Johnny (not his real name) looked straight ahead with a look of fear in his eyes, as he forced down feelings of humiliation and the will to cry. His classmates were all chuckling and he had no clue why, and assumed it was at him. In actual fact, the laughter coming from the back of the class was related to the strategically placed whoopee cushion on another student’s chair, and the loud rip that ensued when Bob (also not his real name) sat down. Sadly, Johnny didn’t hear the sound, or see the whoopee cushion. The lack of access to information in this situation resulted in a horrible case of unnecessary humiliation! All of this could have quickly been avoided by the teacher (who was wearing a remote microphone) mentioning something about the whoopee cushion as soon as it happened to give Johnny a clue to what all the laughter was about.
Please note I am telling the story through the lens of the kiddo with hearing loss- surely Bob would need some support in this situation as well. The thing is though, Bob would likely get the support right away. Most people wouldn’t be thinking of Johnny in this situation at all.
Every year, I encounter this phrase “Oh, I don’t notice them in the class- they must be doing fine!” When I hear this, I secretly cringe behind my understanding smile and resist the urge to retort a snarky comment. I know there is well meaning behind this phrase, but … the emotional load attached to ‘faking it’ can be a lot to bear. The thing about fraudulent anything is that it can be exposed at any time without prior notice. Imagine walking around with that feeling in your invisible backpack- especially if you’re not one to disclose (like me!).
People living with any sort of difference will do what they need to do to blend in, follow the masses, be ‘normal’ (what’s normal anyway?). It’s human nature. However, we’re increasingly being told ” why blend in when you were born to stand out?”. This, while very well intentioned, is way easier said than done when the world is not yet accessible and accepting of all walks of life. In the classroom, teaching must be purposeful with all students in mind for it to be effective, including that student with hearing loss who ‘seems to be doing fine’. I assure you, he/she is faking it to some degree; blending in with the classmates, smiling and nodding and using visual cues. They’re doing what the Romans do while in Rome.
Some students are naturally academically strong, and will compensate for what they missed in class with long hours of study and research at home. Others are less able to figure out what they missed, and go into evaluation situations feeling confident that they were abreast of everything in the class only to be let down. The same can be said of social situations. The trouble is, people with hearing loss OF ANY DEGREE are missing nuances, information, comments etc. And, they don’t know what they didn’t hear. They can’t know…because they didn’t hear it.
With maturity, and experience, we come to recognize that we surely missed something- but cannot say what, or when. However, this requires full acceptance of the hearing loss and a willingness to own that as part of your identity. This is huge, and can take a long time to attain; some never fully do. It DOESN’T mean needing to disclose said hearing loss (read more about disclosure here). Remember- everyone misses information from time to time, and asking for clarification or repetition is not a ‘deaf thing’. Surely you’ve smiled and nodded before- be honest!
What does this have to do with accessibility you may ask? Well- as we move towards more awareness of accessibility initiatives that can be seamlessly implemented in the classroom to benefit everyone (and society as a whole), there will be improved access to information. It may be as simple as repeating comments or putting words/drawing attention to something taking place at the back of the room or outside the window (Do you hear those baby birds chirping in tree over there?). Especially if everyone else is staring out the window…
Small steps can go a long way- just think about Johnny.
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