Name: Kathleen Eccard Mellott Chapter: Colonel Tench Tilghman National Number: NSDAR 861513 Address: 11402 Howard Ct., Beltsville, MD 20705 Phone Number: 301-937-7538 Email: kpmellott@verizon.net Essay Title: “Celebrating the Spirit of Women through Better Hearing Health” Category: Health As an audiologist, I am interested in the results of recent studies that indicate a connection between hearing loss and other major health problems, including a decrease in cognitive function in older persons. I have suspected this with my audiology patients and I saw this with my own mother. According to the Better Hearing Institute, “Addressing hearing loss helps women stay physically, cognitively and socially active… Research shows that hearing loss is frequently associated with other physical, mental and emotional health conditions, and that women who address their hearing loss often experience a better quality of life.” In the U.S, women live longer than men, 81 years on average for women versus 76 for men, and recent studies reveal a troubling trend. Hearing loss is a hidden disability and many times it is not obvious to others or to the person who has it. The onset of hearing loss is not always noticed and usually progresses slowly over time. Little by little the sounds of the world and the speech of loved ones and friends become difficult to differentiate and understand. There is a tendency to believe that others are not speaking clearly or are speaking in a soft voice. As hearing worsens, the hearing-impaired individual is likely to develop feelings of depression and of being isolated socially. She may gradually stop going to meetings, the theater, movies, places of worship, parties or out to restaurants with friend... ... middle of paper ... .... There are devices for the television and the telephone and one-on-one communication. There are remote microphones that can help improve speech understanding in noise, a major obstacle for older individuals. Remote microphones can facilitate tuning in to the conversation for the individual with cognitive issues. For some hearing-impaired individuals implantable hearing aids have become an option. They do not require batteries and they do not have to be removed when sleeping or bathing. There are also rechargeable hearing aids, which removes the necessity for changing batteries, especially for those with memory issues. Healthy living has been shown to help prevent major health issues, including hearing loss. Healthy hearing helps people remain socially and cognitively engaged. So, hearing checks should be considered a regular part of preventive healthcare.
Kimmy Bachmann A Journey into the Deaf-World Chapter 1 The narrator begins this chapter by introducing himself as well as his colleagues and co-authors. Ben Bahan, the narrator, is a deaf man from New Jersey whom was raised by deaf parents and a hearing sister. After spending an immense amount of time studying American Sign Language (ASL) he moved on to now become an assistant professor at Gallaudet University in the Deaf studies Department. His colleague Harlan Lane, a hearing man, is a specialist in the psychology of language and having many titles is a key aspect of this book as he believes, as does most of the Deaf-World, that they are a minority language and takes up their point of view to the hearing world.
Is acquired deafness more traumatic psychologically than developmental? Does being deaf have positive characteristics? How does being deaf affect relationships with family and
In support of Gallaudet University's, “Deaf President Now!” protest, Rev. Jesse L. Jackson once said “The problem is not that the deaf do not hear. The problem is that the hearing world does not listen.” (Lee) This concept been seen throughout Deaf history; Today it is especially noticeable now that technology has been developed to restore some hearing to many who are deaf. However these seemingly miraculous devices such as hearing aids and cochlear implants (CI) are a gilding for the real problem. CI’s in particular are thought to be a miracle cure for deafness, this misconception causes a great friction between Deaf and hearing culture. Deaf people should not be expected to get CI’s to “cure” their deafness for three primary reasons: CI’s promise more than they can deliver, they are an affront to Deaf culture, and ASL is a more effective way to insure development.
With around 70,000 special education students with hearing losses in the US it is no wonder that teaching these students the art of music has become an important opportunity within their education (U.S. Department of Education). According to Darrow and Heller (1985) as well as Solomon (1980) the history of education for students with hearing loss extends over a hundred and fifty years. These students have every right to music education classes and music instructors need to understand their unique learning differences and similarities to those of the average typical (mainstreamed) student to ensure these students have a successful and comprehensive learning experience. Despite this, there are still plenty of roadblocks, one of which may be some music instructor’s lack of effective practices and methods to successfully teach to the student’s more unique needs. Alice Ann-Darrow is a Music Education and Music Therapy Professor at Florida State University. Darrow’s article “Students with Hearing Losses” focuses not only on the importance of music education for these students but it is also a summarized guide of teaching suggestions containing integral information for the unique way these students learn.
Throughout the course of the semester, I have gained a new understanding and respect of Deaf culture and the many aspects it encompasses. The information supplied in class through discussion, movies, and guest lecturers since the previous reflection have aided in the enhancement of my knowledge of Deaf culture and nicely wrapped up all of the information provided throughout the semester.
