Learning About Digital Preservation & Owning My Hearing Loss

Train the Trainer Class - July 2013 - Photo by Library of Congress
I am in the second row, wearing purple.

This summer I had a fantastic work opportunity to learn about digital preservation from the Library of Congress through their outreach and education program. The Library of Congress is committed to getting Americans to think about digital preservation and start taking steps in that direction. To achieve their goal, the Library of Congress is presenting Train the Trainer workshops throughout the country. The trainers who attend the training are charged with presenting the information to their local communities to spread the word on the importance of digital preservation.

For a brief introduction to digital preservation, please view the video below.
Note: Captions not available :(



During our training, I connected with a librarian who works near me. The two of us plan to present our training together. We want to present a workshop called "Getting Started with Digital Preservation". Neither of us have done digital preservation before, so we are going to discuss the concepts we learned and then share how we have gotten started implementing them at our libraries. We will probably offer our workshop sometime in the fall. Then, we will also participate with a more in-depth regional workshop series to take place next spring.

When I went to this training last month, I was planning on not saying anything to anyone about my hearing loss. I would just manage as best I could. Ha! I didn't even last a day at that. This is what happened. The first morning of our class, I arrived twenty minutes early to get the best possible seat for hearing the speaker. I found one at the front of the room with a great view of the projector screen and located well away from the projector itself. I knew from past experience that projectors can make plenty of distracting background noise. I thought I had it made.

But later that day, the trainers had us count off by numbers 1-6. I ended up being a number six. This meant I had to move to the very back of the room and be part of group six. So much for my effort of arriving early to get the best seat. Then, we had some group work time where all the groups were talking among each other at the same time. Oh, the hubbub! I was relying completely on lipreading at that point. Then, we broke up to receive more instruction from a Library of Congress trainer. But, of course, now I was at the back of the room. I had to do something. I told my group, "Sorry, I have to move up to the front to hear" and pulled my chair up to sit at a front table. That group looked a little surprised to have me join them, but I simply explained, "I need to sit here to hear." The trainer didn't even seem to notice.

I was so glad later that I took the initiative to make that move. I met someone at the front table who was compassionate about my hearing loss and one of the training organizers told me later she just assumed I had moved to be able to see better. LOL, I had never even considered that possibility.

Through this training opportunity, I learned about digital preservation AND the importance of owning up to my hearing loss. It was a little embarrassing in the moment to move my seat, but not a big deal in the long run.

What Speech Sounds Like to the Hard of Hearing Person

I think it can be very tough for people with normal hearing to understand how it's possible to communicate as a hard of hearing person. Just last week I was asked skeptically how I could "hear anything" at a crowded public event where it appeared that I was conversing easily. Ha! What people don't get is that making sense of unclear speech is what I have to do all the time - unless I happen to be in close proximity to someone in a very quiet space.

When I read online about a new hearing loss demo, I thought perhaps it could help me explain how I manage. I played the Loss of High Frequencies clip for one of the people who had asked me how I could hear anything. She could not make out what was being said at all. She was surprised when I said I could get most of it. I told her that kind of speech is what I'm used to hearing. Then I played for her the No Hearing Loss clip. What a difference! Crystal clear clarity. It was quite easy to tell what was said. My friend was amazed. I hope that now she understands a little better that I may get by, but it's not easy.

Don't Let Hearing Loss Keep You Home

The beach is my favorite destination!

It's almost summer time and many people are thinking about how to spend their vacation. In the U.S. gas prices are high and air travel is a hassle, so I can understand if some choose to stay close to home. But I don't want anyone to use hearing loss as an excuse not to see new places! With a little planning and self assertiveness, you can get where you want to go.

Can you see the palm trees
reflected in the window?

Last Saturday, I attended a seminar on travel tips for people with hearing loss by Tina Childress, an audiologist who's late deafened and wears bilateral cochlear implants. I'd like to share a few of the many things that I learned from her and offer my own thoughts and experiences.

For Travel by Airplane

• Don't pack any hearing aid or cochlear implant equipment in your checked luggage. The scanner for this luggage is much stronger than the one for carry-on bags. I've had my luggage lost before, so I never put anything of value in there.
• It's OK to walk through the metal detector with hearing aids or ear level CIs. But a body worn CI has more metal and may set off an alarm. I've wondered about the effect of metal detectors on my hearing aids and even asked security staff if it was OK... but even though they gave me the go ahead, I always felt a little leery about it. I never had any damage or problems occur, but I feel better knowing from a hearing professional that it's all right.
• When you reach your gate, let the staff at the desk know you have a hearing loss so you can be informed in case of delays, gate changes, or other announcements. It's in your best interest to sit as close as possible to the desk to make it easy for them to find you. I have not actually approached airline personnel about my hearing loss, although I do sit as close as I can to the desk. Now that I know Tina has done this, I will be more assertive myself.
• Hearing aids and CIs will not interfere with the plane's navigational instruments and do NOT need to be removed during takeoff and landing. I don't like to wear my hearing aids on a plane because of the engine noise. I was surprised to hear from Tina that occasionally cochlear implants are mistaken for Bluetooth devices and the difference has to be explained. By the way, if you ever meet Tina yourself, be sure and ask about her Redtooth story - it's hilarious!

