Deaf or partially deaf - what do you do?

[margaritasbythesea]

I am partially deaf and at the moment can´t wear my hearing aid. As more and more people are wearing masks in shops, it is becoming almost impossible for me to hear what people are saying and neither can I now lip read.

In the shops today, I tried explaining to the cashier that I was deaf but both times I did this it this prompted staff to immediately take off their masks which I don´t really want them to do, as they may feel unsafe or get into trouble with other shoppers or staff.

I am not quite sure what to do. I don´t go to the shops often but I do need to go sometimes. I thought of getting a lanyard explaining I am deaf but I am not sure what to put on it. If it says ´Í´m deaf´presumably they will just take their masks off, as they did today.

It was quite awkward and I am a bit foxed about what to do. Should the lanyard say, ´Please don´t remove your mask but I am deaf?´Or what?

Just a little awarness for this thread.

Deaf not hearing impaired please. Impaired is a negative term which suggests someone is broken. Imagive calling someone black white impaired. Gay sexually impaired. Female male impaired.

Deaf is a culture and language difference and comes with many positives ie deaf gain. The disabled village is well worth a read.

Makaton is not sign lamguage and has a negative impact on BSL/deaf communities.
Imagine someone teaching welsh or French who didnt know the language. Looled a couple of words up in a book to learn themselves and due to this got the grammar and the pronouncation wrong and then decided they knew enough to teach it. That is what makaton has done and they actively oppressed the language experts and the community in doing so.

I think that is a bit unnecessary. Hearing impairment has been mentioned once in a thread of deaf people writing about being deaf. Makaton has not been mentioned at all.

Sorry not posting aimed at anyone or in response but felt it was a good opportunity to raise awereness alongside mask wearing limitations.

Appreciate the awareness. I have always referred to myself as having life-long impaired hearing but feel this places me in a different place to the Deaf community as I have no skills in lip-reading and have enough residual hearing to correct with aids to the point where I manage to hear most conversation. I’m not sure I have the right to call myself Deaf.

The masks create massive problems for me too. Firstly, I can’t wear them looped around my ears as I have glasses too, and my aids ping out! I have to find tie masks and have up, so had some made especially.

Hearing others in masks is difficult. I agree - as soon as you tell people, they take their masks off. I usually back away as I tell them in anticipation. I know they are trying to help. Unless everyone wears masks with Perspex panels, it’s not a problem that’s going to go away. With the app - do you hold you phone to them for it to record their voice? Isn’t that in itself a consent issue? Plus doesn’t it mean you have to move quite close for it to work?

Sorry I have lots of lip reading skills - I meant no BSL skills.

What do you normally do, if you don,t lip read and don,t sign?
My husband is meant to wear a hearing aid. (Finds it difficult as my son is too loud.) He will be asking people to lower there masks if he has difficulty.

@SauvignonBlanche

I like the look of Live transcribe but not the cost. There appears to be the free Google transcription service for Android but all the iOS ones charge a fee. I know it’s not a lot but I’m really skint atm so am loath to fork out for it.

Does your iPhone have a note app? It is a while since I had an iPhone so I can't remember but some note apps have a speech to text facility that might be worth looking at.

I'm profoundly deaf and with solid material masks, I have no chance. I need to lipread. I can sign but very few people know sign so it isn't really an option. I have live transcribe on my phone and pen/paper in my bag. I have a deaf/I lipread lanyard plus badges saying "I'm deaf", "I can't lipread through your mask" and "be kind". I won't ask anyone to remove their mask, I just want people to show a bit of understanding and be willing to try different methods of communication not get irritated or angry (which has happened previously). Tbh, I feel very uncomfortable about being out and about while masks are being worn, i fully support wearing of masks but losing communication is really affecting my confidence.

I also have a mask with a clear mouth panel (as do my immediate family for me) in the hope I can help others who need to lipread too (and raise awareness).

Badge shown by @sootmegs. The other image is being shared on social media to raise awareness.

Sorry - I do lip read. I bought amazing hearing aids which cost the earth but revolutionised my hearing. I wish they were available for everyone. They made me realise what a big jump there is between the aids we are given on the nhs and the new platform ones available to but if you are lucky enough to be able to save that much. Changed my life.

BSL is wonderful, and makes such a difference... wish id had access to BSL growing up as i missed so much. Doncaster deaf trust have a free online level 1 course funded by the lottery which is good. They also made the spread the sign app (BSL video dictionary).

There is a movement called deaf enough. Deaf covers any loss (mild, moderate, servere and profound) an umberella term in which people can fall anywhere on spectrum. A bit like diabetes has different types and effects but are all diabetic.

Obv individuals can describe themselves how they wish.
I wear glasses to but with my glasses my sight is the same as if i didnt need glasses (so 100% correctable /not blind) so sight conditions are not 100% correctable to 2020 vision so the person would be blind but each individual could be different on what that visuals they can access.

