Does Disability Lead to Arrogance?

I have been working with a few hard of hearing individuals lately and it has been cause for some frustration. I cannot believe the arrogance and rudeness that I am experiencing. Two in particular choose not to listen to each other, constantly talk over one another and are just generally rude. It feels as though both are struggling for dominance within the committee instead of just working together. The goal of this committee is to help the hard of hearing, and in the end it feels like they are losing sight of that.

I can't help but think that over their years working with hearing individuals they have had to push and in some cases be assertive and hard nosed to get their voice heard. Both have been extremely successful in achieving results for their causes but I wonder if their drive and their disability are leading to this arrogance. On top of that, I wonder if this arrogance is just a cover for their insecurities.

Regardless of the root cause of their behaviour they need to see that it's not productive and it makes working on a committee with them extremely difficult and frustrating. I would think that individuals who understand the importance of listening closely and paying attention would show more respect when another hard of hearing person is speaking. Again, we are all working together for the same end goal, there is no need to step all over each other.

Where are the Hard of Hearing?

As I left my Hard of Hearing Association meeting last night I felt frustrated with the lack of young people involved with CHHA. At 30 years old, I am the youngest person actively participating in the association and I am starting to feel a little lonely in a group made up of mostly retirees. Where are all the young hard of hearing people in this area?

From my own personal experience, a group like this would have been incredibly beneficial to me when I first got my hearing aids. I was 19 and I felt like I had no one to relate to because all of my hard of hearing peers were adults or seniors. I know they exist and I know what they may be going through; I just need to find them.

I don't intend to leave CHHA, I'm simply just more motivated to search under every rock to find others like me, that are young adults or young professionals living in a hearing world. If you are, or know of people like me comment on this blog, tell me where you are and lets change the face of hard of hearing in Ontario.

Hooked on a Feeling

This morning I was ironing my shirt for work and as I was doing so I could feel the metal of the ironing board below the protecting fabric pad. I didn't have my hearing aids in but I could have sworn I heard the sound it was making and then it occurred to me, I'm not hearing it ... I'm feeling the sound.

I thought about this while I walked to work and I realized that I know what the sound should be because I've heard it 100 times before. So, even though I can't actually hear it, when the action happens I can hear the sound in my head as if I did. Now I'm wondering, how many other things like this happen to me on a day to day basis where I can see or feel an action and my brain processes a sound that should go along with it.

P.S. sorry about the blog title; I'm sure you have the song stuck in your head now.

Reclaiming your Indpendence

I have been struggling over the past few weeks to come up with something to blog about. I sometimes lose sight of the fact that so many things I do are different and a result of my hearing loss; I have a whole wealth of things to write about that I'm just not seeing! So, it is with renewed optimism that you will start to see more blogging from me on just day to day stuff.

Often when I am home alone I'll go about my day without my hearing aids in. More often than not I find this very comforting because I'm not distracted by the general noises that are happening outside my window or on different floors of my apartment building. However, every once and a while I realize just how scary this can potentially be. What if there was an emergency? I could easily miss a fire alarm, a break and enter or someone calling for help and I find that slightly unnerving. I've done some research on these issues and there a wealth of products out there that assist with this. Technology can be a great tool that helps your independence so that you can live your life to the fullest not having to compromise the simplest of life's pleasures. I am sure there are lots of people out there who struggle and live in fear sometimes because of their disadvantages. I urge you all to go out and seek help so that you too can restore and enjoy your independence.