For Travel by Automobile

• Turn on the light at night for better lipreading. I wasn't sure that was legal. Good to know!
• Purchase an extra wide rear-view mirror which eliminates blind spots and reduces headlight glare. That sounds like just what I need! That's a good tip for everyone in fact.

General Tips

• When traveling alone on a plane, train, or bus you may want to let the person sitting next to you know about your hearing loss in case an emergency announcement is made. I might do that if the person were friendly or solicitous, but for me it would definitely depend on the person! Some people make me feel uncomfortable. Use your gut instinct on this.
• Bring along the customer service number for your hearing aid/cochlear implant manufacturer. If you need a new part, you can get one shipped to your travel location. I had never thought of that. It would be very helpful to have that number looked up in advance. Just in case.

Tina is an outstanding speaker and there was much more than this to her presentation. If you ever get the chance to attend "Planes, Trains and Automobiles: Travel Tips for People with Hearing Loss" or any of her other workshops, I highly recommend it. 

I wish you all safe travels wherever you choose to go this summer. Do you have any plans made?

A Deaf Writer and His Deaf Character: A Review of Deaf Sentence by David Lodge

Deaf Sentence by David Lodge isn't a new book. It was published in 2008. It was new to me, however, and I have reader Joe from Washington State to thank for bringing it to my attention. Joe wrote to tell me he enjoyed my blog and tell me about this book.

While I was reading the novel, I couldn't believe how similar the narrator's experiences with misunderstanding loved ones and coping with wearing hearing aids were to my own. I wondered how David Lodge got it so right. Well, the answer should have been obvious. David Lodge has a hearing loss himself. The British author discusses his hearing loss journey which began in his late forties and continues on into his seventies in this article from the Daily Mail.

When interviewed by The Book Depository, he was asked directly if Deaf Sentence was based on his own experiences. Here is his reply:

"The portrayal of the central character's deafness is closely based on my own experience, and it is exceedingly unlikely that I would have thought of writing a novel about this condition if I hadn't suffered from it myself. From my late forties I was afflicted with gradually worsening high-frequency deafness, the most common form of hearing impairment, which makes it difficult to distinguish consonants, especially when there is a lot of background noise. The character of Desmond's father is also closely based on my own father who died in 1999. He was also deaf, as a result of old age, but wouldn't wear a hearing aid, so communication between us was often difficult."

Deaf Sentence has lots of funny bits which will make you laugh, particularly if you or a loved one has a hearing loss. Some tender family moments are also included. To add some drama and suspense, there is a subplot about a young female graduate student who is writing a dissertation on suicide notes. For reasons of her own, she puts Desmond, the main character who is a retired linguistics professor, in compromising positions. For reasons of my own, I skipped over some of those parts to allow me to enjoy the book. Do you ever do that?

If you've read the book yourself, I'd love to hear your thoughts on it. As always, keep those book recommendations coming.

Why I Need Hearing Aids

As part of this series of blog posts on my new hearing aids, I thought I would explain why I need hearing aids in the first place. In a nutshell, I need hearing aids to understand speech. The audiology chart below shows where the sounds of speech are in comparison to other sounds. You can see that they fall within a banana shaped outline. I have colored in yellow the portion of the speech banana which I cannot hear unaided. This section includes the sounds of f, s, th, sh, and x.

In the video below you can experience for yourself what conversations at various levels of hearing loss within the speech banana sound like. My own loss is moderately severe - so mine would be most like the moderate loss demonstration. After watching this, you will understand how hard it is for me to hear speech, but it is still possible.

Although I can hear most speech sounds, because some of them are missing, my brain has to fill in the gaps to make sense of what I hear. This is very tiring work. Oticon seems to understand this. They have designed the Agil to provide the hearing aid user with the "energy of understanding".  Here's a quote from their website that explains this concept:

The link between understanding and energy
Oticon Agil is designed to help you expend less energy in every situation. We know that different settings ask more of us than others. A dinner party or chatting with a friend in a busy café are just two instances where listening can prove challenging. But it’s not only trying to grasp the properties of sound that can be taxing. In a busy environment, the effort required to listen can leave you with very little to actually enjoy the moment. Oticon Agil changes all that.

Oticon Agil helps you save energy
Oticon Agil preserves the natural dynamics of sounds and gives your brain more of the sounds it can recognise and process. It does this by sending sounds to your brain in the way it learned to process them. That takes the hard work out of making sense of sounds and following what is going on. It means you can now not only keep up, but contribute and participate actively in conversations with less effort. And that is the energy of understanding.

I am hoping that this is not a gimmick, but is something I will actually experience. Often I have been so fatigued after work I can barely drive home. Once there I've fallen into a deep sleep. I also suffer from headaches. I am hoping that wearing my Oticon Agil Pros will relieve my fatigue and prevent many of my headaches.

