Not elders, not teachers, not wise men or leaders. Betters: students, activists, our children. That is what I have been thinking about. I feel like an idiot. I learned something about being hearing impaired from my daughter. On the surface, it doesn't sound bad. It is bad though.
I have been hearing impaired all my life. Well, actually since I was five, but at 48, that is basically all my life. The only things I can remember bothering me were the butt whippings I got for not listening to my mother before the impairment was discovered ( but it makes for great stories! so I thought) and realizing, with the help of a caring teacher who had been in the Air Force, that I couldn't fly fighter jets. Other than that, I am pretty clueless.
My daughter told me of a hearing impaired student in her film class, who asked for captioning because the sound was so poor on the outdated equipment. The teacher said no, it would annoy the other students. He dropped the class. Two weeks later, the teacher, who was now annoyed with the crappy sound quality turned on the captioning. I have to admit this story brought tears to my eyes. I hate dream crushers on principle, but especially when they are the people who are supposed to foster the dreams of those who turn to the education system to pursue them.
And now I have to admit that I am taking a college class for the first time in decades. Yes plural. I am taking a 7 unit EMT class. I tried to see if the school had a hearing impaired stethoscope I could use. I wanted to try one before spending $500 dollars on something that might not work. The nursing program didn't have one; the EMT school didn't have one; and Disabled Student Services didn't have one. So I bought one and it works well. Could the average community college student buy one? Probably not. But they work well. I am thinking everyone should have one. Of course, I don't know how loud things are for the rest of you. I have never heard a heart or lung sound through a stethoscope. I remember as a kids saying that yes, I could hear the sounds, but only because everyone else could.
And now that my eyes have been opened I see this sort of treatment everywhere. For all kinds of people with different abilities. And looking over the vast wasteland that is my life, I see a lot of pain, discomfort, and even broken dreams. And not particularly mine. Now I know why, in various jobs, hearing impaired people seemed so relieved to see my hearing aids. "Oh thank god" they must have thought, "some one who speaks my language". They were disappointed. What is most embarrassing about this is that my job is, to some degree, responsible for the care of thousands (yes thousands) of elderly and disabled who need assistance.
I think about a friends son, who because of Turets gets maced and arrested routinely because he freezes up when he gets pulled over. He hands a card to the officer explaining his condition. To no avail. He simply cannot respond to the police commands. Recently, he was told by officers at the jail to rinse his face with water after having been maced. This, of course, makes it worse. This isn't just law enforcement shenanigans, this is torture.
I have been reflecting on the plight of those who struggle with mental illness. So many struggle, only to be ostracized by their family. They are treated badly by society. rejected socially. Do you have people in your family that struggle with mental illness? Do you and yours treat them with compassion? Or do you criticize them? Calling them crazy? or drunk? "they refuse to take their meds" we say...but you probably wouldn't want to take them yourself.
So to my betters: Brooke, Brendan, Helen, Gifford, Mike, Tony, and so many more I should name: Thank you for schooling me. I just hope I can really learn.
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