"Life about Deaf and hearing people"

[deafskeptic]

I don't think some would really care to read under "Our World and Our Culture" You know they mostly post in the cochlear implant/hearing aids forum.

Yeah. It's too bad as they could learn from us what it's like to deal with this day in day out.

 

[shel90]

Yeah. It's too bad as they could learn from us what it's like to deal with this day in day out.

It seems like most hearies expect us to understand their hearing needs but dont try to understand our deaf needs. :roll:

 

[moondream]

I think it would be just that way. I have a kind of two sided view of this. Years ago, when I only had hearing loss on the left side, I dated a guy who was deaf from infancy. I was learning sign language, and usually didn't talk out loud when I was with him, he read lips well. But people assumed because he was deaf, and I was translating as best I could for him, that I was deaf also. So I got treated to the same behavior, only I could hear what they were saying just fine. It was fun, especially the creeps who said something nasty, when I turned around and let them know I could hear them.

I think my friend did much better in the hearing world than I did in his. He had been taught to deal with the hearing world, although I had worked briefly with deaf children, I didn't know the language that well. He understood me much more often than I understood him.

Now I'm in the isolation ward from the outside world. I was never taught to be deaf. That's one reason I'm here, to lean how to deal. But from both worlds, I can say the frustration of not being able to communicate, wheew! I do feel discriminated against now I don't hear. Friends have dropped me because I don't understand them any more, and they can't be bothered to take the time to make things clear. Now I dread meeting people, so I compound the problem.

Maybe how Joe feels is a "choice", but it's a pretty normal reaction, hearing or not. We are not always able to look on the bright side in such situations. Plus, I wondered how Joe was going to let his boss know he was going to be late, we don't all carry pagers or phones you know.

 

[deafskeptic]

The answer is however you want to feel.

But from the way your question is phrased, It'd be hard not to feel victimized.

I think most people who are unable to access info via sound would feel victimized if an alternative weren't provided that fit their needs. I'd not want to feel victimized but that's how I'd feel.

 

[jillio]

I think most people who are unable to access info via sound would feel victimized if an alternative weren't provided that fit their needs. I'd not want to feel victimized but that's how I'd feel.

And that is a realistic reaction.