Update: My friend Liz has written a post about this one and she expands on what I was trying to convey here very succinctly. Please take a look. You will find it here.

Walk4Hearing: Raising Awareness and Funds to Assist People with Hearing Loss

I am so excited and thrilled to be participating in the Chicago Walk4Hearing event next weekend. Watching this video has truly inspired me and gotten me revved up to get walking. If you would like to support this cause, please visit my walk page.

I'm Stepping Up for Hearing Loss

In ten days, I will be participating for my very first time in a Hearing Loss Association of America Walk4Hearing fundraiser on October 15 in Chicago. My local support group, the Chicago chapter of the Association for Late Deafened Adults, has put together a team to raise money for both HLAA and ALDA Chicago. The twin goals of the walk are to raise awareness and help eradicate the stigma associated with hearing loss.

As it says on the Walk4Hearing website, "Most of us give little thought to our ears until we have a problem hearing. The sounds go into our ears and up to the brain and we hear. Unlike our eyes, our ears never close. Hearing is effortless. Many people don't know where to find the information and support they need to overcome the communication obstacles that hearing loss creates."

HLAA sponsors these walks because hearing loss is a public health issue in the United States. Their website offers these statistics which may surprise you:

• 36 million people have some form of hearing loss 
• 22 million have noise-induced hear loss that could be prevented 
• More than 59,000 military members have disability status for hearing loss from current wars.
• 30 school-aged children per 1,000 have a hearing loss

So how does HLAA help people with hearing loss? Here are a few of the many ways they make a difference in people's lives:

• Information, referral, education and coping resources through www.hearingloss.org, the Hearing Loss Magazine, the annual HLAA Convention, and the HLAA electronic newsletter.
• A nationwide network of 200 chapters providing personal support.
• Support for parents of children with hearing loss at www.kidsandhearingloss.org
• Outreach to veterans returning with hearing loss.
• Social networking site for young adults with hearing loss at www.hearinglossnation.org
• Captioning and hearing assistive technology at chapter meetings to make them accessible
• Scholarships for students with hearing loss towards college tuition.
• Funding for hearing aids and devices for people who cannot afford them.
• Installation of hearing assistive technology in public places
• Seminars on coping with hearing loss for families

If you'd like to support me on this walk, please visit my walk page.

29 Year Old Woman Hears for the First Time

I saw a clip of this touching video on my local news today.

The Esteem hearing implant is designed for adults with moderately severe sensorineural hearing loss - exactly the type I have. To learn more about this option to hearing aids, click here.

I had never heard of it before today. Have you? On the website, there are stories of people implanted as far back as 2005.

Update: You can read Sarah Churman's story in her own words on her blog here.

My Hearing Loss, My Self Image: A New Start

Today I had my fitting for the pair of hearing aids I will receive as part of the Oticon Focus on People Award. My previous audiologist doesn't work with Oticon aids, so I went somewhere new. It was nice to have a fresh start. While reviewing my medical history with my new audiologist, I surprised myself by just how much I've learned in the five years since my hearing loss was diagnosed. I could accurately describe my past audiogram results using the palm of my hand as a "chart" and could pepper our conversation with lingo like the speech banana, T4/M4, T-coil, and sensorineural. Impressed much?

When we discussed when my hearing loss might have begun, I shared that I didn't know for sure. I can remember feeling extremely fatigued in college. Could it have been from all the listening required? I distinctly remember one English writing seminar where a professor used a video for one of our classes and a light bulb went off in my head. I immediately grasped the concept. I've often wondered if I'm a visual learner due to my hearing loss.

Looking even farther back, I wonder if I had normal hearing as a child or not. I don't know for certain because I never had a childhood hearing test. Of course, none of my teachers ever indicated there was a problem. But since I'm nearsighted and have worn glasses since I was 9 years old, I was usually seated in the front row of the classroom. Maybe I was the shy, quiet girl because of my hearing or maybe that was, and is, just me. Hard to say.

My husband used to puzzle over how quiet I become in group situations. I could chatter on comfortably one on one, but if there were three people or more present, I was rendered speechless.  Now we've realized that my difficulty in following group conversation puts me at a disadvantage. When I'm lagging a few beats behind everyone else, it's hard to contribute the appropriate response that moves a conversation forward. To this day, I prefer spending social time with my friends one-on-one as much as possible.

At the audiologist's today, I took the usual battery of diagnostic tests. I hate to admit it, but there was a part of me that secretly hoped she would say that my hearing is normal. That my previous diagnosis had all been a mistake. But no, that didn't happen. Instead she said that the conduction test proved that nothing medically could be done for my hearing and that hearing aids were my only option. She said that technology had improved in the last five years and I might be much more satisfied with the way my new aids would sound. But I would continue to struggle with hearing in noise because my hearing is impaired. My audiogram came out just like all the others.

Even after five years time, I still struggle to accept my situation. At work recently I have been reassigned from my shifts at the information desk. When I told the audiologist that, she said that was a good idea in my situation. So now I have to re-imagine myself as a virtual librarian offering help electronically rather than face-to-face. I have to accept that when I'm interacting with hearing people, conversation is harder for me. I'm going to be the quiet one.

