By Joyce C. Kathan

I have been hearing impaired since I was 29 years old when loud airplane noise over our house in Minneapolis, Minnesota occurred several times a day when the planes lowered their wing flaps to slow down and caused a very loud screech that stopped all communication until it passed over. This excessive noise caused me to lose my ability to hear high-pitched sounds. First, I could not hear my newborn son cry in the next room. Then I began to have trouble hearing the women with soprano voices in a group.

The following strategies worked for me in surviving as a hearing impaired person and remaining in the mainstream of life for 41 years. Try them! Do as many of them as you can.

The 7 A's: Steps in Coping with Hearing Loss

1. Awareness of changes in your hearing ability
Do your friends and family tell you that the TV is on too loud? Do you think people are mumbling? These are often signs that you have lost some hearing. I thought my son was mumbling and talking too fast until I got my hearing aids and realized the problem was mine, not his. Often the loss is so gradual that you don't recognize it. Go to a hearing screening to see if you have any loss.

2. Acknowledgment of the Loss
This is the most important step. Sometimes it takes people several years before they will admit they have a loss, since they think it is age related, ear wax, etc. It is often loud music or loud noise at work or in the environment that is causing the problem. If you do not acknowledge it personally, it often is difficult to go beyond this step.

3. Acceptance of the Loss and Attitude Change
It is never easy to accept the loss, but it is necessary to admit it. Then you will begin to move forward, working on strategies on your own behalf to improve the situation. It is up to you now!

4. Adaptation and Anticipation
Now you begin to develop strategies to improve your ability to hear. Arrive at meetings early to be sure you can find a seat toward the front so you can see as well as hear the speaker. When at a meeting around a table, find a seat in the middle of the group so you can see all the persons. Order tickets near the front at theaters or request an assistive listening device. Too often people sit in the back of the room and complain that they can't hear.

5. Aids and Assistance (Personal and Technological)
See an ear specialist to rule out any disease or structural problems in your ears. Most ear doctors have an audiologist on their staff. I strongly recommend audiologists as the best way to begin purchase of hearing aids. Usually nerve deafness (like mine) can only be helped by hearing aids and assistive listening devices. There have been major improvements in adapting hearing aids by computer to your particular hearing profile. Add amplification to your telephones.

But don't forget that people can also be on your team. At a meeting ask friends or colleagues to reflect questions being asked that you don't hear, or ask the moderator to repeat them. One of my friends gave carbon paper to classmates so she could get a copy of their notes so she could concentrate on watching the speaker and review the notes later.

Request assistive listening devices at theaters such as the Bushnell, Long Wharf and other locations such as churches. When you receive a listening device, you hear the speaker talking directly into your ear. They are wonderful, and I often can hear better than the people with normal hearing.

Usually you need to provide a driver's license or credit card when you borrow the device and get it back when you return it. If you want to attend hearings or meetings at the state Legislative Office Building, contact Legislative Management at 860-240-0100 to order one in advance and it will be delivered to the hearing room.

Learn more about speechreading. Most of us do it for survival anyway, but you can improve.

6. Assertion
Tell people or organizations that you have a hearing loss. Some speakers think they have a loud voice, and they ask if they really need to use the mike. Raise your hand and say yes. You not only help yourself but others who may have difficulty hearing some words. Request that your church or town buildings install systems that will help those with hearing loss.

Let people know you have difficulty hearing them. When I was taking a class at Southern CT State University in the 70's, a professor kept a pipe in his mouth throughout his lectures. Another hearing impaired student and I went up after class and told him that we could not lip-read him when he did that, although we really enjoyed his class. He never did it again.

Join organizations that help the hard of hearing. One of the best is a national organization with local chapters, SHHH, Inc. (Self Help for Hard of Hearing People). Web site: http://www.shhh.org. Carol Vanderlip is the state coordinator. Her e-mail address is:cvanderlip@juno.com. The website has many helpful links and a publication, "Hearing Loss," which is received as part of membership. There used to be a SHHH Inc. chapter in Southbury, but it died because no one wanted to accept leadership.

7. Advocacy
Be willing to testify at hearings in Hartford on bills that will improve the lives of the hearing impaired, such as some insurance coverage for hearing aids. Call or write your legislators from home about these issues and proposals. Contact Congress about the need for Cell Phone technology to be made accessible to those wearing hearing aids. Be willing to advocate for improvements in buildings and businesses locally for better access for those with hearing loss. Ask hotels what services they provide for those with hearing loss.

Help organize a SHHH Inc. chapter in your area of the state. Not everyone reaches this level of advocacy, but it is very important to survive with hearing loss.

RULES FOR COMMUNICATING EFFECTIVELY WITH PERSONS WITH A HEARING LOSS

1. Never talk to a hearing impaired person when their back is turned. Most hearing impaired individuals need to see your face to determine what you are saying.

2. For the same reason, never call a hearing impaired person from another room expecting them to know what you are saying.

3. Never try to talk into a hearing impaired person's ear. It is much more effective to face them.

4. Always have plenty of light on the speaker's face so speech can be "seen" clearly.

5. If a hearing impaired person does not seem to be able to figure out what you are saying, try rephrasing it in a different way.

6. Most older hearing impaired persons cannot hear whispers because the high frequency sounds are the first to go. It is important to note that all the sound of speech is through the vowels and since the consonants are silent (or whispers), the person has to see your face to try to determine what you are saying.

7. Speaking very loudly or shouting does not necessarily help, because it often distorts the sound. Try speaking slowly and distinctly in a normal tone of voice.

8. Try to reduce any background noise (radio, TV, etc.) which can make it difficult to concentrate on what you are saying and overpower your speech. You probably have heard the quote, "I can't hear you when the water is running." Find a quieter location.

9. Always request speakers at a meeting to use the microphone if one is available. Many say that they have a loud voice and don't need to use a mike. Request the mike anyway.

10. Request assistive listening devices in theaters like the Bushnell, Long Wharf or movie theaters. Most will loan the device with the deposit of a driver's license or some other form of identification.

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This article, prepared by Joyce Kathan, was printed in the May, 2002 "Crier," newsletter of the Western CT Area Agency on Aging, Inc. Kathan has been hearing impaired for 41 years, since age 29, and has experienced the problems in communication identified here but stays in the mainstream of life.

Joyce C. Kathan, a resident of Prospect, CT, is the retired director of Elderly Services for the Town of Woodbury, CT and Director of the Woodbury Senior Center, which had speech reading classes and a support group for the hearing impaired for about 12 years. She is currently the part-time Information Officer Consultant for the statewide CT Coalition on Aging,Inc. and a member of its volunteer Capitol Corps.

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