It's time to set the record straight on some common myths going around about deaf people.
Some of them you probably know already, but a few may surprise you! Lets dive right in....
1. People who are deaf, or have hearing loss, can't speak.
Some deaf people speak very clearly and others don't. This can be due to a range of factors.
Sometimes their hearing loss has prevented them from learning the spoken language.
Very few deaf people are unable to speak.
2. Hearing aids give perfect hearing
Incorrect!
Due to each persons unique Audiogram, a hearing aid needs to be programmed to their hearing ability.
Even the most advanced hearing aids will not restore hearing to 100%, unlike glasses, where vision can be corrected to 20/20.
3. ALL deaf people know sign language
Not true!
Unless you are completely deaf and/or bought up with sign language in your home, you don't automatically know how to do it.
People with partial hearing loss communicate verbally and also rely on lipreading to hear what's being said.
4. All hearing losses are the same
Nope!
Each hearing loss is different - there is no one size fits all!
Some people can't hear men's voices, but can hear a woman's voice perfectly, or vice versa. Some can hear a car alarm blaring on the street, others can't!
There are many types of hearing loss which include loss of different tones, volumes, pitches and frequencies.
5. All deaf people can lipread
Incorrect!
Whilst the majority of people with hearing loss are highly skilled lip readers, many are not.
This can have a lot to do with how long they've had their hearing loss for.
A child, for example, who's had their hearing loss since birth & have naturally developed coping skills for their day to day lives, would be more likely to lip read than an adult who lost their hearing later on in life.
So there you have it!
"5 common myths about hearing loss you might not even realise!"
What are your thoughts? Any you didn't know about? Some that surprised you?
I'm curious by nature and love finding out bits of information like this about various topics. It opens your mind to things you hadn't thought about before & makes you more aware of the way other people live their lives too.
Let me know in the comments below if you discovered something today, after reading this blog. Any myths I should add to this list, to share with others?
I'd love to hear from you, so send me an email and I'll get back to you soon.
Have a great day!