I hope with my new aids, I will come to an acceptance of who I am now and who I always may have been. In the spirit of I. King Jordan's famous words,  I can do anything except hear perfectly and it's time I get over that and move forward. I'm looking forward to living better with Oticon. I get my new aids next week.

Why Hearing Loss is Lonely

I'm posting a video today that is worth a thousand blog posts. If you know someone with hearing loss, I urge you to watch it. It will open your eyes to the isolation that hearing loss can bring.

I found this gem while reading the Xpressive Handz blog today. Many of you with hearing loss have probably already seen this on the internet, but for those who haven't it is well worth watching. Please note that it's 24 minutes long.

Here's a brief description: My Song is a coming of age story which follows Ellen, a young deaf girl stuck in the middle of the deaf and hearing worlds. Feeling as if she doesn't fit in, Ellen learns sign language, attempting to enter the deaf world by taking part in a sign song competition in London. However Ellen is about to find her journey far more difficult than she first thought.

A Reader Asks Other Readers to Respond

I received an email from a new hearing aid wearer who wanted to ask a few questions of me and the readers of my blog. My answers appear in italics. Please post your responses in the comments section. Thanks!

1. I find myself frequently adjusting the volume on my aids, having come to see that as an advantage. In fact, I can turn them up loud enough so that I can hear things going on in the next room! I'm wondering if you and other subscribers use your aids in this manner, or if you just keep your volume controls at the same setting all day? The problem I have is that now I can't tell how loud something "really" is, and I'm afraid that I might adjust the volume on things like radios, etc. too high or low for others. I try to watch peoples' reaction, but I can never be sure. I'd appreciate knowing how you and other subscribers deal with this matter. Also, is the practice I've fallen into of turning my aids off in very noisy places and when I really want to concentrate common?

Speak Up Librarian: My hearing aids don't have volume controls. My options are to switch between different programs, add an assistive listening device, or take them out. When I'm concerned the volume is too loud for others, I ask and try to come to a compromise. I do the same thing as you when it comes to noisy places, I take my hearing aids out.

2. I've learned of a way to have my current BTEs attachable to eyeglass frames, so my visual and hearing helpers can be combined and put on and off at the same time. Have you or anyone else had experience with this option?

Speak Up Librarian: I haven't tried that. It's an interesting idea, but there are many times where I wear my glasses but not my hearing aids and I wonder how tricky it would be to separate them.

3. I'm frequently aware that people are making a special effort to speak loudly and directly to me, I guess because they see my hearing aids. Do you frequently have this experience?

Speak Up Librarian: No. Generally I get that response only after I've told someone I'm not hearing them and it's something they really want me to know.

4. Several times a week I'm asked about my aids. I guess as a female yours are more hidden by your hair? Do you make any effort to hide you aids/hearing problem, or do you want people to know? From what I've read on your blog, you were never embarrassed about getting hearing aids. How do you feel your husband, children and coworkers have adjusted and accepted your need for hearing aids?

Speak Up Librarian: No, I don't hide my hearing problem. In fact my friends and family frequently wish I would just shut up about it already. (That's me "reading their minds" - not that they've said that.) I haven't been embarrassed about getting hearing aids. But I have been embarrassed when I think people perceive me as stupid or slow when I don't understand them right away. Even after 5 years, I still find it difficult explaining my situation to library patrons. I read in a book last night that librarians tend to be very private about themselves in their interactions with library patrons so that could be a factor. When people are coming to me for help, I guess I want to appear "all knowing" - an occupational hazard perhaps. Since it's been 5 years now, I think my friends and family have accepted the situation. As we tell teenagers, it does get better.

Thanks for your email. I'm looking forward to reading the responses of other readers of my blog.

Reflections on Switched at Birth

Last night I watched the premier episode of Switched at Birth on Hulu as I don't have access to ABCFamily television station. I found out later that it's also available for viewing through the ABCFamily website. There's an excellent recap and review of this episode on Elizabeth's Eh?What?Huh? blog so I'm going to skip retelling the story and get straight to my reflections.

I was surprised by my intensely personal response to the show. I found myself identifying strongly with Daphne the main character even though I wasn't deaf as a teenager myself. I pondered this afterwards and realized that this program's theme is about coping with a change in your identity, in the way you view yourself, and that's been my internal experience of the past few years since I abruptly learned I have a hearing loss. Until then I had assumed my hearing was normal. Once that rug was pulled out from under me, I had to regain my footing and see myself in a new way.

I adored the loving relationship between Daphne and her mother who signs. I was delighted when she and her mom flicked quick oks to each other as that's something I do now on a regular basis with my son and occasionally with uncomprehending hearing people as it's become such a habit of mine. I'm looking forward to seeing on future episodes which of Daphne's new family first makes the effort to sign to her. My bet is on her new brother. He seems the most open to Deaf culture. Of course he messed up when he wouldn't talk directly to Daphne's best friend who is deaf and doesn't speak, but he did ask the right questions during the conversation. I'm hopeful there will be an episode at some point where her new mother learns some sign. That would be very satisfying to watch and a major turnaround from her completely clueless attitude currently.

