In recognition of Deaf Awareness Week we asked one of our hearing dog recipients about their hearing loss and for some top tips on communicating with deaf people. Here is Billy’s story:
Billy Falconer has been a hearing dog recipient since 1999 when he was partnered with his first hearing dog, Dougal. Since then his dogs have helped grow his confidence and brought on a new found independence.
Can you describe your type of deafness and how you communicate with people?
I lost my hearing after a road accident at the age of 10. Before the accident I was doing very well at school. My deafness wasn’t noticed until my school marks started failing, and my confidence suffered because I couldn’t hear the teacher so I started skipping school. After a visit from a truant officer my parents realised that something was wrong and took me to a specialist. He told my parents that the nerves in my ears were severely damaged and eventually I would be profoundly deaf. I also had severe tinnitus and continual noises in my head were driving me crazy.
At the time there were no councellors or hearing dogs and we were not aware of the RNID or Donaldsons (Scotland’s school for deaf children) so I received no help. I got my first hearing aid aged 16, bought privately by my father. Eventually I did get a stronger NHS hearing aid to help with my rapidly deteriorating hearing.
My school and early work life was very hard because people did not understand about deafness and thought that I could hear them with my hearing aid. I had to explain that my type of deafness means that, although I can hear speech, the nerve damage means the message isn’t sent correctly to my brain. I worked in a factory which was especially hard due to the loud background noise. Sometimes it was impossible to hear what my workmates were saying. They got frustrated and I got angry and embarrassed.
Nowadays it is different. I am much more confident and I now attend a lip-reading class every week and I have passed in Level 1 British Sign Language (BSL). I don’t use BSL all the time but I know enough to get by. I also carry around a notebook with me in case I have big problems then people can write things down.
Before you got your hearing dog, how did your deafness affect your life?
My life was very lonely indeed before I got a hearing dog. I did not go out very much at all because I could not have a decent conversation. It was not till later in my adult life that I got a little bit of help from a lip-reading class I joined for two years. My confidence lifted a little and I started going out twice a week. Once on a Thursday for two hours for my lip-reading class and when the class was finished I went to a hard of hearing club with others from the club. I also went out for a couple of hours with a few friends to a pub on a Friday night. However the pub trips were soon to stop as the backgrounf noise stopped me from hearing properly so I eventually stopped going. So I was lonely and isolated again. My life was affected very badly before I got my hearing dog.
What are the common mistakes that people make when communicating with deaf people?
First of all I find that a lot of people don’t understand things such as different kinds of deafness and how tinnitus can affect how a deaf person hears them. People also think that if you are wearing a hearing aid then you should be able to hear, this is wrong.
Very few people face you when speaking, especially doctors. Sometimes I feel embarrased because the doctor spoke to my wife instead of facing me. A few of our lip-reading class members actually said that people thought they weren’t right in the head because they were deaf and that deaf people were stupid.
However there is more help available now attitudes are changing a bit – more than there was when I was young.
My tips for communicating with people with a hearing loss:
- Always face a deaf person as they may be able to lip-read.
- Speak slowly and clearly – don’t shout as this could make things worse and never put your hands in front of your mouth.
- Use a notebook or a bit of paper to write things down (if needed).
- Knowledge of the BSL finger spelling alphabet is also useful.
Since having your hearing dog, do you think people are more understanding of your hearing loss and in what way?
People are more understanding about my hearing loss since I’ve had a hearing dog. I got Dougal in 1999. The first thing that I noticed was that people were facing me more than before and conversation was much better. My confidence lifted so much that I started going out a lot more often. I went to Deaf Connections in Glasgow, joined a computer class, and returned to lip-reading classes. I am now on a Disability Forum Commitee, volunteer at St John’s Hospital Livingston for NHS and for Hearing Link, and i am on a Poverty Alliance group. I would never have been anywhere near them if it was not for Dougal. He definitely changed my life and I am more confident than ever now.
I also give talks for Hearing Dogs for Deaf People in central Scotland, and have helped raise thousands of pounds for the charity. Dougal literally gave me my life back.
Unfortunately Dougal passed away in October 2012 and I am now partnered with Rico, my sencond hearing dog, who is very lovable and continuing to provide the same excellent work.
All credit for the above article belongs to: http://blog.hearingdogs.org.uk/2014/05/dont-shout-tips-for-communicating-with-a-deaf-person/
