What I Wish Series

What I Wish I Could Tell Other Hard-of-Hearing Students, From One Hard-of-Hearing Student to Another

Hello again! Welcome, and thank you for taking the time to explore this website. If you haven’t had the chance to read my first blog post, here’s the link! But without further ado, let’s get started.

I am starting a “What I Wish” series on this blog because this website is meant to shed light on resources that support the hearing loss community but are often widely unknown. However, I also want to share raw, authentic advice with my audience so they can learn from my experiences and feel less alone on their own journeys.

I hope that after reading these blogs, people leave with a lighter heart, an open mind, and a sense of curiosity.

Before continuing, I ask for your respect and consideration as you approach this blog. Everything I write comes from my own personal experiences. My experiences do not define what every hard-of-hearing person experiences or should experience because everyone’s journey with hearing loss is unique.

With that being said, I look forward to hearing each other out through this series!

Hearing Loss Is Not a Burden; It’s a Superpower

As easy as it is to say, it took me a long time to truly believe this: hearing loss is not a burden.

I know that living with hearing loss every day can be challenging, especially in a society that is often inaccessible, unaccommodating, and ableist. There are moments when it feels exhausting to constantly navigate a world not designed with us in mind.

I especially felt like my hearing loss was a burden when I became aware of the sacrifices my support system made for me. A lot of dedication, time, and energy were put into ensuring that I had the opportunities and resources I needed despite my hearing loss.

Because of that, I often felt like I had to compensate. I felt like I needed to work harder than everyone else to prove that their sacrifices were worth it.

I also felt this way in academic settings, especially when people expressed negative views toward students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs).

An IEP is a plan created to support students whose learning needs require specific accommodations, such as extra time, speech services, or different classroom structures. These accommodations give students equal opportunities to succeed.

However, I have witnessed peers openly expressing frustration or negativity toward students with IEPs, especially when they are placed in the same classroom. I have heard comments such as:

“This class is too slow-paced. We are behind compared to all the other classes, and it’s because of them.”

“Why am I in the dumb class?”

“I’m the only normal one here.”

Although I cannot always know whether these comments are directed toward me, they still hurt. They make me feel targeted and remind me of the stereotypes that students with disabilities continue to face.

Not only did I feel targeted, but I also felt an internal pressure to prove these assumptions wrong. I felt responsible for showing others that students with IEPs are capable, intelligent, and deserving of the same respect as anyone else.

However, carrying that responsibility became emotionally exhausting. Instead of seeing my accommodations as tools that supported me, I began seeing them as something I had to overcome.

What helped me change my perspective was recognizing what I could and could not control.

As a hard-of-hearing student who has spent much of my life challenging stereotypes and doubts about my abilities, I naturally push myself beyond my limits. However, I learned that no matter what I do, people will always have opinions. Those opinions reflect their own perspectives, not my worth.

Even more, having hearing loss is what has shaped me to be the person that I am, someone who is motivated by a desire to learn more about barriers in the way of accessibility and how to address them. Moreover, it is because of, not despite, my hearing loss that I care about institutional gaps in knowledge and resources and am eager to advocate for myself and my friends. I feel I have a stake in the matter of how those with hearing loss are treated, the resources that are available to us, and the quality of the life we live. 

Advocacy Is Not Earned; It’s a Right

This builds off the idea that hearing loss is not a burden but a superpower.

The superpower of hearing loss isn't that it lets you see the world differently; it is that it helps you discover a sense of self and build a skill essential in everyday life, whether or not you have hearing loss: advocacy.

According to Miriam Website Dictionary, advocacy is “the act or process of supporting a cause or proposal : the act or process of advocating.”

For individuals with hearing loss, advocacy is often necessary because we live in a world that is still learning how to become accessible and inclusive. By advocating for ourselves, we not only create better experiences for ourselves but also help create pathways for others.

I know advocacy doesn't develop overnight. It takes practice, patience, and courage.

Until today, I stand in front of the mirror to practice what I would say if expected occasions arise in which I may advocate for myself: Needing to ask for captions in an in class media viewing, speaking to my needs in an biannual IEP meeting, or even going to see my audiologist and making sure I am prepared to speak well and with nuance about any issues I have been facing.

Even in the small moments, I would feel a debilitating anxiety about speaking aloud with my speech impediment. I learned that with enough forethought and articulation practice before the event, I feel more confident and ready to speak for myself instead of shying away from advocating for myself or admitting what I am truly feeling. 

With time, I found that the more I advocated for myself in various situations, the more my confidence grew. There is a sense of confidence and fulfillment that comes from knowing you stood up for your own needs and didn’t have to depend on others to do so for you.

It also shows others who may doubt someone with hearing loss's ability to know what is in their best interests that people experiencing hearing loss are indeed the “experts” in it. This means we are experts in what our needs are, and what makes sense for our well-being. 

That is not to undermine the expertise, say, of trained teachers, for instance, but it is important to see the person with hearing loss as capable of plotting their own path in light of their own self-understanding.

For this reason, I see advocacy not just as a skill for those with hearing loss, but a NEED. We NEED to speak for ourselves before others dictate our journeys without truly understanding our experience. 

In moments of uncertainty, it helps me to think about the “after.”

After I advocate for myself, how much will this improve my everyday life? How will this

impact my education, confidence, and independence?

I use this “after” mindset to motivate me to continue building my advocacy skills.

Remember to take one step at a time. Celebrate the small moments as much as you celebrate the big ones. Practice beforehand, be patient with yourself, and recognize that advocacy is a skill that grows with time.

Additionally, I find advocacy most fulfilling when it lets me support others. Whether it is helping someone write an email to a teacher, encouraging someone to ask for accommodations, or comforting another hard-of-hearing student before an upcoming hearing appointment, advocacy extends beyond ourselves.

Advocating for yourself can inspire others to do the same.

Advocate for yourself the same way you would advocate for a friend who is being treated unfairly.

Remember, advocacy is not something you have to earn. It is something you deserve. I am incredibly grateful to have had a strong foundation of support from my family since the beginning of my hearing loss journey. They have supported me every step of the way, ensuring I have access to the resources, opportunities, and encouragement I need to grow.

Although they sometimes felt uncertain about where my journey would lead, they continued to stand beside me and helped guide me toward the right path.

However, I recognize that not every hard-of-hearing student has the same experience. Some families may struggle to understand disabilities, find appropriate resources, or know how to provide accommodations. Some students are forced to navigate their hearing-loss journey independently, unsure where to begin.

This is one reason I created this blog: to share resources, experiences, and guidance so other hard-of-hearing students and families don't feel alone.

I am based in New York City, and throughout my journey, I have been fortunate to have access to various programs, organizations, and communities that have supported me. I want to share some of these resources in hopes that they may help someone else begin their own journey.