I know it's down to money & what you have saved & the go fund me is nearing 10K which is amazing! You probably want it done sooner whilst your brain remembers what sounds are like in that ear! Thank goodness you have a hearing aid which stimulates the auditory nerve! I will continue to donate until you get enough money 💖💖💖
I’m in a similar situation but I do not have a CI. I am profoundly deaf and use ASL because I live in the US. I am late deafened so my voice is clear. I confuse people!
It's so difficult to explain that to people. People equate hearing with speech so much. And then you get the dreaded question "Why do you need sign language when you can speak?" like sign language is some sort of last resort for the 'lost cause' deaf people or something.