Deaf not daft

[Didgeydo]

I have been losing my hearing since 2006 and am now profoundly deaf I have hearing aids which do not always work. I wear a lanyard around my neck stating I am deaf,as if I give the wrong answer to a question because I have not heard. The thing that really upsets me is when the phone goes I state please speak slowly and do not shout. I have had three people in the last week put the phone down on me because I had to ask for them to repeat and not shout,one was a consultant,the other was her secretary and another person who I had no idea who it was cut me off. People are so rude and it upsets me. If there is a message on my answer phone I have to ask a neighbour what is being said. If I was blind I would have a white stick so people would know but when a person is deaf nobody knows and I often feel like stating I am deaf not daft. Went in to get a coffee stated what I wanted the assistant spoke to me as if I was an idiot,I had already asked for a black coffee and she slowly spoke asking if I wanted milk. Still should be used to it now

[bikebabe]

Yes -some people can be so disrespectful mostly out of ignorance. There are however even more people who do try and I have found it helpful to focus on those good responses and try to ignore the bad. I used to have a badge saying I’m deaf not stupid and one that said I can’t lipread through a mask (during covud).

[Lin1944]

Hi, My Mum became profoundly deaf in later years. The best thing she got was a Type Talk phone for deaf. It changed her life as she could then speak to family in Australia and America. My Mum has never used a computer in her life but was taught how to use TypeTalk. The phone etc is free from BT. Just pay for calls. Read about it on Google.

[Didgeydo in reply to Lin1944]

Thank you so much for this wonderful information.xx

[Lin1944 in reply to Didgeydo]

I really hope you get one, if my Mum in her 80s could use it don’t be put off. My Mum was a character and she would forget the Operators are on the line all the time. She used to say all sorts and I could hear the Operator laughing. I got chatting to a lady who worked at Type talk in Liverpool and I told her how much my Mum loved it. She asked who my Mum was and said they all thought my Mum was really funny. Good job she has passed away and not on TypeTalk any more otherwise she would get a Prison Sentence. Xx