Putting Numbers and Words on the
Problems Young People with Hearing
Loss Face in Their Everyday Life
Friday, July 4, 11:00 – 12:30
www.cefu.dk
• 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?
Heavy hearing loss
90%
Medium hearing loss
10%
80%
Light hearing loss
64%
0%
20%
40%
Yes
20%
No
37%
60%
80%
100%
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?
Interpreter
5%
Door bell w ith light
7%
FM-Equipment
13%
Amplified telephone
21%
Telecoil to TV
25%
Alarm clock w . vibrator
29%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
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 wellbeing.
• 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?
15 to 20 years
20%
21 to 28 years
30%
29 to 35 years
43%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
Percentage suffering from tinnitus, divided in age groups
50%
“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)
8%
No tinnitus
19%
15%
Tinnitus
0%
73%
59%
26%
20%
40%
Bad
60%
Not bad/not good
80%
Good
How the presence of tinnitus affects the young hard of hearing
person’s evaluation of life right now. N= 421.
100%
Question 5
• Guess the percentage that has been angry the
last week, because they misunderstood
something in a talk/discussion with friends?
54%
Very often problems
46%
58%
Often problems
42%
Sometimes problems
73%
No problems
27%
77%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
No
60%
70%
23%
80%
90%
100%
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?
Women
28%
Men
16%
0%
45%
28%
36%
48%
20%
40%
60%
Very often
Sometimes
80%
100%
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?
Women
75%
Men
14% 11%
60%
0%
20%
24%
40%
60%
80%
15%
Alw ays/oft
en
Not very
often
Never
100%
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?
Very often problems
62%
Often problems
31%
52%
Sometimes problems
24%
No problems
24%
0%
41%
8%
51%
25%
46%
20%
Always/often
7%
40%
Happens
31%
60%
80%
Never/almost never
100%
Question 9
• Which kinds of talk will a hard of hearing
person typically experience as most difficult?
(jokes, instructions, informal talk, formal talk)
63%
Small talk
71%
18%
Instructions
22%
Women
29%
Slang/Metaphors
18%
Men
34%
Jokes
26%
32%
Irony
21%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
What type of talk are most difficult to
understand, divided men/women.
60%
70%
80%
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
Very often problems
47%
Often problems
37%
39%
Sometimes problems
46%
23%
No problems
19%
0%
20%
Very often
16%
51%
26%
51%
40%
15%
30%
60%
Sometimes
80%
100%
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.
Interaction
Strategies
Consequences
Strategi 1:
Ask for a repetition
Strategi 2:
Going with the flow
Strategi 3:
Going on, pretending
nothing happened
Benefits
Dangers
Costs
B
e
en
fits
Dangers
Co
sts
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 misunderstood
The 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/shame
Termination 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”.
B
e
en
fits
Dangers
Co
sts
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 superficial
Risk 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”.
Simple and easy to use
Gives control over the situation
B
e
en
fits
Dangers
Co
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
sts
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.