Listen to the experts

Bill

Bill is a deafened awareness trainer.  He has acquired hearing loss.

Audio quote from Bill

'The main difficulties are people don't actually face you when they try and talk to you. They don't take the time to actually explain subjects that they want to talk about, so therefore you're trying to guess what they are talking about.

'And because you're wearing hearing aids, you get background noise and all the rest of it - it's just impossible to pick it all up. So you're basically guessing what the subject is about. You don't always get it right.

'What you really need them to do is to actually:

1. explain the situation first, or what the subject is going to be about,
2. face you, because a lot of people that wear hearing aids also lip read.
   
   

'The other thing could be speech-to-text reporters which, whatever you say gets turned into text which gives me the chance to read it, rather than trying to hear it. That way I know what's actually being said and I get it virtually word for word, which makes life a lot easier for deafened people.

'The likes of Council offices, banks, anywhere formal really, needs loop systems. At least that way if you've got the 'T' position on your hearing aid in terms of the loop system and it cuts out all background noise which makes it a lot easier for you to hear what is being said. The unfortunate thing is you get to these places and they've got this nice little sign that says yes they've got a loop system fitted. It's never switched on. And you ask the staff to switch it on and they haven't got a clue how to work it.'

Question: 'So informed staff would be helpful?'

'Yes, very helpful. I'll give you a quick example. I went to a hotel down south, and they had the sign up, and it was a big chain of hotels, and I asked the receptionist to turn it on. She didn't know how.

'She got the manager. He didn't know how. I then emailed the company and they didn't even know how to use their own equipment. They actually said they would have to look into it and get somebody in, to get them to get it sorted for them and to train their staff.

'What's the point of fitting loop systems if you don't know how to use them? If your staff doesn't know how to use them? This is what you're up against all the time as a deafened person. Especially when you're wearing hearing aids, because people can't always see the hearing aid so they automatically think you're perfectly OK. You can cope. What they don't realise is you can't cope without a certain amount of help.

'The other thing people don't realise is that when you lose your hearing, it's not just you losing your hearing. You're losing your confidence, self-esteem and a lot of other things on the way. They think it's dead simple: "You've lost you're hearing. We'll give you a pair of hearing aids and that's you - set up for life."  I'm sorry, it doesn't work that way.

'I've found in the past, once I've explained my situation, people are very helpful. So yes, as you say, talking would be very helpful. It would let people know in advance what we're up against and what they can do to actually help us to be able to communicate better.

'There are some times even a loop system won't help, but then most deafened people I know would now carry little note pads about. If I really cannot get something, write it down for me. I'll understand it then. Even if it's only one word, it may just be the one word that I need. Write it down. I'll get the rest of it. Sometimes that one word that you miss completely throws the whole meaning of the conversation out.'