www.cefu.dk

Putting Numbers and Words on the Problems Young

People with Hearing Loss Face in Their Everyday Life

Friday, July 4, 11:00 – 12:30

• In this workshop, the results from a new survey of young hard of hearing persons will be presented and discussed. In this context, young is defined as being between the ages of 15 to 35 years. The survey is one of the largest of its kind in the world. The survey covers issues such as social relations, general well-being and the impact of the hearing impairment in the everyday lives of adolescents.

• The workshop will also focus on the tools and strategies young hard of hearing people use in order to overcome their hearing impairment, and the benefits and pitfalls of these tools and strategies.

• A special feature of the Congress will be the meeting of young adults from all across the globe to discuss various pertinent issues about hearing loss. Through an exchange of ideas, we hope to find out what issues young adults in other countries deal with, what has been implemented in other countries and what we can work on together as a global community.

The Case• Denmark, a country with 5,4 millions habititans.

Estimated 10-12 % with a hearing loss. • Social-liberal government, welfare state.• Free hearings aids, and all costs connected with

hearing loss is covered by law.• Full legal rights (equal access for people with

disabilities).• Education is free and students are paid by the

government to study. Very low rate of unemployment.

Question 1

• If hearing aids did not cost anything, how large a percentage of young people with a hearing loss would use them?

64%

80%

90%

37%

20%

10%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Light hearing loss

Medium hearing loss

Heavy hearing loss

Yes

No

Percentage using hearing aid, divided by the degree of hearing loss

•”Indeed the history of hearing aids is an exercise in deception. The true function of hearing aids has been disguised by concealing the aid in canes, fans, pearls, or in some decorative element designed to fool the observer; anything to avoid letting others know you are wearing a hearing aid.”(Stone 1993:58-59)

Question 2

• What aid/remedy (not counting hearings aids) is most common used and how large a percentage uses this aid?

29%

25%

21%

13%

7%

5%

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35%

Alarm clock w . vibrator

Telecoil to TV

Amplif ied telephone

FM-Equipment

Door bell w ith light

Interpreter

Percentage using different kinds of aids. Notice the extent of scale. N=219.

Question 3

• How large a percentage of young people with a hearing disability have been bullied in school?

Bullying• The size of the hearing loss does not

matter. • The ability to discern between sounds does.• The consequences of bullying can be seen

on every measure of the HOH’s person well-being.

• E.g. the number of HOH that has considered suicide rises from 15% to a 36%. That is more than 1 in every 3 person.

Question 4

• How many young hard of hearing people suffer from tinnitus? And does it change with age?

Percentage suffering from tinnitus, divided in age groups

43%

20%

30%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%

29 to 35 years

21 to 28 years

15 to 20 years

“The worst thing about being hard of hearing is the large amount of energy you have to spend on communication. You are tired, your head feels like it weights several tons and your neck hurts. You have the feeling you miss a lot – you are not a part of the group. You can never hear the jokes and small remarks, which makes life fun. You are exhausted for days after activities with many people and lots of noise. You will have to suffer from tinnitus, which really makes you angry.” (Woman, 32 years old, medium hearing loss)

15% 26%

19%8% 73%

59%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Tinnitus

No tinnitus

Bad Not bad/not good Good

How the presence of tinnitus affects the young hard of hearing person’s evaluation of life right now. N= 421.

Question 5

• Guess the percentage that has been angry the last week, because they misunderstood something in a talk/discussion with friends?

77%

73%

58%

54%

23%

27%

42%

46%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

No problems

Sometimes problems

Often problems

Very often problems

No Yes

If and how often the hard of hearing young adult have felt angry over not being able to follow a conversation the last week. Sortet after the ability to discern sounds. N=433.

Question 6

• What percentage has been ashamed over their hearing loss the last week?

16% 48%

45%28% 28%

36%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Men

Women

Very often Sometimes No

Are the young hard of hearing person ashamed of his/her hearing losss? Divided men/women. N=430.

