"Deafness in Disguise" exhibit

Reba

Reba

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Have you seen this?

Deafness in Disguise: Concealed Hearing Devices of the 19th and 20th Centuries

The "Timeline" showing various devices is interesting. Here's one example:

1819 ~ F. C. Rein makes an acoustic throne for King Goa (John) of Portugal. The throne consists of hollowed armrests, carved into lion’s heads at the front. The armrest cavities lead to a resonant box located in the seat of the throne, and the sound is then heard via a hearing tube connected to the resonator.

http://beckerexhibits.wustl.edu/did/images1/kinggoachair_large.jpg
 
Aww I remember my dad and his sister having massive body worn aids with wires all over the place. I was permanently in trouble for pulling out one or t'other of the wires when messing around playing and stuff. this was in the early 1970s
 
What an interesting website! You feel so sorry for the people who went to such effort to conceal their deafness. It must have been so stressful for them - all that worry about someone discovering they were deaf! I'm glad we live in the days of colourful hearing aids, molds etc. I think we can forget that there has been a definite shift toward being open and positive about who we are.
 
R2D2 said:
What an interesting website! You feel so sorry for the people who went to such effort to conceal their deafness. It must have been so stressful for them - all that worry about someone discovering they were deaf! I'm glad we live in the days of colourful hearing aids, molds etc. I think we can forget that there has been a definite shift toward being open and positive about who we are.
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I agree with you entirely. But have one question--what is the oralist philosophy, if not an attempt to disquise deafness?
 
jillio said:
I agree with you entirely. But have one question--what is the oralist philosophy, if not an attempt to disquise deafness?
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I am not entirely sure why you asked me this, as I do not consider myself to be an "oralist" but rather what works best for the individual child, who may have quite different skills or needs to mine when I was growing up.

The stuff in the website is somewhat different, as it concerned purely cosmetic factors which contribute absolutely no benefit.

I've just started doing accountancy services from home and I'm sorry, I wouldn't be able to do this if I wasn't able to speak English as there is a need to talk to hearing clients. I love doing this kind of work and enjoy the interface with those with whom I work. So while I agree that oralism is not suitable for everyone, I am glad that I have oral skills and do not consider it only as an attempt to hide my deafness.
 
R2D2 said:
I am not entirely sure why you asked me this, as I do not consider myself to be an "oralist" but rather what works best for the individual child, who may have quite different skills or needs to mine when I was growing up.

The stuff in the website is somewhat different, as it concerned purely cosmetic factors which contribute absolutely no benefit.

I've just started doing accountancy services from home and I'm sorry, I wouldn't be able to do this if I wasn't able to speak English as there is a need to talk to hearing clients. I love doing this kind of work and enjoy the interface with those with whom I work. So while I agree that oralism is not suitable for everyone, I am glad that I have oral skills and do not consider it only as an attempt to hide my deafness.
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I din't mean to imply that you were an oralist--it was a generally phrased question--it just occurred to me as I was posting the reply tp your posting. But what I meant by a disquise was that, oralism came about as a way to make deaf individuals appear "less deaf". When the deaf is not using sign and is speaking in a somewhat reasonably understandable voice, they integrate into, and thus blend with hearing society more easily as the one thing that sets them apart most disticntly is the language of signs. This has been well documented in several historical accounts of the deaf in America. A.G. Bell, one of the most well known advocates for strict oralism, subscribed to a soft eugenics philosophy that promoted the "well born" rather than outright genocide. He proposed that deaf individuals not be permitted to marry in order to "breed out" all genetic causes of deafness and thus purify the race with non-defective hearing people. And from such philosphie arise other attempt to disquise that which sets one apart and leaves one open to discrimination and prejudice based on a superficial characteristic.
 
Boy we've come a long way baby! Can you imagine how uncomfortable those must have been.They are really cool to look at though.My Dad said my grandfather(I never knew him) used to always cup his ear to try to hear then got one of those box type ones that went into the pocket.I wish I would have asked more about it.I also had a great-grandfather from Norway that taught the deaf -same- wish I knew more.When you're young you take these things for granted.Now there isnt anyone to ask about them.
 
I agree we have come a long way from the early days of cumbersom ear trumpets, now down to the discreet ITE and CIC aids to now have flahy colrs being chosen by those who like the power of BTE aids.

Since my hearing is on the decline and the fact that since having come here I have gotten more comfortable with the fact that being deaf/hoh isnt something to be ashamed of or guilty of, its just a part of who I am.

I had strange dream the other night that I was wearing blue BTE aids and felt comfortable about it.

During my HS years I had a CIC flesh colored aid as I did not want my friends seeing my aid and making fun of me. But also did not like the aid as it drove me up the wall shutting off automatically when someone slammed a locker shut, or during basketball if the coach used his whistle, or someone snapped their fingers. I could not tell you how many fights I had with my parents over that stupid thing.

Now I feel way more comfortable about and now I am considering going back to my ENT and my audie and say hey - my hearing's slipping again, I tossed out my old aid by mistake - lets get a new one and lets try to make this a better go around to meet my needs and not my parents needs.
 
Dixie you should do it!I went years because of an old HA that just amplified everything to the max.I hated it and never wore it.It used to hurt my ear so much. I hated when my friends would say put your hearing aid on like that was just going to give me back normal hearing.Then crank up the music so loud and couldnt hear anyway. Another good one-Clean the shit out of your ears! Oh Im sorry is that why I cant hear you? Why didnt I think of that! Idiots LOL!
 
Dixie said:
I agree we have come a long way from the early days of cumbersom ear trumpets, now down to the discreet ITE and CIC aids to now have flahy colrs being chosen by those who like the power of BTE aids.

Since my hearing is on the decline and the fact that since having come here I have gotten more comfortable with the fact that being deaf/hoh isnt something to be ashamed of or guilty of, its just a part of who I am.

I had strange dream the other night that I was wearing blue BTE aids and felt comfortable about it.

During my HS years I had a CIC flesh colored aid as I did not want my friends seeing my aid and making fun of me. But also did not like the aid as it drove me up the wall shutting off automatically when someone slammed a locker shut, or during basketball if the coach used his whistle, or someone snapped their fingers. I could not tell you how many fights I had with my parents over that stupid thing.

Now I feel way more comfortable about and now I am considering going back to my ENT and my audie and say hey - my hearing's slipping again, I tossed out my old aid by mistake - lets get a new one and lets try to make this a better go around to meet my needs and not my parents needs.
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Dixie, it almost sounds as if you would like/prefer an analog aid rather than today's digitals. I'm the same way......gimme all of the sounds and let my own brain do the filtering, etc.
 
I actually have a patient who still wears eye glass hearing aids. Been 20yrs and he refuses to change, just keep fixing them he tells me. :lol:
 
Tousi said:
Dixie, it almost sounds as if you would like/prefer an analog aid rather than today's digitals. I'm the same way......gimme all of the sounds and let my own brain do the filtering, etc.
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As a hearing person, I can sort of relate. I still prefer the old analog recordings of music, as they have a warmth and character tothem that digital just doesn't seem to have. Same way with the HA?
 
Very interesting website...never knew of some of the devices. LOL!
 
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