Re-entering the world I left behind: 3 steps to coping with hearing loss

I wasn’t born deaf. I went to bed one evening in October 2004 and woke up deaf two weeks later. My life drifted between hearing and the silent world of the deaf. I had to figure out how to adjust and cope with hearing loss.

Four years later, Melanie, our firstborn twin daughter, gave me a book on personal development to read.

The suggestions on analyzing the situation and seeking a new sense of direction to seize available opportunities led me to take action right away. The three outlined stages became my stepping stones to re-enter the hearing world I left behind.

• Situation Analysis

I was trained in sound recording. Hearing was my greatest asset. Hearing loss turned my life into a battleground on the war within and the war without.

Winning the war within is pegged on whether or not you accept that your disability is here to stay. Three different ENT

Specialists’ reports confirmed what I dreaded all along,

“Be content living with hearing loss the rest of your life.” This was my cue to accept, “I’m deaf.

Society’s negative perception of disability, on social and medical model platforms still loomed large ahead.

The social model views hearing impairment as a limitation. I struggled to read lips with a hearing aid out of reach. This is a stumbling block to effective communication.

For instance, Oush, my cousin, thinks speaking to me within a close range might improve my hearing. It doesn’t. I have told him umpteenth time, in vain. I don’t blame him. He is not alone.

But the biggest blow is the unfriendliness of society, denying persons living with disability the opportunity to exploit their full potential.

We live in a world that sees a person living with physical disability through a wheelchair or walking aid lenses. Invisible disability, such as deafness, although not pronounced, suffers similar societal negative perception.

Don’t let society’s negative perception stop you from taking the next step to seek a new sense of direction to pursue your heart’s desire in life.

• Seeking a New Sense of Direction

In October 2007, the Information Communication Technology (ICT) Board of Kenya advertised a training opportunity for persons (including people living with disability), interested in setting up and running Digital Village Centres – countrywide.

A light of hope lit up in my dark corner of the deaf world. I was hooked. I wanted in.

During the course, I sat through 2-3-hour lecture sessions without hearing a word from facilitators or participants. But I hang in there. This was a small price to pay compared to the exciting discovery of a new sense of direction waiting for me ahead.

I read and relied on lecture hand-outs to stay focused. David, a friend I met during this course, supported me with handout notes.

During the group presentation, I was asked to make a presentation on behalf of my small group. I grabbed this opportunity. I gave the talk. David worked the flip chart and responded to questions raised by participants on the floor.

This course gave me a head start and provided the opportunity to seize available opportunities in the world I left behind.

• Seizing Available Opportunity

I thought my life had hit a dead end due to hearing. Instead, this experience opened doors of opportunity in the restricted world of the deaf.

Today, I make a living from writing e-books, blogs, products, and book reviews online.

Writing is more than a source of income. Writing also presents the opportunity to share with and help others discover purpose in life, especially people living with disability.

Writing is open to you as well, provided you analyze the life situation, seek a new sense of direction, and seize available opportunities.

Final Thoughts

“Sometimes the people around you won’t understand your journey. They don’t have to, it’s not for them,” Joubert Botha said.

Re-entering the world you left behind requires developing a positive mindset to analyze a challenging situation; placing emphasis on your strengths and working towards your heart’s desire in the world you left behind.