Living with Deafness

Many people use the term deaf to describe a total inability to hear. Other terms used are hearing loss and hearing impairment. 10% of the population are affected with some level of hearing loss. Hearing loss exists when there is a diminished sensitivity to sounds normally heard. Many factors can contribute to someone being born/becoming deaf. A few are:

*Genetics
*Age
*Noise exposure
*Illness
*Chemicals
*Physical trauma
*Neurological disorders
*Neurobiological factors
*Medications

A hearing test can help to determine the level of the hearing loss. The results are expressed in decibels and shows levels of mild, mild to moderate, moderate, moderately severe, or profound. It is a misconception that all people who experience hearing loss have a complete inability to hear.

People can take precautions to minimize the chances of incurring hearing loss. Avoiding loud noises, chemical agents, and areas where there is potential for physical trauma can help.

Cochlear implants are an option for treatment, although they have caused much conspiracy in the deaf community. Cochlear implants work by artificially stimulating the cochlear nerve by providing an electrical impulse substitution for the firing of hair cells. They are expensive, require programming, extensive training, and pose a higher for bacterial meningitis. However, there is a vaccination. And, research shows that if implanted at a very young age, children with profound hearing loss can aquire effective hearing and speech, especially if the children receive appropriate rehabilitation. Alternate options include hearing aids, assistive devices such as a phone with telecommunication device for the deaf (TDD), instant messaging software, and video phones.

There are many myths attributed to people with hearing loss. Not everyone who is hearing impaired uses sign language or can lip read. They can drive. Not all deaf people want to hear. With assistive devices (as mentioned above), they can use a phone.

Being deaf can cause difficulties, but people who are hard of hearing or deaf can function with hearing people. The National Association of the Deaf (NAD) is the nation’s premier civil rights organization for deaf and hard of hearing people in the US. NAD is a nonprofit organization that was established in 1880 as advocates for those individuals with hearing loss. Its focus is broad and ultimately exists to improve the lives of millions of hard of hearing and deaf Americans. NAD is constantly advocating for the deaf community. They seek to ensure that equipment is accessible and affordable. Their goal is to be able to help those that are hard of hearing or deaf to enjoy full participation in all aspects of American life.