The parts of the program dealing with the cause of Daphne's deafness were very poignant for me. As part of my own hearing loss journey I've examined why my hearing loss happened. Was it something I did wrong? Was it something I could have avoided doing? Perhaps most agonizing for me - How could I not realize that I didn't hear the way others do?

When the biological parents of Daphne instinctively seek to fix what they see as a "problem", I could relate to that as well. Unfortunately, I've had someone tell me to go to the doctor and get it taken care of when I began using an assistive listening device in addition to my hearing aid. She didn't understand that my hearing aid doesn't restore my hearing. I've also had a well-meaning family member compare getting a cochlear implant to having cataract surgery. When I replied that it would be okay if my hearing decreased further (I am nowhere near the point of qualifying for a cochlear implant), that I have confidence in my ability to cope and enjoy life without hearing, my relative was completely baffled.

The scene where Daphne's biological father calls out to her when her back is turned and realizes she can't hear him was very moving. In the next moments, he listens to everyday sounds he has taken for granted and comprehends that they are missing from her world. That's the paradox of my own hearing loss experience. Once I understood there were sounds I am unable to perceive, I became tuned into and grateful for the sounds I can hear aided and unaided. When someone asks me now, "Can you hear that?" and I can't, I simply shake my head no. But when I can hear a bird singing or some other lovely sound, I revel in it. I can no longer take it for granted.

One of the best parts of the show was seeing how poised Daphne was when dealing with her emotional parents. Teenagers everywhere take notes! It will be interesting to see if Daphne's self confidence falters any when she moves from a deaf school to a mainstream high school environment.

These are my thoughts. I'd be interested in reading your reaction to the show or what I've written, if you care to share.

Doing It 'Our Way'

....We'll do it our way, yes our way

Make all our dreams come true

And do it our way, yes our way

Make all our dreams come true

For me and you. [Laverne & Shirley]

Doing things the hearing way often doesn't work for those of us with a hearing loss. Instead, we have to be creative and come up with new ways that work for us. Recently, I was responsible for a banquet hosting a mixed group of deaf, late deafened, hard of hearing, and hearing folks. I thought I'd share my experience and the innovations/accommodations that made our dream of a successful and fun party come true.

When I met the wait staff who would be serving us that day, I explained right away that most of the group had difficulty hearing. They were glad to have that information. It seemed as though the management hadn't told them anything about it in advance.

One of our guests had a great idea. He noticed the photocopied sheet of dinner options at each plate and suggested marking each one with our choice. The waiter was able to gather them all up and that saved a lot of his time versus trying to interact with each of us individually. Some members even wrote their special preferences next to their choice!

When I showed the waiter my marked paper, he came up with his own innovation. He returned with a paper with the various soft drink options handwritten in magic marker and let each person indicate their choice by pointing or telling him. The waitress brought a similar paper with the salad dressing choices written on it. She placed a copy on each table for us to mark our choices. This turned out to be another excellent time saver. It also saved the awkwardness I've experienced when I've struggled to understand a list of salad dressings spoken aloud and needed to ask for repeats.

We had one more accommodation I wanted to share with you. For the program part of our banquet, we had a CART provider [Communication Access Realtime Translation] who would type captions projected on a screen. As our captioner was setting up her equipment, she realized that the screen provided by the restaurant, although fully extended, would come up short and that people in the far corner of the room would be unable to see it. The photo below shows the solution the restaurant manager came up with to fix the problem.

I was very pleased with this restaurant's response to our group's needs. When I unthinkingly signed as I was speaking with one of the waiters and apologized when I realized what I was doing, he corrected me saying, "No, it's okay. I might learn something." I think his words summed up our experience well. By not pretending to be the same as hearing people, we saved the restaurant time and aggravation. For their part, they learned to think about how people with hearing loss could best be served.

Have you had any similar experiences you'd like to share?

For My Birthday

This year for my birthday I gave myself a fantastic present. I took a trip to Costa Rica with Discovering Deaf Worlds from February 24 - March 5.

This was an opportunity for me to push myself way out of my comfort zone. I traveled with a group of people I had never met before, most of whom were deaf and communicated solely by sign language. During the trip, I hiked in the rain forest, zip lined down a mountain, and climbed to a waterfall. I was tested mentally, physically, and socially.

A fellow traveler asked what drew me to taking this trip with Discovering Deaf Worlds. My answer was that since receiving my diagnosis of hearing loss, I have had the benefit of hearing aids, assistive listening devices, CART captioning, and other technologies. I have had the opportunity to learn ASL and watch interpreters at several events. Truly, I feel blessed to live in this country where help is available. I wanted to travel to a less fortunate place and see if I could be of any assistance or encouragement to the people there.

In the days to come I will write several posts describing the journey and what I learned in Costa Rica. But for now, I'd like to wrap up with this anecdote. At the farewell dinner the last night of our trip, I was asked what I would take away from this experience. I replied two things came to mind. The first was that I was grateful for all that I could hear. At home my focus has often been on what I miss or don't hear correctly. But in Costa Rica, I was amazed by all that I was able to hear. I could understand bits of Spanish. I could hear environmental sounds that my fellow travelers couldn't.

