tag:theconversation.com,2011:/africa/topics/deafness-1667/articlesDeafness – The Conversation2024-03-04T19:21:48Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2249522024-03-04T19:21:48Z2024-03-04T19:21:48ZDiplomacy and resistance: how Dune shows us the power of language – including sign language<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/579439/original/file-20240303-28-14rzl7.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=18%2C6%2C4071%2C2146&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>In Dune’s sandswept colonialist dystopia of the distant future, power is a force best handled – and transferred – surreptitiously. In a world of ultra-wealthy spice barons and interplanetary warfare, the greatest asset in both diplomacy and resistance is an intangible one: language. Nowhere is this clearer than in the films’ portrayal of sign language.</p>
<p>The Bene Gesserit is an all-woman dynasty leading an empire from behind the scenes. Their arsenal of powers include the mastery of dozens of languages. With these, they conduct diplomacy in public for the benefit of the men they pretend to serve. Meanwhile, they enact their true plans in secret, through whispers, telepathy and the native languages of their conspirators.</p>
<p>Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) is a reluctant messiah, whose prophetic ascendancy is spurred on when there are attempts to have his family exterminated. Believed dead, Paul retreats to the desert with his Bene Gesserit mother, Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson). There they find the Fremen, the free Indigenous peoples of the dune planet Arrakis. Paul and Jessica’s knowledge of the Fremen language is crucial to their acceptance by the community. Paul’s initiation into their ranks is also linguistic: the choosing of a Fremen name.</p>
<p>But Jessica and Paul’s use of the Bene Gesserits’ sign language is the most literal and urgent use of language as they survive threats in both Dune: Part One (2021) and the new Dune: Part Two (2024).</p>
<h2>The complexity of sign</h2>
<p>In the first film, the mother and son are abducted and transported across Arrakis in a helicopter. Feigning resignation, they use sign to plot their escape, unnoticed by the guards who don’t know this language. In part two, as enemies land just over the dune concealing Paul and his mother, they sign to plan an escape route in silence. Later in the film, a Bene Gesserit advisor signs to subtly annotate a verbal exchange with an untrustworthy group.</p>
<p>When Dune’s characters sign, it is with their hands by their sides, usually without eye contact, and often in brief sentences or even single signs.</p>
<p>This is very different to how sign languages are used in signing communities. In everyday communication, signers use a “<a href="https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/9783110261325.412/pdf?licenseType=restricted">sign space</a>”, an approximate rectangle of space in front of the head and torso, and out to the distance of about the elbows. Eye contact is essential, as are facial expressions and body angle, which not only convey emotion but syntactical markers.</p>
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<p>All of these components are part of a <a href="https://www.routledge.com/The-Routledge-Handbook-of-Sign-Language-Pedagogy/Rosen/p/book/9781032089201?gad_source=1&utm_source=cjaffiliates&utm_medium=affiliates&cjevent=848271a9d9c111ee8124011f0a18b8f7">complete grammar</a> that make sign languages as complex, emotive and capable of abstraction as any verbal language.</p>
<p>The signs used in Dune are closer to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5yk2FMCQlM">military or maritime hand gestures</a>, used in situations that require communication without sound or across distance. These generally convey basic messages rather than grammatically complete sentences, with little emotional or contextual detail.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/explainer-what-is-sign-language-21453">Explainer: what is sign language?</a>
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<h2>Deaf gain on screen</h2>
<p>Although not a true sign language, the use of sign in Dune can still teach us a lesson about the value of sign language.</p>
<p>“<a href="https://www.upress.umn.edu/book-division/books/deaf-gain">Deaf Gain</a>” is an academic principle that considers deaf experience in generative and positive terms: it emphasises what is gained through deafness and sign access, rather than what is lost through hearing loss.</p>
<p>Examples of deaf gain include language skills and cultural belonging, as well as physical skills such as enhanced vision or perception of vibrations. This is not to mention the benefit of being able to switch off a hearing aid or take off a cochlear implant in the presence of distracting or painful sounds.</p>
<p>Deaf gain is becoming increasingly present on contemporary screens. </p>
<p>In the horror franchise A Quiet Place, in which the world is overrun by blind, super-hearing murderous aliens, the family of a Deaf girl use American Sign Language to communicate, and even to thrive, without attracting the monsters’ attention. </p>
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<p>In Avatar: The Way of Water, the characters use the Na’vi sign language (invented for the film by <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WvsGuklGdzY">Deaf actor CJ Jones</a>) to communicate under water, considering those who cannot sign to be underdeveloped. </p>
<p>But this is not just a contemporary concept. As far back as 1959, in the Marilyn Monroe comedy Some Like It Hot a mob boss switches his hearing aid off just before he gives the order to gun down a group in an enclosed space. </p>
