Hey, you look beautiful today. Are you up? Can you listen? We can hear this right. All these compliments, friends calling to talk with you, most of us go through on a daily basis. But can you imagine the life of someone with a hearing impairment? A life with no sound, no music.
What if someone says that you can’t hear for a day? Difficult isn’t it. Most of us hear constantly hear things around us and believe that we have the ability to decide when to or not to listen to something. Then what about those who are born with a hearing impairment, who can’t hear about any of their accomplishments or compliments?.
I’ve heard many times people say that a person who can’t hear have got an advantage of not having to listen to any bullshit. Also, it’s very disheartening to see some people mock those who cannot hear properly by pretending that they can’t hear. Making fun of them and taunting them is very easy, but have you lived their life? Have you put yourself in that situation in which they are living?
Problems That People With Hearing Impairment Face
I believe there are several problems regarding this matter. Let me discuss a few of them.
- Education: A person with a hearing loss doesn’t get proper education in most institutions. This disability is so threatening to them that they can’t even communicate properly. A child who faces trouble in hearing experiences a delay in their development of receptive and expressive communication skills. The reason is they can’t socialise themselves among people.
- Depression: I think this is a major problem in their life. Studies show that deafness in a person leads to anxiety problems, and eventually, depression. Their situation often gets worse because they are less likely to consult a therapist.
- Isolation: This issue leads to a complete detachment of the individual. They try not to speak with someone as they think the other person might not interact with them because of their hearing issues.
Most individuals are aware that hearing impairment comes with its unique set of challenges. This forces them to experience the world in an entirely different way than the rest of the population, and not always how you’d expect.
Suppose in a train station, a person who has travelled is familiar with the loudspeaker announcement on the platform. We get irritated very easily by hearing these noises, but a person with a hearing impairment can sit back and relax as they can’t hear. But in the worst case scenario, they might miss the train, especially when there’s no one to give them an update on the train. Not only at train stations, this can happen at any public event or any other places.
That’s why the only way they can communicate is sign language or lip reading. This gives them the courage to talk with someone who can hear. They rely a lot on lip reading as it’s the only way they can understand what is being said.
Famous Personalities With Hearing Issues
- Marlee Matlin: She lost her hearing ability when she was 18 months old in her right ear, and 80% hearing loss of her left ear, making her legally deaf. Nevertheless, this didn’t stop her from pursuing an acting career. She became a successful actor and won an Academy Award in 1987 for her role in Children Of A Lesser God. She is also the youngest winner of this category. Her perseverance is an example for many individuals out there.
- Helen Adams Keller: Everyone knows about her disability and how she overcame it. Helen was both blind and deaf from her early childhood. She went on to become not only an author but also a political activists and lecturer. Her contributions changed the world.
People with hearing impairment go through several problems on daily basis. They have to be strong enough to deal with this brutal world. A lack of hearing doesn’t mean lack of ability. You can attain a lot of implements. A little bit of courage and strength, and your destiny is in your hands. Many people have set an example in the world despite having a hearing impairment.
I want to conclude that individual who make fun of these people shouldn’t perform this nuisance act and forget their roots. Instead, they should make their will power strong and try to communicate with them and understand what they want to say from their sign language. Sign language and lip reading is not an easy task for them. They are going through a lot of things so try to endorse them and make their life easier.