Question 7

• How many uses lip-reading?

60%

75%

24%

14%

15%

11%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Men

Women Alw ays/often

Not veryoften

Never

If and how much the hard of hearing person uses lip-reading. Divided men/women. N=433.

Question 8

• How often the young hard of hearing person experiences misunderstandings in a ordinary talk?

62%

46%

51%

41%

31%

31%

25%

8%

7%

24%

24%

52%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

No problems

Sometimes problems

Often problems

Very often problems

Always/often Happens Never/almost never

Question 9

• Which kinds of talk will a hard of hearing person typically experience as most difficult? (jokes, instructions, informal talk, formal talk)

21%

26%

18%

22%

71%

32%

34%

29%

18%

63%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%

Irony

Jokes

Slang/Metaphors

Instructions

Small talk

Women

Men

What type of talk are most difficult to understand, divided men/women.

Question 10

• How often does a young hard of hearing person pretends to have heard everything, even if it is not the case?

Pretending to have heard everything

19%

23%

39%

47%

51%

51%

46%

37%

30%

26%

15%

16%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

No problems

Sometimes problems

Often problems

Very often problems

Very often Sometimes Seldom/never

How often the young hard of hearing pretents to have heard everything, even if it is not the case. Segmented in relation to the ability to discern sounds.

Question 11

• What is most important – the size of the hearing loss or the ability to discern between different sounds?

Size of hearing loss and ”the ability to discern

different sounds”• Hearing loss: A

measurement of the extent/size of the hearing loss. Measured in dB.

• The ability to discern sounds: Has an audiological meaning, but is here defined as the ability to cope with the impact of the hearing loss in a social setting. It is not easy to measure as it can change constantly.

So the conclusion is…part 1

• The situation in school are mostly good as long as the HOH are not too handicapped

• The level of education achieved are similar to other young people.

• But it is difficult to enter the workplace/job market because of stereotypes.

So the conclusion is…part 2

• Depends on the ruler you use:• In a historic perspective: Things are

getting better.• In full-integration perspective: There

is a lot of areas that need improving. And the situation is bleak in some places.

What are the central issues?

• Becoming an adult – the transition from child to grown-up/adult.

• The ability to hide/conceal a hearing loss.• That a hearing loss changes, and must be

defined in each (new) situation.• And the greater need to swift and secure

communication.

Benefits

Dangers

Costs

Better chance of hearing what is being said.Opens the possibility to inform you are hard

of hearing/have a hearing loss.Opens the possibility to adapt the

communication.

To be misunderstoodThe others gets frustrated

To be refused: ”It was not important” or ”I wil tell you later” (never)

You will be viewed as child/risk of change of massage, so it becomes more simple

Frustration/anger/shameTermination of interaction

You will be viewed as someone that is ”different” and ”handicapped”

Analysis of the benefits, dangers and costs of using the strategy: “Asking for repetition”.

Benefits

Dangers

Costs

You do not stand out as someone with special needs

You can be included in social activities and are not excluded because of disability.Easy – just smile at the right moments

You do not hear everything – maybe it contains valuable information.

Your inclusion in the activity are superficialRisk of being caught

Uncertainty

It does demand extra work to avoid being caught as a ”cheater”

You are a part of the group, but only superficial and it is ”not the real thing”

Fake emotions

Analysis of the benefits, dangers and costs of using the strategy: “Going with the flow”.

Benefits

Dangers

Costs

Simple and easy to useGives control over the situation

You do not get the other persons perspective and input, and can be viewet as boring.

The HOH is experienced as arrogant and Insensitive – as a person without feeling for

the situation and how other feels

Information from others, their views and ideas are lost.

Access to other and some social spaces.Gives no social energy.

Analysis of the social strategy: “Going on, pretending nothing happened"

Being Hard of Hearing Means You are in some ways being

If you ask young people with a hearing loss…

Final remarks

• Time for questions and debate.