Living with Hard of Hearing..

When I was a little girl, everything was great.. I was loving, cute, kind, and thought everyone could hear. As I grew up, I started to see that my father has things in his ears.. I thought that they were ear plugs; well, they are but there are not!!! They were hearing aids. I didn't know what they were and why he had them. As I got older, realizing that my dad was deaf and once he took the aids out, can't hear anything until he puts them back in. So screaming at him to hear was fun. Hearing aids aren't covered by insurance and cost a lot of money. My da's cost $2,500 each ear; that's $5,000!!! but I would rather have my da being able to hear and understand what others are saying.

The new abcfamily drama Switched at Birth made me think that I grew up with deaf and but in a different situation. When I see deaf people I feel sympathy and know what it is like to live in two different worlds. Living with a deaf parent and a hearing parent is strange. My dad only has one working hearing aid since they do cost a lot of money; and that is money that we don't have at the moment. I look at people that have hearing and look at the deaf and think that I have to live with both. It is difficult. I have to watch how high the volume is and make sure that things are good. When I hear the hearing aid buzzing that means my da is sleeping or napping. When it is late at night, that means its time for bed. He gets up and goes to bed. 

Having to deal with the hearing impaired does't help in public places like eating out and going somewhere. You can only talk to the left ear since that has the hearing aid. Having to talk for a man that can but can't really hear what the other person is saying.
 All I am saying is that people have to make sure other can hear and help those that need it. Making things easy for people that do not understand is a help and as is having Braille for those who are blind. My aunt is blind and my da is legally blind without is glasses. Having things simple is a way of caring and knowing they can communicate with others!

- Shannon