[nagdu] Hearing issues

Sherry Gomes sherriola at gmail.com
Tue Jul 21 13:57:59 UTC 2015


I have a similar problem only it's due to my arthritis. I was born with
something called juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, JRA, and I have a fused knee
and artificial hips and my other knee has been replaced twice. I have
limited range of motion in every other joint. And all my life I've fought to
be as mobile as I possibly can. I should have been in a wheel chair by my
twenties, according to my orthopedic surgeons, and I think having a dog
since 17 has helped slow down the damage and loss of mobility. Still, I
can't walk as far, climb stairs, or be as independent as I want or as
sometimes others think I should be. It used to be very upsetting to me when
people would judge me because I can't be on the go all day, stand for long
periods of time, walk longer distances, take several buses to a destination
and so forth. Now I'm older and I'm not intimidated by the greater abilities
other people have.

Sherry



-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Marsha Drenth via
nagdu
Sent: Tuesday, July 21, 2015 7:49 AM
To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Cc: Marsha Drenth
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Hearing issues

all and Dan,
Your not the only one on the list who has a hearing difficulty or is
deafblind. Yes I too have some comfort in knowing I am not the only one. I
too really really dislike when either the public or just a vanilla blind
person says, but I do it this way, why can't you do it this way, or my most
favorite, perhaps you need more blindness skills training. I have all of the
blindness skils training a person can ever use, it does not help my hearing
difficulty, it does not make me hear better, it does not help me across the
street or hear the elevator noise, or communicate, or be able to hear on the
phone. Just like persons who do not see, who are visually impaired, or
blind, have varying degrees of vision. All of us have varying degrees of
hearing. Mine just happen to be worse ttthan yours, or better than others.
If you can't hear something, you can't hear it. Now I use different
techniques to cross street and navigate my environment differently than
most, but does that make my techniques wrong, no. Do the techniques that
persons who are blind use to cross streets and hear their environment, are
those wrong, no. Are either techniques bad or make a person less
independent, no. Will these techniques destroy the efforts that the NFB has
gained in displaying that blind persons can be independent, no, not at all.
So for all those people out there who think that a person who has a hearing
loss or hearing difficulty, is not independent because we do this or that,
what would you do if you were to lose your hearing? It is the NFB that says
"we live the life we want". For persons who are deafblind, hard of hearing,
or just having hearing difficulty this means the same exact thing. We do
what we have to do, and you all have to do what we do. Explaining this to
the public is much more difficult and at times can be frustrating. 
Sorry this totally got on to a rant, but I am sure I am preaching to the
hard of hearing/deafblind crowd. I say be proud of who you are, no matter
what vision loss or hearing loss you might have.  


Marsha drenth  
email: marsha.drenth at gmail.com  
Sent with my IPhone  
Please note that this email communication has been sent using my iPhone. As
such, I may have used dictation and had made attempts to mitigate errors.
Please do not be hesitant to ask for clarification as necessary. 

