What, are you Deaf?

[Meier Link]

No quite literally, I want to see how many deaf / hearing impaired people are on this forum or who on here are friends with someone that is.

I have recently, over the last year, become aquainted with many people who have hearing problems, and have picked up a lot of sign language. My whole opinion of deaf people changed after hanging out with a few. I went out and learned the sign alphabet and have been gradualy learing more of the signing parts.

This thread isn't solely just for deaf/hearing impaired people. If we can get some people to talk about what it is like to be in that situation, it might help others to see what it is like to loose a major sence, yet let alone never have it.

I think one of the most amazing things I have seen is a deaf person dancing, it was amazing he danced better then any person I know, soley basing his movements off of the vibrations of the music.

There are still many things I want to know opinions on.
Like for instance cochlear implants, have you ever thought of getting them, if so and haven't why not.
I have a friend that has had multiple oprotunies to get one but refuses because he is proud to be 100% deaf.

Not sure if this will survive long or if it will fall to the void of page 2 rather quickly but it is worth a shot.

[Unknown Entity]

Wow, this was just on a programme on the tele! O_O

As much as my nan refuses to accept it, we believe she is going deaf. Sometimes we find we have to repeat ourselves to her, or speak up a bit. When she watches the television, she has the volume cranked up to about half way, when if I were to watch it, the volume would only be half of how far up she has it.

Its sad, but its normal for elderly people to become deaf when they age and stuff. Some more than others, some younger than others.

Back at the beginning of January, I went deaf in my left ear. I haven't a clue what caused it, so I bought some ear drops. Otex or something like that. It made the problem worse, and I was starting to get really down and depressed. I couldn't hear anything of what my friends were talking about, what my teachers were explaining, what my mum was telling me. Then one day, I woke up, and I was fine - I remember it was the birds that woke me up that morning. I felt cheerful, and I was able to hear and understand what everyone was saying. I have my fingers crossed that it doesn't happen again.

One of my friends in real life has a learning disablity, and he can't communicate properly. He has been taking sign language classes to help. His mum - my mums friend - tried teaching us some sign language, and its actually quite fun!

[winterborn86]

I use to do work in a first school, and use to work with a lil boy who had a hearing aid in one ear. But i do know some sign language for a few words, i use to watch this kids show that was dedicated to children with speech and hearing problems, they teach sign language of all sorts toys,food, actions. Its very good , i enjoy it. I think sign language i a good skill to learn you never know who you're goin to meet.

[Meier Link]

His mum - my mums friend - tried teaching us some sign language, and its actually quite fun!

Yeah I have actually enjoyed learning another form of language, still really wanting to learn some more of the visul signs instead of just the alphabet and what I already know. It is an amazing language, talking through bodily motion.

Here are a few more topics that can be discussed
Anyone know of a site that show the jestures?
Is there a big difference between american sign and other nations?
For the people that can hear, do you know how to sign.

[DragonHeart]

Joe, my mom's fiance, is essentially deaf in one ear and not much better in the other. The problem is that he refuses to acknowledge it as a problem, making communication difficult. He refuses to get a hearing aid based on what he perceives as a stigma, that people will regard him differently because of it.

So instead of trying to solve the problem, he just turns the volume up wicked loud on everything. Sometimes I can feel the downstairs TV through my floor, that's how loud it is. It's becoming more and more difficult for me to talk to him because I'm not naturally a loud person, so most of the conversation is me repeating myself ten times for him to figure out what I'm saying. It's very frustrating, and I really wish he'd at least get a consultation with a professional about his options. All he's really doing is depriving himself of an important sensory input for no reason.

~DragonHeart~

[Rainbow4vr]

I have a friend that is deaf, and i know what u mean about the dancing. He even has the best sound system in his car so he can feel the music. He cant handle too much bass tho, it makes it hard to pay attention to the road. Its really funny when him and his girlfriend get into a fight because he just closes his eyes lol

[Jesus Christ]

My best friend growing up was this girl across the street from me who was partially deaf. Half the time I forgot that she even was deaf at all.

Its really funny when him and his girlfriend get into a fight because he just closes his eyes lol

That's fu(king awesome.

[Dragon_Jiriki]

I'm deaf - profound in one ear and moderate to severe in the other ear. I wear a hearing aid most of the time that gives me fairly good hearing I can read lips fairly well if i don't have it in, but problems arise when someone i am speaking to has facial hair or a thick accent.

[Meier Link]

Now you got me on the one about facial hair, are you refering to any at all or if the hair partially covers the mouth? I haven't heard of that before so I am just curious.

[Dragon_Jiriki]

Now you got me on the one about facial hair, are you refering to any at all or if the hair partially covers the mouth? I haven't heard of that before so I am just curious.

If it covers part of or all of the mouth (goatees in particular) then it poses a problem. the facial hair makes words look "mushy" when I try to read them. Hence, my dad shaved his beard after i lost my hearing to make it easier on me.

[Kou]

My father is deaf and wears and cochlear ear implant and a hearing aid. My granfather was the first person in Australia to have a cochlear ear implant put in. Apparently deafness is hereditary in my family but I may have just misheard them.

Actually I was tested fairly frequently when I was younger because with previous generations, symptons of deafness started showing when they were between the ages of 10 and 15. My Dad can hear fine when you talk to him face to face and has an attachment he puts on the home phone which ups the volume quite a bit.