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Daily struggles with Ableism

TorontoBuilder

TorontoBuilder

Ultra Member
I've got a couple of disabilities, and so too does my brother. Even though it is the law it is hard getting accommodation for disabilities and it becomes and exhausting daily battle.

One of mine is which is a moderate hearing loss accompanied by wicked bad tinnitus. I attribute it to being too close to the barrel of howitzers in my youth... but no disability payments as a result of that. Not complaining about that though. My father has tinnitus too and never got near a howitzer or firearm.

My complaint is how callous and entitled people are when you explain that you can't easily use the telephone... like this fellow

1670437828679.webp

What am I to do, conjure up an able bodied person to make my phone calls? I dont have a landline so I can't access most assistive devices and dont want to pay for such anyway when email, messaging and texting work fine.

No biggie, this person was greedy in their pricing for an ancient rex cut lathe
 
I agree. I'm deaf as a post and with tinnitus as well. I wear hearing aids which work very well, but definitely not a replacement for a good set of ears. I much prefer texting and emails. This way you can't misconstrue what was said, and you have a hard copy of the conversation.

She said, "Are you not hearing me?!"

He said, "I would if you stopped talking over me!"
 
I also don't get the "phone calls only" people, they made an add on Kijiji or marketplace....clearly they can read and use computers so why are emails or texts a problem
 
thestelster said:
I agree. I'm deaf as a post and with tinnitus as well. I wear hearing aids which work very well, but definitely not a replacement for a good set of ears. I much prefer texting and emails. This way you can't misconstrue what was said, and you have a hard copy of the conversation.

She said, "Are you not hearing me?!"

He said, "I would if you stopped talking over me!"
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My FIL wears hearing aides, gets the costs covered because it was workplace disability from decades in tool and die industry. He can't hear shit even with them, and with expensive blue tooth option that is supposed to work with all his devices even his phone. His experience is why I haven't invested in any myself, but I have an eye on a new hearing aid that also provides notch therapy for tinnitus. That's wear most of my issues lie... the screech is so loud it drowns out 50% of what is said on the phone.
 
I have a bad case of tinnitus and hearing loss for many years now. The hearing loss just keeps getting worse and increasingly I'm finding I'm having a lot of difficulty understanding people especially if they have an unfamiliar accent. Just the other day I chanced on a piece in the news that pointed out that there is a connection between early cognitive decline and hearing loss! Apparently hearing aids can slow that process down! I'm thinking it's time for a hearing aid! Don't know where to begin though?

As far as callous and entitled people are concerned my only advice would be to have a thick skin. Don't let the hostile arrows penetrate your defenses.
 
Canadium said:
I have a bad case of tinnitus and hearing loss for many years now. The hearing loss just keeps getting worse and increasingly I'm finding I'm having a lot of difficulty understanding people especially if they have an unfamiliar accent. Just the other day I chanced on a piece in the news that pointed out that there is a connection between early cognitive decline and hearing loss! Apparently hearing aids can slow that process down! I'm thinking it's time for a hearing aid! Don't know where to begin though?

As far as callous and entitled people are concerned my only advice would be to have a thick skin. Don't let the hostile arrows penetrate your defenses.
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Yeah I dont.

I make it clear that they lost a potential purchaser because they refuse to accommodate my disability and move on. In my case it is not too big an issue, but from a few disability forums I know for some people various forms of ableism is like torture.
 
Guys, you really have to get new hearing aids with the Bluetooth gizmo so you can make and receive calls from your smartphones. It works amazingly well. Plus you can listen to your stored music or stream music or podcasts, directly into your hearing aids.
 
thestelster said:
Guys, you really have to get new hearing aids with the Bluetooth gizmo so you can make and receive calls from your smartphones. It works amazingly well. Plus you can listen to your stored music or stream music or podcasts, directly into your hearing aids.
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That works if your issue is hearing loss only... not so much with bad tinnitus.

I should find my last hearing assessment and get the frequency report and then create an audio file to post so you can see how bad it is.

I did that previously for my wife when she kept saying I just didn't pay attention to her, she shrieked and screamed turn the thing off... I replied, I sure I wish I could. She still accuses me of not paying attention. I threaten to play the sound again
 
When I worked at the Calgary Herald because of the noise levels we worked 1/2hr on and 1/2hr off on break when working the press floor.
 