> On Jul 20, 2015, at 2:17 PM, Dan Weiner via nagdu <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
wrote:
> 
> I am so sorry to hear about other people having problems localizing sound,
> but I'll admit it makes me feel good that others know what I go through on
a
> daily basis.
> I have mentioned that I hear out of one ear and the end result is great
> difficulty, nie, impossibility of localizing sound.
> And of course, everyone in the general public and other blind people too
> will just assume there is something in quotes "wrong" with you--msmile.
> I worked in Maryland in a very large building with multiple stories and
six,
> count them, six elevator in  sort of a circle.
> I would hear them ding and not know where they were and it was only that
> Evan my dog at the time, knew  what I needed to do and brought me to
them,
> I mean   to the  open one that is. 
> Of course they would open and close really fast and it was a race.  When I
> would get off on the floor I was going to, depending on which one I got
out
> of I would have to turn either left or right to go to the wing I needed.
> I would ask for help sometimes and usually I got "well doesn't your dog
know
> which elevator". This was somewhat annoying as my dog actually did do his
> best.
> One time a lady says "well, I don't understand why you don't do what the
> other blind girl (actually there were multiple blind people at my
> workplace), she says she can hear the dinging of the elevator and she has
no
> problems.
> I always love that type of question.
> So of course I sigh inwardly and explain.  Then the rather unhelpful
member
> of the public, who apparently thought it was better to stand there
quizzing
> me on my capabilities rather than indicate a direction or something, said
> "oh well maybe Ms. X. (don't want to say the real name) will teach you and
> then you won't need help"   Mrs. actually had a lot of vision and of
course
> perfect hearing. Sometimes, guys it's just a waste of time explaining
> anything to anyone.
> 
> But, whatever your hearing situation is, I wish each and every one of you
a
> great day.
> Dan W.
> 
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of S L Johnson via
> nagdu
> Sent: Monday, July 20, 2015 1:56 PM
> To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
> Cc: S L Johnson
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] relieving or dressing first was expectations
oftheblind
> & guidedogprograms'admission standards
> 
> Hi,
> 
> I also have an auditory processing disorder which also results in
difficulty
> locating the direction of sounds.  This can be the ding of an elevator,
the
> sound of the bus or  voices if someone is calling me.  I have to depend on
> my dog in those situations.  Fortunately when I give Eva the find command
> she will guide me to the correct destination.  It is much more difficult
in
> large open areas where there is added echo and other background noises.
> 
> Sandra
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Danielle Burton via nagdu
> Sent: Monday, July 20, 2015 11:30 AM
> To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
> Cc: Danielle Burton ; Julie J.
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] relieving or dressing first was expectations of
> theblind & guidedogprograms'admission standards
> 
> Debby and Sandra,
> I also have some issues with Orientation. Mine is because of my hearing
loss
> I have trouble localizing where sounds come from and this mkes orientation
> difficult at times. Its like you hear the car the door slam, the air
> condition unit just fine but don't ask me to tell you where it is. If I
knew
> where all the sounds came from that would be totally awesome but I don't. 
> However, on a good day I can mostly tell where sounds come from enough to
> help orientation but not always. It really depends on how I am feeling
that
> day and how my hearing is that day. I have no vision so when this happens
I
> can't use ay vision to help with this.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone
> 
>> On Jul 19, 2015, at 6:52 AM, Julie J. via nagdu <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>> 
>> Debbie and all,
>> 
>> Funny story time, funny now at least.
>> 
>> At home I do take the dogs out while I'm still in my PJ's and crazy hair.

>> However I have a backyard which is very private.  There are very 
>> limited ways to peek back there.  At hotels I do get dressed first.  I 
>> get up, feed the dog and while they are eating I dress quickly in 
>> whatever is easy to throw on, but still suitable for public viewing.
>> 
>> Last year I went to visit a college with my son.  He stayed on the 
>> campus, but I chose to stay in a local hotel.  I've lived in a 
>> dormitory and I'm not keen on doing that again.  Anyway, 5 a.m. comes 
>> and I get up, feed Monty and throw on yesterday's clothes.  I took 
>> Monty out to relieve.  It was a beautiful morning, we lingered a bit, 
>> Monty sniffing and me enjoying the cool fresh air.
>> 
>> I go back to my room to get ready for the day, only to find that my 
>> key card won't work.  I tried a bunch of times and nothing.  I go up 
>> to the front desk.  the clerk tries the key card a few times.  She 
>> tries the housekeeping card.  She tries a different master card.  Nothing
> works.
>> Maintenance man is called...I forgot to mention this was Fourth of 
>> July weekend...so I sat with the front desk clerk in the lobby, having 
>> a nice chat, while we waited for maintenance man to arrive.  He 
>> eventually did and was able to get the door open.  It was determined 
>> that the whole lock mechanism was bad and would need to be replaced.  
>> The door wasn't useable at all.
>> 
>> Had I decided to take Monty out in my PJ's that morning, it would have 
>> been a really embarrassing event.  Not that my pajamas are scandalous, 
>> it's just not how I'd like to be remembered.
>> 
>> Julie
>> Sport guide harnesses available! send inquiries to: julielj at neb.rr.com 
>> Courage to Dare: A Blind Woman's Quest to Train her Own Guide Dog is 
>> now available! Get the book here:
>> http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00QXZSMOC
>> -----Original Message----- From: Debby Phillips via nagdu
>> Sent: Saturday, July 18, 2015 7:14 PM
>> To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users ; 
>> nagdu at nfbnet.org
>> Cc: Debby Phillips
>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] expectations of the blind & 
>> guidedogprograms'admission standards
>> 
>> Howard, nobody cared how you looked when you took your dog out to 
>> relieve.  I get up some mornings and put on my slippers and head out 
>> the door.  Much easier than having to clean up a mess because I had to 
>> get dressed and stuff before I took my dog out.  What they said at 
>> school (Seeing Eye) was that they wanted people to just get up and 
>> take the dogs out and all because if people got up early there was the 
>> possibility that the dogs might get all excited and have accidents.  
>> Not a crazy rule, actually common sense.  And we always have the 
>> option of switching things around
>> when we get home.     Debby and Nova
>> 
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>> 
>> 
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