Deaf Awareness Week 2023: 5 Surprising Facts About Life With Single-Sided Deafness
This week (May 1-7, 2023) is Deaf Awareness Week!
The theme this year is Deaf Inclusion, which highlights how hearing loss impacts daily life and how others can help support deaf people. Being deaf brings unique challenges that not everyone will experience.
This Deaf Awareness Week, I’m bringing attention to Single-Sided Deafness (SSD), a type of unilateral hearing loss, where a person has no or limited access to sound in one ear.
SSD presents unique practical consequences, including the following:
Difficulty locating sounds
Problems hearing speech over background noise, e,g. In social situations such as cafes or restaurants
Struggling to gauge volume levels
Feeling disorientated in crowded environments
Difficulty multitasking
This subject is close to my heart as I have lived with SSD since my sudden hearing loss in 2016. Here I share some of the challenges that come with SSD, ways you can help support people with SSD, and how to advocate for yourself if you have SSD.
Challenge: Difficulty hearing conversation in background noise
Advocacy:
Ask to turn the music down
Find a corner to help reduce background noise
Move away from the background noise, such as to another room or outside
Support:
Face the person with SSD and speak clearly
Use facial expressions and gestures
Ask the person with SSD if there’s anything you can do to help aid the conversation
2. Challenge: Finding a table in a restaurant where you can hear the conversation
Advocacy:
Ask for a corner table or a table against a wall, where background noise is limited
If possible sit outside
Reserve a table at an off-peak time to avoid crowds of people
Sit with your better-hearing ear facing toward the person you are speaking to
Request the music volume is lowered
Ask for repetition when needed
Make sure you can see the faces of the people at your table
If someone is sitting on your deaf side, either request to sit at the end of a table or ask them to kindly get your attention before speaking to you
Ask a loved one to sit on your deaf side, so they can fill you in on anything you miss
Support:
When making a restaurant reservation where there will be a loved one or colleague with SSD, ask for a corner table or a table by the wall
When at the restaurant, allow the person with SSD to select their seat first
3. Challenge: Inability to hear someone on your deaf side
Advocacy:
Ensure you walk with the person you are speaking to on your hearing side
Make sure the person you are speaking to is aware of your hearing loss
Support:
Be careful not to switch sides, for example, when crossing the road or stopping to look at something in a shop window
When possible, turn your head towards the person with SSD when speaking to them
Avoid turning your head in the opposite direction while talking
4. Challenge: Inability to determine where someone is calling you from
Advocacy:
Request that loved ones and colleagues make sure you can see them before trying to get your attention or speaking to you
Support:
When trying to get the attention of someone with SSD, make sure they can see you before calling their name
5. Challenge: Tiredness from listening with one ear
Advocacy:
Make sure you take listening breaks and rest when you need to
Support:
Be understanding if a colleague or loved one with SSD needs some time-out or a break from communication
Need some support?
Through coaching, I support people with all types of hearing loss, including SSD, to move forward with positivity and achieve their goals. If you would like some support with any of the challenges mentioned above or are wondering whether coaching might be for you, click on the following link to arrange a free 15-minute discovery call.
I look forward to meeting you!
