When I was a little girl, my parents got the diagnosis that I am deaf. Ever since hearing of this diagnosis, I remember that I was encouraged to learn how to speak, listen and hear with the assistance of hearing aids, early in my life, and cochlear implants before I mainstreamed into a public school. For years, I have had several issues surrounding being unable to hear all that is said, sung, lectured, discussed, etc. Despite how much technology is available that could help me succeed in life, there are still several of these issues that can occur. None of the issues will go away until there is an improvement with involving those who are deaf or hard of hearing. There are some issues that do come up in everyday life.

Group work and discussions.

As someone who is hard of hearing, I have a very difficult time when it comes to anything that involves group work or discussions. Sometimes, I feel left out because I cannot hear any of the things that are being said or communicated within the group. If there is going to be any group work or in- depth discussion involved, there needs to be a rule that one person should speak at a time, and there should be some quiet to allow the deaf/hard of hearing individual to speak.

Screaming and yelling.

The decision to scream or yell because a person cannot hear is wrong on so many levels. A deaf/hard of hearing person may or may not have heard anything, but they could be taking a couple more seconds to process what is even said before they decide to come up with a response. Anybody who decides to yell needs to learn and understand how they could improve their interaction with someone who is deaf or hard of hearing. If you do want to interact with anyone who is deaf or hard of hearing, be at a position that is eye-level and speak calmly at the right pace.

Entertainment.

Entertainment in today’s world can be difficult, but thankfully there are new technologies today that can help to improve anything. We can now look up lyrics to a variety of songs online, and also turn on closed captioning for TVs at home. That is all perfectly simple, but the trickier parts comes when it does involve going out of the house. Even when you may believe there are fantastic influences with technology today, think again. It is very rare to find a movie theater that enables closed captioning for new movies, the concerts can be an issue if there is no way to move closer to the stage due to inaccessibility or a lack of knowledge to what is going on, and there are videos on YouTube that are not even captioned for those who truly need captioning.

Technology.

This is very similar to entertainment, but a little different because we also have to focus on the technologies used in everyday life. I am glad that there are now cellphones, social media, and emails because it makes communication online so much easier. There are also technologies that are now available that can be made as accommodations inside and outside of the classroom or the workplace to make following along go more smoothly. However, there are certain places and organizations, where forms of technologies used today do not exist, that can make certain things much more difficult than they need to be.

Communication.

Communication varies with individuals, but also include those who are deaf and who choose to be reliant on those who would have to interpret. Sometimes, I would see individuals who are deaf, but sadly learn a few minutes later that they are more reliant on using sign language instead of being oral and communicating with their peers. It is awkward interacting with those who may not know the language or method of communication the way a deaf or hard of hearing person does, but it does and will take some time to learn.