1. Just because I wear hearing aids, does not mean my hearing is perfect. I will still have difficulty hearing you.
2. It can be intimidating in large groups and in areas with a lot of background noise. If I don’t respond it’s not because I’m being rude. It’s because I genuinely didn’t hear you.
3. Yes, I am that person that always sits in front of the class so I can hear the teacher. I also need a note taker, and there are various other tools people with hearing aids to use in classroom settings such as FM systems and tape recorders.
4. Not everyone with a hearing impairment can lip read or do sign language. I personally didn’t receive lessons growing up, mostly due to how expensive it would be.
5. Hearing aids are extremely expensive. Most insurance companies will pay for half of it, but it still costs $2000 for me personally. And you have to replace them every 3- 4 years. This is why organizations such as the Starkey Hearing Foundation are so important.
6. After doing research, I realized how diverse the deaf community is. Not all of them wish they could hear; they have their own unique culture and they’re proud of it.
7. You actually have to pay to get hearing tests done as well! And you need them pretty frequently. It cost $80 per test.
8. You also have to get many other devices aside from hearing aids, including special alarm clocks and phones.
9. Basically, it’s expensive but it’s part of who I am.
10. It’s great when you can take them out to ignore people.