The second takeaway from the trip for me was that I need to open my heart to people more. At home I tend to isolate myself and avoid difficult communication situations. In Costa Rica, I learned the joy of interacting and that it's okay to say that I haven't understood what was expressed. One of my proudest moments on the trip was when I had breakfast with a deaf man from Costa Rica who signed LESCO sign language and a deaf woman from Australia who signed AUSLAN sign language. Despite our differences, we were able to have a real conversation. That morning I could have easily stuck to English speakers or ASL signers but I would have missed my chance to get to know two amazing people better.

In the year to come I hope I can continue to move out of my comfort zone and push forward. As they say in Costa Rica, Pura Vida.

Hear the World Sound Academy

Last summer, I wrote about Hear the World's Amazon adventure. This coming July 31-August 7, Hear the World will take young people to the Grand Canyon where they will work together with acoustic scientists to collect sound data for the National Park Service while discovering an entirely new way of looking at sound as a precious resource and hearing as a cherished sense.

"Following the success of the Hear the World Amazon Expedition, we wanted to dive deeper into providing students with the understanding that hearing and sound is not something we should take for granted,” said Valentin Chapero, CEO of Phonak and founder of Hear the World. “In partnership with Global Explorers, we are excited to be able to offer this one-of-a-kind opportunity for students to gain the tools needed to be the next generation of sound ambassadors.

Hear the World Sound Academy applications are currently being accepted through February 26, 2011. Applicants must be between the ages of 15-20 on July 31, 2011, enrolled as a full-time student either the semester before or after travel and experience hearing loss or have an expressed interest in hearing awareness and education. Scholarships are available for those who qualify.

Participants will be accompanied by Bill Barkeley, a world-class mountain climber and one of the 15,000 people in the United States with Type 2 Usher’s Syndrome – the leading cause of deaf-blindness in the world. Bill also served as a mentor and leader in the 2010 Hear the World Amazon Expedition. Bill’s 2007 summit of Mount Kilimanjaro shattered expectations and confirmed his role as an advocate and inspiration for the hearing loss community.

To learn more, nominate a student or apply, visit this link. Updated 2/14/10. [I apologize for any confusion caused by the previous incorrect link that was posted.]

Information provided by a Hear the World press release.

One Square Inch of Silence: One Reader's Experience

One Square Inch of Silence refers to a spot in Olympic National Park located in the upper northwest corner of the continental United States. Gordon Hempton, an acoustic ecologist, designated this spot as the last quiet place in America and vowed in 2005 to protect it from manmade noise intrusions. The book chronicles his journey, two years later, across the United States on his way to Washington DC to request federal recognition of the spot and to discuss the value of quiet in the lives of Americans.


I first heard about One Square Inch of Silence when it was cited in passing at a Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA) conference presentation last June. Before I picked it up for myself this winter, I had only a vague notion that it was about how the world had become a noisier place and this was not such a good thing. The book does talk about that but it is so much more. I quickly realized I would need to devote some time to a careful reading of it.

In the beginning, I found myself slowing down to read the book's beautiful descriptive passages and recreate their scenery in my mind. I was enchanted by his descriptions of nature sounds unknown to me and enjoyed "hearing" them through Hempton's ears. I thought that might be all I would gain from the book.

But quite early on in the story, Hempton reveals he had a frightening experience with a sudden onset of a hearing loss. Because his work as a nature sounds recorder depended on his ability to hear, the loss was devastating. Like many of us, he found himself withdrawing from others when communication became difficult. Eventually, he was diagnosed with a middle ear problem. His doctor suggested a hearing aid, but he refused. Fortunately for him his hearing loss proved to be only short term, rather than permanent. Over a period of months, after Hempton made a few changes in his habits, his hearing was fully restored. This part of the book stopped me in my tracks as I pondered what it would be like for me to have normal hearing again.

Much later in the book, Hempton has his hearing tested at a special facility in Indianapolis. He includes his audiogram and his results are excellent. He has fantastic hearing. I felt wistful when I saw that. What must having above normal hearing be like?

Throughout the story, I found myself struck by the insights of various people Hempton interacts with along his cross-country trek. Several people had found healing through spending time alone in the wilderness. I wondered if it would be possible to restore a person's hearing, lost through noise impacts, by spending time in silence. The book doesn't say. I wonder if anyone has ever tried it.

I have to admit that reading this book as someone with a hearing loss was tough for me at times. The story of America’s hearing loss reminded me of my own. Near the very end of the book, Ken Feith of the EPA, says "People simply do not understand the significant adverse health effects of noise. They just don't." Unless they're coping with a hearing loss on a daily basis, I wanted to retort.

Whether or not people in the hearing loss community will want to get behind Hempton's push to save nature sounds that we ourselves may or may not be able to hear, I do not know. But there are several parts of the book I'd like to highlight for you.

