Having the ability to effectively hear teachers during a lesson or even the conversations of friends during lunch are all aspects that foster a successful school environment. For some, hearing does not come as easily as it does to others. Whether it is complete deafness, bilateral hearing loss or debilitating tinnitus, a disability can present challenges for those diagnosed with it.
Navigating the world with tinnitus can be difficult for senior Brianna Bell. Learning how to overcome the challenges that her impairment has created has taken some time.
“It was really difficult to deal with about a year ago because it was peak badness, and I didn’t know how to deal with it,” Bell said. “It took a pretty big mental toll on me, but since then, it’s become easier to deal with.”
Unlike hearing loss, Bell has limited options when it comes to finding the right equipment or proper treatment to help quell the symptoms of her condition. She has had to resort to using a simple yet effective tool.
“I just use earplugs, like the ones that you would wear when you sleep,” Bell said. “I used to wear musicians’ earplugs, but those stopped working.”
Due to advancements in medical technology, some people living with hearing loss are able to improve not only their hearing but quality of life as well. Sophomore Fernando Jesus explained that wearing hearing aids help him in the classroom.
“I wear them almost every single school day. Classes like Chemistry, we take a lot of notes, and I need to hear the notes, every specific detail,” Jesus said. “When they’re (the teacher) putting a video on the presentation, I put them on so I can hear it better.”
More severe cases of hearing loss require extensive measures to allow the recipient to hear better. Senior Ysa Vizconde was born with severe bilateral hearing loss.
“I can’t hear without my cochlear implants,” Vizconde said. “I tried hearing aids, but they didn’t work.”
Unlike hearing aids, cochlear implants require surgery to implement them, a reality that Vizconde faced in order to hear better.
“I had to get surgery done,” Vizconde said. “Some sort of magnetic thing so my cochlear implants would connect to it so that I could hear.”
Many have a unique experience and relationship with their hearing loss, discovering their conditions through different means and at different times in their lives. Art teacher Jason Fery explained that high school was where he first discovered his hearing loss.
“I typically would go with my left ear when I would talk on the phone, but I saw somebody switch ears, so I switched ears and I couldn’t hear anything,” Fery said. “We (his family) went and got my hearing tested and discovered that I have 98% hearing loss in my right ear. I don’t really hear anything, which is difficult.”
As an educator, Fery has learned how to convey and communicate with his students about his condition and what his needs are.
“Just like you need help in art, I can help you in that art world,” Fery said. “So I’m asking for your cooperation and just trying to respect the fact that I need a little bit more help in hearing.”
To people with regular hearing, that phrase “hearing loss” makes sense – it is a loss in the ability to hear. For Jesus, even with the tools at his disposal to hear better, the sentiment is not the same, and he hopes others will understand what it is like for him.
“I can’t really describe the severity of it,” Jesus said. “I don’t know what normal is like.”