A hearing loss can present many obstacles in one's life. I have faced many issues throughout my life, many of which affected me deeply. When I first realized that I was hearing-impaired, I didn't know what it meant. As I grew older, I came to understand why I was different from everyone. It was hard to like myself or feel good about myself because I was often teased. However, I started to change my attitude and see that wearing hearing aids was no different than people wearing glasses to see.
Deaf people often occupy an uneasy position in society. Since most children with hearing impairments have hearing parents, their family members frequently oppress them by taking over the decision-making processes regarding their well-being (Andrews 27). For ex...
Deaf and hearing impaired individuals are know longer an out cast group. They now have there own deaf community. Deaf individuals do not consider themselves having an impairment, handicap, or any type of disability. They believe that through the use of sign language, other communication skills, and technology that there deafness is the way they are supposed to be. Many people who have perfect hearing can not understand deaf people and why they embrace there deafness instead of trying to receive hearing and get rid of there handicap. However not all deaf people have th...
The deaf community does not see their hearing impairment as a disability but as a culture which includes a history of discrimination, racial prejudice, and segregation. According to an online transcript,“Through Deaf Eyes” (Weta and Florentine films/Hott productions Inc., 2007) there are thirty-five million Americans that are hard of hearing. Out of the thirty-five million an estimated 300,000 people are completely deaf. There are ninety percent of deaf people who have hearing parents (Halpern, C., 1996). Also, most deaf parents have hearing children. With this being the exemplification, deaf people communicate on a more intimate and significant level with hearing people all their lives. “Deaf people can be found in every ethnic group, every region, and every economic class” (Weta and Florentine films/Hott productions Inc., 2007). The deaf culture and hard of hearing have plenty of arguments and divisions with living in a hearing world without sound however, that absence will be a starting point of an identity within their culture as well as the hearing culture (Weta and Florentine films/Hott productions Inc., 2007).
A challenge is nothing more than an obstacle that lies in one's path. I have had my fair share of such obstacles The main one has been my deafness. Many people consider deafness a disabilitya handicap that leads to problems or failure. I am proof that this stereotype is false. I was raised with the awareness that a person in my position can either be a "deaf person" or a person who happens to have a problem hearing. I chose to be the latter.
As the life expectancy in the United States rises, the number of elderly in the population has also expanded. These increases have led to the oldest-old (people aged 90 and older) to become the fastest growing age group in the country. The oldest-old face many unique challenges because of their age, one of which is disability. Disability in the elderly has major impact upon society 1 and will continue will be a growing burden in years to come.
The current hypothesis is that one of my genes is a mutated gene, that mutated gene is what is causing my hearing loss. If this is the real reason why I have hearing loss, there is also worry for what other problems does this mutated gene cause. With finding a mutated gene, they will most likely be able to predict how much worse my hearing will get. Another possible but not likely cause is a tumor, currently, I have to get an MRI to make sure that there is no growth inside of my head. If there is a growth, that will lead to some serious issues. The last possible cause is that loud noises have damaged my hearing, but it is even more less likely than a tumor. I am almost never exposed to loud music, concerts, or anything of that nature, which would causes hearing loss. Since I've been losing hearing since I was 5, they have practically ruled that one out because it makes no
Provided with the viewpoints on both the medical model and social model of disability, it is clear that these two concepts differ in terms of the definition of disability as well as the attitude of society towards people with disabilities. It is evident that people with disabilities veer towards the social model rather than the medical model. It is essential to acknowledge that Deafness is categorised as a medical disability within the individual as well as a societal disability, as society is not equipped enough to deal with the communication barriers that stem from hearing impairments.
Imagine seeing people speaking, moving their mouths and not being able to hear anything. Welcome to the world of deafness. The journey for someone who is deaf can be challenging, but those challenges can be overcome with perseverance. Today I am going to share with you the story of my journey with deafness and see that if I am my disability. It is an experience that has shaped my life through body, mind, and spiritual matter.
My instructor had informed us about people with hearing impairments and disorders, but I never thought much about it. After this assignment, I realized how hard it is to have your hearing impaired. I had the luxury of being able to take out my plugs and fix my impairment if I became to overwhelmed or stressed. Those who are impaired do not have such luxury. I did not expect as much of a psychological element to this assignment as there was. There were times where I felt anxiety stirring inside of me. I became anxious if I missed something. The first day back with un-impaired hearing was memorable. I kept thinking to myself how hard short conversations would be if I was impaired. Moving forward, I have a better grasp of what hearing impairment really is and how hard it is to live with. I will be more conscious of my hearing because I never want to experience fulltime