First, the spiritual influence of nature is expressed several times in the book with insights like "In silence I feel God's presence and ultimate control." and "God whispers. Man shouts." These comments resonated with me strongly. Personally I find spending time in nature to be as spiritually renewing as time spent in church. Nature refreshes my spirit and makes me feel alive to my existence as a creature on this planet connected with every other living thing, whether plant or animal. Obviously, sounds are not as much a part of this experience for me as I don't hear crickets and other high pitched calls. Instead, it is the fresh air flooding my lungs and the visual delights of trees, water, and sky and their colors, shapes, patterns, and textures.

Secondly, Hempton discusses how the animals' sense of security is compromised when manmade noise intrudes into their habitat. Background noise interferes with the animals' ability to communicate with each other and attract a mate. For the animals, it's vital to survival to be able to hear a predator's stealthy approach. As someone who is frequently startled by people approaching me unawares in my daily surroundings, I can appreciate the vulnerability of the wild creatures drowned in a sea of noise produced by power tools, trucks, helicopters, etc. over which they have no control. I know that whenever I have visited a large city, I have found myself on hyper alert to the unfamiliar surroundings and proximity of strangers. Hempton explains that our ears evolved to serve us in this capacity. We have no earlids because our ears never sleep. So often, humans are utterly oblivious to the impact their activities have on animal life. This is something Hempton hopes to change through his writing.

Lastly, whether you agree with Hempton's priorities or not, he is a man to be admired. I recently wrote about being the change you want to see in the world and Gordon Hempton is a perfect example of that philosophy in action. Throughout his book a recurring theme is whether one person can make a difference in the world. I believe that one can. In his quest to protect the last quiet place in America, Hempton has gotten two airlines to agree to fly around Olympic National Park and one airline to make a concession towards that goal. He has also persuaded his local senator to sponsor legislation to protect the park's soundscape. He has made a difference.

The book concludes with several helpful guides to quiet in the wild, in the office, and in your home and neighborhood. I would also be remiss as a librarian if I didn't at least mention that the book's narrative includes an interesting description of the Seattle Public Library's acoustics.

You can find out more about One Square Inch of Silence at the organization's website. I'm interested in knowing your thoughts on the subject whether you've read the book or not. Tomorrow I will publish Gordon Hempton's response to my question: How would you motivate those of us who can't hear these nature sounds to play a part in protecting them for those who can? His answer may surprise you.

To Wear Hearing Aids or Not?

To paraphrase Shakespeare, "to wear hearing aids or not to wear them" is one reader's dilemma. She wrote me recently to ask the following question: Do people with mild or moderate hearing loss benefit by wearing hearing aids?

This has been her experience. One audiologist told her she didn't need hearing aids. A second audiologist said she did and she purchased a pair. She wore them for awhile, stopped wearing them, and has recently started wearing them again. In noisy situations and when people whisper, she finds that the aids are helpful. But she's self conscious about wearing them and has a spouse who is non supportive. She wonders if it's worth it when she can function without them.

I've emailed her my two cents on the topic. It's an issue I've debated myself as regular readers of my blog know. I often take hearing "breaks" without my hearing aids because listening tires me. But I do wear them most of the time. Somewhere I got the idea that wearing hearing aids with a milder loss helps your brain adjust to hearing through them and is better than waiting until the loss is greater. Her audiologist told her that by wearing them now she would not have as great a loss in the future as she would if she didn't wear them.

Readers, what are your thoughts on this?

• Do people with mild or moderate hearing loss benefit by wearing hearing aids?
• Does wearing hearing aids help prevent hearing loss?

An Amazon Adventure

This week a group from Hear the World is exploring the Amazon in Peru. Phonak and Global Explorers teamed up to offer this first Hear the World Expedition. Here's a quote from their flyer:

The acoustical environment of the Peruvian Amazon is a complex symphony exploding with life where one's ability to listen is increasingly magnified. The capacity to hear is a fundamental part of life many take for granted; yet one in every six people worldwide is affected by hearing loss...

Full-time students ages 17-22 with or without hearing loss were eligible to participate. Accompanying them is Bill Barkley, the keynote speaker of the 2010 HLAA Convention. Previously Bill traveled to Africa and climbed Mount Kilimanjaro with Hear the World. This would be an amazing feat for anyone but even more so when you consider that Bill has Usher's Syndrome, a leading cause of deaf-blindness.

The travelers departed July 8th for Lima, Peru and will return home July 17th. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers that they will have an amazing adventure and stay safe.

In the fall the group will complete service projects where they tell their own stories. In the meantime you can follow along with the group by reading their expedition journal complete with sound clips and photos. You can also get to know the students on the expedition team by reading about them here. You can also read the group's Facebook updates (even if you don't have an account) here.

What a wonderful way to spread the word about hearing loss. I'm so proud of every one of them for committing to this incredible adventure.

