"I didn't want to get hearing devices because, to me, there was a horrible stigma. People who wore hearing aids were doddering. They didn't listen, they said, 'what, what,' over and over. Worse, the hearing aid would make this squealing sound. I worried that it was the beginning of the end of me."
"To coincide with this day, GN Global is sharing free images featuring real people living with hearing loss—a tattooed musician, a young punk woman, a financial wizard in a three-piece suit and spit-shined wingtips. Every walk of life, every kind of person is represented here, all meant to give people who wear hearing devices some normalcy."
"Recent movies, like 'The Sound of Metal,' about a musician who loses his hearing, were upsetting because the hard-of-hearing character lost everything: His music, his girlfriend, and he ended up being an outlier, living an uncomfortable, solitary life."
After a critical illness, the author experienced significant hearing loss but delayed seeking treatment due to social stigma surrounding hearing aids. Misconceptions about hearing device users—viewing them as elderly or ineffective—created psychological barriers. As American Ambassador for World Hearing Day, the author advocates for destigmatization through representation of diverse hearing aid users, from musicians to professionals. Modern hearing technology has improved dramatically, and widespread adoption across different demographics demonstrates that hearing loss affects people of all ages and backgrounds. Media portrayals often reinforce negative stereotypes, but real-world examples show hearing devices enable normal, active lives.
#hearing-loss-stigma #hearing-aids-and-devices #world-hearing-day #destigmatization #disability-representation
Read at Psychology Today
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