Hearing Loss Awareness

I suppose I should make some bow to the New Year; but let’s just say that I did and get right into the reason I’m sitting at this computer on a nationally-proclaimed holiday, while all my neighbors are out enjoying the fruits of a sunny 74-degree Thursday:
.
35 million Americans suffer from hearing loss — that includes 1 in 8 students — so it’s hard to believe this condition remains so personalized.  I can only tell you from my own experience through decades of hearing loss that I didn’t want to acknowledge it.  I thought it was a ‘disability’ reserved for the old folks and I did everything I could to stay in denial.   I really didn’t think I had a hearing loss per se because I could hear the sound of a voice, music or background noise, but it became increasingly difficult to understand all the words.  I was famous for singing the wrong lyrics to popular rock in the 60’s.  I was a pretty good lip reader and thought I could get the general gist of most conversations.   But  too often  my comments were totally unrelated to the subject at hand —  this would send friends into a paroxysm of giggles and me into increased isolation.   I lived in New York City, where the walk and talk are fast-paced.   So it was double-tough to keep up with what everyone was saying.

I was born in the mid-west, grew up in Cleveland and Pittsburgh, spent 20-some years in NYC and finally settled (for now) in southeast Florida.  I enjoyed a glamorous career in public relations and met some famous people.   Through most of those years, I battled a hearing loss condition that sometimes was a source of pride and other times a reason to end it all.   That’s the nutshell I’d like to expand on in the months to come, so stay with me. For me, hearing loss has been personal and painful, but I’ve begun to adopt an attitude of gratitude. 

And this has allowed me to understand that, above all, hearing loss is pertinent.  Billions of dollars are lost annually in the U.S. due to untreated hearing loss.  A small child is reluctant to take part in a game, fearing he will ‘mis-hear’ the rules or the ref and face disdain from his peers.  80% of those diagnosed with hearing loss don’t go on for additional help, usually due to denial, embarrassment or lack of awareness (we don’t know what we don’t hear).

In 2004 I founded Empowerment Through Hearing (ETH) to increase awareness of the epidemic nature of hearing loss.  And through this nonprofit, we published a wonderful book ‘Listen Up!’ —  a fun, breezy read about causes and prevention of hearing loss that was just introduced into all 8th grade classes in the Palm Beach County public school system.  I hope you’ll take a look at these sites when you have time.

Statistics tell us that you or someone you care about has a significant hearing loss.  So I’m asking you to share any experiences, thoughts or ideas you may have on this subject.

Write soon.  I look forward to hearing from you.

Kathlyn