Photo courtesy of Hearview.
Deafness is a spectrum.
There are many variables to being deaf — how people lose their hearing, the extent of their hearing loss, whether they use sign language, use cochlear implants and much more.
There are various resources and items that make life more accessible for those who have lost some or all of their hearing.
According to the Mayo Clinic, a cochlear implant is an electronic device that is surgically implanted below the skin near the ear, producing sound for the receiver.
This medical device is useful for individuals who have damaged hair cells inside their inner ear, known as the cochlea.
As a deaf person who wears cochlear implants myself, I rely on them to listen and respond to conversations.
Growing up, daily classroom environments consisted of accommodations outlined in my 504 or IEP plan.
Both plans vary depending on a person’s needs.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, a 504 plan is a result of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which enforces and protects disability rights in schools.
A 504 plan is a guide that supplies students who may encounter learning interferences with adequate resources and support.
An IEP, or Individualized Educational Program, resulted from the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and provides a written plan of specified instruction to aid a student’s distinct requirements.
This includes assistive technology, according to the nonprofit organization, Understood.
An FM system is identified as a Frequency Modulator system and is used as an assistive learning device to amplify sounds in the receiver’s environment.
Each of my specialized educational plans specifically included utilizing an FM system, which allowed me to receive information directly to my cochlear implants.
Interpreters are often present in many hearing-dominated situations and events. For example, some concerts and even some presidential conferences provide American Sign Language — shortened to ASL — interpreters.
In September 2020 — before Trump’s first term ended — the National Association of the Deaf, or NAD, filed its first lawsuit that ordered the White House to provide ASL interpreters for COVID-19-related briefings.
This lawsuit was resolved with a policy that included ASL interpreters to join all press briefings conducted by high-ranking government officials, according to the NAD.
This expectation continued until January 2025, disrupting a streak in providing accessibility to deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals who primarily utilize ASL as their native language.
Such information cannot be translated through closed-captioning as ASL is distinct from the English language, which inhibits access to ASL users.
Movie theaters are mandated by Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act to provide closed-captioning devices that allow the deaf and hard of hearing to enjoy the movie experience, as stated by 3PlayMedia.
Service dogs are often used for individuals who are blind and have vision loss, as well as for the deaf and hard of hearing.
According to NEADS, service dogs for the hard of hearing alert their partner to various lifestyle activities that come naturally to many, such as hearing a smoke detector, a door knock or a morning alarm that many use to wake up every day.
Some people use audible alarms that they hear to get themselves up for the day. However, for those who are deaf, their alarms might be visual or tactile.
A visual alarm would include a sunrise alarm, which gradually turns bright until it fills the room with a bright, warm light that resembles the sun.
A tactile alarm is a vibrating alarm and can resemble the sensation of someone hastily shaking you to get up.
In the event of an emergency — such as a fire — smoke detectors are the first things to notify people. Smoke detectors for the hard of hearing are different from the standard-grade smoke detector. The smoke detector often has lights that flash on and off with an extremely loud alarm.
Being able to hear clearly might be considered the norm, but deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals — and their allies — have helped everyday situations become more accessible, enjoyable and maintainable.
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