With hearing aids what i can access isnt the same as someone with normal audiogram can access.
Did you watch causulty last week? Episode written by deaf writters, directed by a deaf director and with 2 deaf actresses. It was really good.

My aids don’t get me to full hearing but they make a massive difference.Deaf enough sounds like a good term - Deaf enough to need adjustment. I’d love to learn BSL but have no one with whom to practice!

I’ll look for that episode on catch-up - thanks for the recommendation.

I've low level hearing issues and I've just been asking people to shout at me 😅😅 I really struggle in noisy places like supermarkets etc and I've never gotten the hang of lip reading

'One of the numerous reasons why BSL should be part of the national curriculum.'

It wouldnt work, it needs to be used daily for people to be any good at it and there just isnt the numbers of BSL users to make it feasible. Also, BSL relies on facial expression too so masks impede it.

I have Deaf friends op, it really is a problem for them. The main thing is social distancing though. So if needed, if there is a problem if you show someone a lanyard or even a note saying you are hoh it really is ok for them to remove their mask as long as they keep distanced.

There should be Deaf awareness on social media about this.

@FredaFrogspawn

Sorry - I do lip read. I bought amazing hearing aids which cost the earth but revolutionised my hearing. I wish they were available for everyone. They made me realise what a big jump there is between the aids we are given on the nhs and the new platform ones available to but if you are lucky enough to be able to save that much. Changed my life.

But it really does depend on your hearing loss and how your brain adjusts. You could have several people with the same audiogram and the same hearing aids and they would all have different results with those hearing aids.

I totally agree with Deaf and Deaf enough. I have noticed that many who go deaf later in life (as in adulthood) tend to use deafened or hearing impaired rather than Deaf and that is fine, it is their choice.

'Deaf not hearing impaired please. Impaired is a negative term which suggests someone is broken. Imagive calling someone black white impaired. Gay sexually impaired. Female male impaired.'

You're conflating 2 separate issues. Deaf people who don't see their deafness as an impairment, who use only BSL and mix only in Deaf communities are certainly one group but there are many hearing people who lose their hearing and do indeed refer to this as an impairment, or hearing loss. As is their right to do so.

Same here! Agreed with the points about signage. Shops have been putting staff standing telling people what to do rather than putting up signs and it has been quite embarrassing when I realise I've not done what I should have been doing.

I've been sending feedback to shops with that as a suggestion, I live in an area where there are lots of people who dont speakj English great so that should help them too!

@GetOffYourHighHorse lots of us deaf people are discussing the issues with masks on social media and the various deaf groups have been working with the Govt (hence why the Govt changed their wording to say 'if you are with someone who needs to lipread, you don't need to wear a mask' - not quite what was wanted but at least a start). Do share the image I put up in a previous post. If we can all share and encourage our friends to share then the word will spread.

@GetOffYourHighHorse

'One of the numerous reasons why BSL should be part of the national curriculum.'

It wouldnt work, it needs to be used daily for people to be any good at it and there just isnt the numbers of BSL users to make it feasible. Also, BSL relies on facial expression too so masks impede it.

I have Deaf friends op, it really is a problem for them. The main thing is social distancing though. So if needed, if there is a problem if you show someone a lanyard or even a note saying you are hoh it really is ok for them to remove their mask as long as they keep distanced.

There should be Deaf awareness on social media about this.

They teach welsh/french/ herman etc in schools why not BSL. There are many advantages to BSL ie developes the visual parts of the brain, aids early coordination and dexterity, increases understanding in maths, developes spelling skills. Children enjoy it and it can be embeded into topics and lessons. The signs are also hugely beneficial to anyone with other difficulties such as autism, down syndrome, speech issues, learning difficulties. Yes face is a huge part of full communication but sign without face would give more communication than none

Yes I will share that thankyou @daisychicken.

Imo all shop workers should wear visors rather than masks, it's still hard for Deaf/deaf people to lipread with light glare from the visor but they are better than masks.

I hope people learn some tolerance, if you say something to someone and they don't respond therell be a reason for it.

If you are on twitter, come and join us deafies. We talk a lot about the difficulties and about raising awareness (as well as general chat of course!).

Agree with visors. Not always easy to see with glare but it's a good solution and it isn't only deaf people who are struggling.

If you are on twitter, come and join us deafies. We talk a lot about the difficulties and about raising awareness (as well as general chat of course!).

Where will I find you @daisychicken? Thanks for the tip about the notes on my iPhone but I couldn’t see any way to transcribe - being old and a bit of a technophobe doesn’t help

I’m going to try Live transcribe for free for a week and see if it helps.

SauvignonBlanche - have sent a pm

Wondering if I know you on twitter @daisychicken as I tend to join/lurk/follow Deaf chats.

Nymphadora - have sent a pm