There was a story recently that said for certain types of hearing loss, the standard ear buds, wired or bluetooth that are available for most cell phones work at least as well and sometimes better than most low to midpriced hearing aids.
 
I'm way more conscious about protecting my hearing now than I used to be. It's one of those things that sneaks up on you, and it's too late to do anything about damage by the time you notice it. I lost a lot when I worked at GM next to the stamping plant, plus working in shops since. Being half in the office, half floor all the time is difficult to be diligent about wearing hearing protection as its "I'm just running out to change a tool/part" and coming back in. Wearing them at a desk is annoying, but I just bought some 3m bluetooth muffs and they are amazing. I wear those a lot more now, than I used to wear anything. I've never regretted money spent on safety gear.
 
Dan Dubeau said:
I'm way more conscious about protecting my hearing now than I used to be. It's one of those things that sneaks up on you, and it's too late to do anything about damage by the time you notice it. I lost a lot when I worked at GM next to the stamping plant, plus working in shops since. Being half in the office, half floor all the time is difficult to be diligent about wearing hearing protection as its "I'm just running out to change a tool/part" and coming back in. Wearing them at a desk is annoying, but I just bought some 3m bluetooth muffs and they are amazing. I wear those a lot more now, than I used to wear anything. I've never regretted money spent on safety gear.
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Do you have a link to those Dan?
 
TorontoBuilder said:
That works if your issue is hearing loss only... not so much with bad tinnitus.

I should find my last hearing assessment and get the frequency report and then create an audio file to post so you can see how bad it is.

I did that previously for my wife when she kept saying I just didn't pay attention to her, she shrieked and screamed turn the thing off... I replied, I sure I wish I could. She still accuses me of not paying attention. I threaten to play the sound again
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My tinnitus is pretty bad. I hear it all the time and loud, with or without hearing aids. People think that because I have hearing aids, that my hearing should now be "normal", but the tinnitus blocks quite a bit of the conversations, especially with women or persons with higher pitched voices.
 
Dan Dubeau said:
https://www.amazon.ca/3M-Worktunes-Bluetooth-Protection-Integration/dp/B0723CYHPZ/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=28QDJHCLRSIFE&keywords=3m+worktunes&qid=1670453733&sprefix=3m+worktunes,aps,163&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEyODlEUjRCNFFUWUtUJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwNTAyNjQzM1VKUlJPOERERjFKMyZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUExMDA0NjE4RUkzVTFQWTBVTkZXJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfYXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==

I also have the Worktunes with amfm radio (also with bluetooth) at home, and use them for cutting the grass/tractor work. I like these ones better and the bluetooth range is great from my little usb transmitter on my computer.
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Plus one for these @David_R8 . I use exactly the same ones in my tractor when I'm out working dirt or on the Mower cutting grass.

Like so many others, I have hearing aides too. Mine are just like @thestelster describes. Although mine do not have strong tintinus capability, they do work with my mild tintinus. My brother in law has the strong tintinus version and he says they are working for him.

I'd look at what's out there if I were you @TorontoBuilder. His were very expensive but I bet they have come down.

I also read recently that there is some kind of law in development in the US that will prevent these audiologists from charging 4 grand for a 20 dollar hearing aid. That ought to put a huge dent in the prices.
 
I have bad'ish tinnitus in one ear from having my head near a PA speaker when something went wrong and it popped hard. Never been the same since.
Often thought about hearing aids to combat the effect but haven't done anything more than that. Maybe I should..
Funny, just noticing how bad it is at this moment :(
 
David_R8 said:
I have bad'ish tinnitus in one ear from having my head near a PA speaker when something went wrong and it popped hard. Never been the same since.
Often thought about hearing aids to combat the effect but haven't done anything more than that. Maybe I should..
Funny, just noticing how bad it is at this moment :(
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It's fiendish.. your brain works hard to tune it out but if you think of the tinnitus BAM there it is again. Mine gets worse and worse as the day progresses, when I go to bed it's literally blaring. On the bright side it drowns out the highway extension and the constant late night clowns outside
 
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