Traveling in London with Hearing Loss

My trip to London last month was the first time I had traveled abroad since being fitted with hearing aids. Visiting a foreign country always provides challenges and I honestly wondered how my hearing loss would affect my ability to communicate and participate in all the activities I had planned. The good news is that I did just fine! Everyone I dealt with in London was courteous to me and no one from salesclerks to train ticket sellers refused to repeat what I missed. Of course, I had my son with me who has normal hearing. But as it turned out, the British accent was nearly indecipherable for him. I actually understood people better than he did!


At our hotel, we were happy to discover that our room’s television had captions (see photo above). They were easily activated by a clearly marked button on the remote. It was funny to us that my son needed the captions just as much as I did. We really enjoyed watching the programs that were on in the evening. In my opinion, the British captions were better than the captions I’ve experienced at home in regards to their accuracy and timing. My English friends were surprised to hear that assessment. Of course it was based on a limited sampling of programming.


Many of the trains in London had captions posted for every announcement made on the loudspeaker including the names of stops and information about connecting trains. This was extremely helpful. I remember during my previous trips to London (even before knowing of my hearing loss) having to keep a watchful eye on the tube station map on the train car wall and a lookout for the station walls to see the names of each stop we made, always being careful to keep track of the number of remaining stops. Having the captions on the train helped me to relax and feel confident that I would disembark at the right station.

Deaf people get a discounted price for tickets to the royal palaces. Deafinitely Girly told me this so I decided to ask for the discount when we visited Hampton Court. By simply pointing to my hearing aids, I was admitted with a student priced ticket and my son as “my carer” got in free. That was great for my wallet at the ticket office, but I did find it a bit embarrassing when we were at the Maze entry and someone asked which one of us was the carer. I pointed to my son and said “He is” with a little roll of my eyes. It was ironic because inside the maze my carer took off and left me to my own devices. When he despaired of my EVER finding my way out, he did come in and find me, though, so I guess he was a good carer after all.

I flew over and returned on American Airlines. There were several movie options to watch on the personal screen attached to the back of the passenger’s seat in front of me. Unfortunately, none of them were captioned. Not even the foreign films which were all presented in English. I tried watching movies but even with the volume turned up to the max, I could not understand the dialog over the sound of the plane’s engines. Sigh…I wrote an email to American Airlines about it after I returned.

I received the following reply:

We are in receipt of your email regarding the lack of closed captioning video presentations aboard our aircraft. I must say you raise an issue to which we have given much thought.

Although we do have a few large viewing screens on some aircraft, the majority of customers viewing video presentations do so on smaller bulkhead or ceiling-mounted screens (a necessity if customers toward the front or rear of a cabin are to have any chance at comfortable viewing), as well as personal video monitors installed in individual first class seats and portable media players distributed to customers in our business and first class cabins on International and Transcon flights. While these arrangements extend our "reach" throughout the aircraft, there are obvious limitations on screen size in all these examples. Because we have limited ability from a logistical standpoint to assure that passengers requiring captioning will always be seated in a particular area of the aircraft, we would have to provide captioning on all screens. Providing legible captioning forces a reduction in picture size to unacceptably small dimensions for all passengers.

Open-captioning is another option; but because current video architecture allows only for an "all-or-nothing" system on board, we effectively return to square one. Another disadvantage to this option is that open-captioned movies are typically unavailable in such a format until three to six months after the uncaptioned version is on the market. Still another factor with captioning of any kind is the inability to provide more than one translation on international flights; we currently provide dual language audio translations in such cities.

In addition, thank you for feedback about our Customer Relations email form on AA.com. Since it's a standard form and we might need to follow up with a passenger by phone, the form is set up to require a phone number. However, if you prefer or require a response in writing, simply letting us know (as you've done) is appreciated.

We do appreciate your interest in these matters and the spirit in which you wrote. We pledge to continue our monitoring of available technology in this area and thank you for the opportunity to share our thoughts.

Readers, what has been your experience with traveling with hearing loss?

Being Realistic or Selling Myself Short?

A friend pointed me in the direction of a job in my town that pays significantly more than what I make now at my job in another town. When I first looked at the job notice, I dismissed it outright because the position would require more interaction with the public than I have in my current situation. Then I looked the ad over a second time and realized that on paper I have all the qualifications they require. I got to thinking...Perhaps the acoustics in that library would be better than where I work now. Hmmm....was the only thing holding me back [gulp] me?

I decided to send in my application after all. When I was writing up my resume and cover letter, I realized that I had accomplished quite a bit at work recently and that cheered me up enormously. I'll have to wait and see what response I receive.

How has your hearing loss impacted your employment prospects? Do you think it would be better to stay in a job that requires less interpersonal communication or would it better to go for the better paying job close to home and then ask for accomodations if needed. Each option has its pros and cons. Let me know your thoughts.

Update #1
Here's a selection from one of the comments I received so far that I found particularly inspiring: Don't ever let your hearing stop you doing something you really want to or need to do. - Mog

Update #2
I didn't get the job. I never heard from the library but I did hear from a coworker that someone else got it and when I checked the online job posting had been removed. Oh well. To be honest, I have mixed feelings of disappointment and relief. All the same, I really appreciate all the supportive comments I received when I questioned myself as to whether or not I should have applied for it.