Hearing loss and why no one cares

The moment of loss.

Many years ago I was a part-time soldier. That means I was in a militia group in the small Ontario town where I grew up, or at least passed through during my formative years. This reserve military group was an artillery group. We trained on and fired 105 howitzers, that, for a teenager like me, was an amazing time. And they even paid us or our time. What I didn't know, or expect, is that my time there would have a negative affect on my entire life.

Due to a lack of safety precautions I suffered some severe hearing damage. This happened in the mid 60s and went unnoticed for decades. Life is like that sometimes. I simply thought that the way I heard the world was normal – it was not. I was a frog in a pot of boiling water.

I recall, now, the exact moment when my life took that turn for the worse. We were on a live fire training exercise on the Canadian Forces Base at Pembroke, Ontario. Keep in mind, there were no safety measures to protect hearing in those days. No ear protection of any sort. Even though a 105 howitzer is damned loud when fired that was not the cause of my hearing loss.

The damage was done by a shoulder held rocket launcher, Also known as a bazooka. On this day I was the loader (can't remember the proper term at the moment) who pushed the projectile into the launching tube. We would then lean close, shoulder to shoulder with my partner who would fire the rocket at it's target. When I reached over the bazooka to tap my partner on his helmet to let him know he was clear to fire, my outer foot slipped. I had made contact with his helmet so he fired but, I was not in position. I has slipped about foot back and away from the bazooka when it was fired. The volume of that blast was, in fact, deafening, in a real sense.

A Sargent appeared on the knoll where we were set up, he was walking back and forth barking some orders (at least I think he was) but, I couldn't hear any sound other than my ears screaming at me. It's been that way for nearly 5 decades now.

The most irksome part of this, other than the military denying any responsibility for my hearing issues is the way people treat me. I am looked upon by some as stupid because I didn't understand what they said. I see anger and frustration from people when I have to ask for a 3^rd or 4^th time what had just been said to me. Eventually, there is no way out for me except to smile and nod that I understood them, even if I didn't. More often than not, that would lead to other problems later in the day.

Imagine this situation from other people who must live with a disability. Imagine someone, holding a white cane, comes into and office feeling their way through the maze of desks and chairs. Do you or your fellow workers say things like “Look at that idiot, why doesn't he/she just watch where they're going? Waving a white cane around, how stupid is that?

Imagine someone in a wheelchair coming into the same office who is struggling to get up an overly steep ramp and then must, with some difficulty, navigate through the maze of desks and chairs in the room to get to where they need to be. Now imagine you or your fellow workers saying things like “Look at that idiot, why doesn't she/he just get up off their lazy ass and walk through the room? Sitting in a wheeled chair, how stupid is that?

Now imagine someone like me who walks into that office for an appointment. I'm met with someone who greets me and asks if they can help me. Through experience and a little bit of lip reading I can decipher the greeting and questions. I state my reason for being there and then I hear “Mr Br___ will be ___ with you, _____ there.

I ask for that message to be repeated while tapping my ears. It's repeated but with some clear annoyance presented. If I'm lucky to understand most of that message I'll do what's requested and sit over there, or walk over there. If not, I say “I'm sorry but I have some hearing problems, could you please repeat what you just said?” By this time, more often than not, I'm met with an angry glare for my inability to understand what was said to me. By this point, the now thoroughly annoyed reception person, launches into a steep increase in volume wrapped around a high-speed repeat of the previous information. If I misunderstand that performance, I might just as well leave. I have failed again.

One of my least favourite comments when I misunderstand a comment: "I never chew my cud twice."

Most people I talk to have no idea what hearing loss or damage is. They blithely think “ Are you stupid? Why don't you just 'get' a hearing aid. Or they think if they yell really loud somehow I'll suddenly hear everything they say. Imagine the blind person I mentioned above, would anyone thing that if they turned on some additionally lighting that they would suddenly be able to see? That's not how it works.

I my case I hear things at exactly the same volume as you do. But, there are certain sounds, esss or cees for instance, simply do not resolve through my hearing damage. Speaking clearly helps me understand, yelling and demeaning me does not.

Recently, I flew from Vancouver to Hong Kong on Hong Kong Airlines and was met with a surprising amount of concern/understanding for my situation. While checking in in Vancouver, the HKA agent said something to me – I tapped my ears and, as is always the case, apologized for my disability and asked her to please repeat what she had said. Instead of showing annoyance or frustration, she lifted herself off her chair, and leaned over the counter to bring her face closer to mine, and repeated her instructions in a clam clear manner, she did not yell. I heard and understood her nearly perfectly, well, as perfectly as I can. I was happy about this exchange.

Later on, just before it was wheels up, one of the cabin crew crouched down beside me in the aisle and ask me, clearly and calmly, if I had hearing problems. I confirmed that I did. She then gave me a one-on-one safety announcement while the other cabin crew gave theirs to the other passengers at large. 

Some corporations go the extra mile, most people do not.