Young Adults and Challenges of Living with Hearing Loss - Part Two

By Cheryl Heppner

July 2009

Editor: It's that time of year again! The start of Hearing Loss Convention Season! As is normally the case, HLAA kicks off the activity in June. Char and I didn't attend this year, but super reporters extraordinaire Cheryl Heppner and Bonnie O'Leary from NVRC will be providing detailed coverage of the activities.

More coverage of this great convention is at: http://www.hearinglossweb.com/res/hlorg/shhh/cn/2009/2009.htm

This is part two of two parts.

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Here's Part One!

The Teleconferencing Issue

Question from the audience: I haven't been able to find a good solution to how I can do teleconferencing at work. Have you had any success?

Suggestions/Comments from Audience and Panel:

- I have tried using captioned telephone but the captions tend to be too slow and inaccurate.

- I use Video Relay Service with voice carry over. This enables me to speak for myself while speechreading the interpreter, who is repeating what the other person is saying. I zoom in on the interpreter's face (enlarge the screen so the interpreter's face is bigger). I get good resolution and there is a delay of about three seconds from the time the other person speaks to the time the interpreter repeats their words.

- I have dealt with a lot of teleconferences .I prepare in advance by telling the people before the meeting that I am hard of hearing and afterward I ask for a recap of what we talked about. I have used an FM receiver in my hearing aid, a high quality speakerphone, and a microphone.

- Federal Relay Service captioning has major problems with accuracy in teleconferencing. One thing I do Is send a list of words in advance and the agenda to be given to prepare the captioner.

- The problem with conference calling is that everyone tries to talk at the same time. I have been known to slam my fist down on the table and tell them not to do that.

- Captioned telephone uses speech recognition to generate the captions. When using remote CART you can work with the person who will be captioning in advance so they are better prepared for the call. Some states offer remote CART for teleconferencing.

- Your vocational rehabilitation agency may be a resource.

- Go to your closest HLAA chapter and talk with the people there; many know good resources.

Other Comments

- When you ask people to look at you, put them at ease and say it with a smile.

- My bosses have responded well when I educated them. Their success relies on mine.

- I have had my bosses forget my hearing loss and how to accommodate me. My challenges are situations where multiple people are talking and conference calls. I constantly have to remind them that this shuts me out. It feels like I'm intruding when I do that.

- You will have good days and bad days, but if you have a bad day let it go.

- Human Resources dances around 'disability' like it's a dirty word. There is awkwardness about what to call a person with a disability and what language to use. Try to answer the questions people are afraid to ask. Educate them by your actions. I was open about things and changed my batteries in front of people. I also told a story about forgetting that my hearing aid was on and wearing it in the shower.

Panelist Stories About Music

- Jennifer Cheng was learning to play a violin at age four. She went to college on a music scholarship but found she couldn't play in a group.

- Patrick Holkins talked to an audiologist, and looked at direct hookups for his iPod, FM system, etc. He found it can be miraculous how much clearer sound is and how this direct connection can enhance your ability to discriminate sounds.

- Zac La Fratta is the only one of 28 grandchildren that doesn't play a musical instrument. Now it's his ambition to do so. He didn't wear hearing aids most of his life, so his perception of music is different from that of others.

- Shannon Smith's husband is a blues musician and plays classical guitar. He's taught her how to listen without hearing aids. The website http://www.lyrics.com is her friend.

Suggestions for Dealing with Social Isolation

- Seek out a community of hard of hearing people; it can be very powerful in its ability to inspire and build confidence.

- Join Hearing Loss Nation (created by Patrick Holkins) at http://hearinglossnation.ning.com/; it is very active and has 200 members.

Tips for Educating Kids

Shannon works at home and has kids aged 8, 4 and 1. She was asked if she had any tips. Her response:

- Show, tell, and explain just as you would to an adult.
- Kids pick up things fast.
- Kids are much easier to work with than adults.
- Kids don't judge.

The Dreaded Job Interview

A candidate terrified about a job interview asked for tips on how to handle it. He believe he was very qualified for the job as long as accommodations were provided. Jen Cheng said that she doesn't tell prospective employers right away about her hearing loss because she wants them to see her as a competitive candidate. She suggested stating clearly what you can offer, what your limits are and what they can expect.

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