<p>While not deaf themselves, Dune’s characters show us deaf gain through deft manipulation of their environment, from the stealth of their signs to their attunement to the vibrations they make in the sand, which they use to attract or repel the giant beasts below.</p>
<p>These films show us how we can be in our bodies differently; how to navigate the world in different physical, linguistic and sensory ways.</p>
<h2>The power of language</h2>
<p>The director of Dune, Denis Villeneuve, has a history of making films that understand the subtle power of linguistic control. </p>
<p>Blade Runner 2049 (2017) depicts another multilingual society in a similarly gold-hued, environmentally destroyed dust bowl, in which knowledge of different languages provides access to closed spaces and protection from surveillance.</p>
<p>In his sci-fi drama Arrival (2016), extraterrestrial vessels visit Earth to global awe and creeping panic. Military and political forces cannot determine the aliens’ purpose, and interplanetary war inches closer. It is only a linguist who is able to decipher the aliens’ goal: to gift Earthlings their remarkable language. This language is an inky, visual code – much closer to a sign language than a verbal one – which rewires the brains of those who master it, so they can see through time.</p>
<p>In the Dune films, as in Arrival, language is not only a means through which we can come to know something. It is something which can transform the limits and nature of knowledge itself. As Paul and Jessica understand, sign language can be both a hiding place and a tool – for survival, and for empowerment.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/dune-a-prophetic-tale-about-the-environmental-destruction-wrought-by-the-colonisation-of-africa-170583">Dune – a prophetic tale about the environmental destruction wrought by the colonisation of Africa</a>
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<p><em>Correction: the role played by Rebecca Ferguson was originally incorrect. She plays Lady Jessica.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/224952/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Gemma King receives funding from the Australian Research Council. </span></em></p>Although not a true sign language, the use of sign in Dune can still teach us a lesson about the value of sign language.Gemma King, Senior Lecturer in French Studies, ARC DECRA Fellow in Screen Studies, Australian National UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2211482024-01-16T17:48:05Z2024-01-16T17:48:05ZMarvel’s Echo is a one-of-a-kind superhero – and an inspiration to the Deaf community<p><em>Warning: this article contains spoilers for Echo season one.</em> </p>
<p>Marvel’s latest superhero series, Echo, is now streaming on Disney+. Deaf actress Alaqua Cox plays the eponymous superhero, a character she already portrayed in the Hawkeye series in 2021. Echo, real name Maya Lopez, who is Deaf, is a vengeful and bitter Native American hero with a distinctive fighting ability that allows her to copy her opponent’s moves.</p>
<p>The uppercase “Deaf” refers to deaf people who share a language, identity and culture. It therefore describes Maya Lopez, as she uses ASL (American Sign Language) all the time and hardly speaks.</p>
<p>Historically, Deaf roles in TV have been given to hearing actors and actresses. This is a typical example of ableism – discrimination in favour of able-bodied people. It is important that Deaf actors play Deaf characters in TV and film so that audiences engage with authentic depictions of disability.</p>
<p>In the first episode of Echo, Maya and her hearing cousin Bonnie (Devery Jacobs) are shown to have been raised by their loving parents, William and Taloa Lopez (Zahn McClarnon and Katarina Ziervogel) in Tamaha, Oklahoma. Maya uses ASL to communicate with Bonnie as they argue with each other to decide whether they are cousins or sisters. A beautiful closeup scene shows the silhouettes of young Echo and Bonnie using lively ASL inside a glowing tent.</p>
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<p>Maya’s parents speak in ASL, spoken English and their Native American Choctaw language, as do her grandparents, on her mother’s side, Chula (Tantoo Cardinal) and Skully (Graham Greene). Most Deaf people are <a href="https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/statistics/quick-statistics-hearing#:%7E:text=About%202%20to%203%20out,in%20one%20or%20both%20ears.&text=More%20than%2090%20percent%20of%20deaf%20children%20are%20born%20to%20hearing%20parents.&text=Approximately%2015%25%20of%20American%20adults,over%20report%20some%20trouble%20hearing.">born to hearing parents</a>. They learn ASL at school or college or through Deaf friends, because visual communication is important for Deaf people’s cognitive and social development.</p>
<p>At one point, Maya asks her mother for hot chocolate. Her mother tells her that it is finished, but if Maya comes to the shops with her, she will buy her more. Maya agrees. As Taloa drives toward a junction, she hits the brakes, but one of her husband’s enemies has tampered with them.</p>
<p>A car crashes into them, killing Taloa instantly. Fortunately, Maya survives, although, as a result of the accident, she has damage to her right leg.</p>
<p>When Maya is taken to the hospital to get her leg amputated, her grandmother blames her father’s criminal background for Taloa’s death. Ashamed, her father takes a job in New York and leaves Oklahoma and Maya’s family, taking Maya with him.</p>
<p>The sequence that follows shows that Maya no longer needs her wheelchair and has become proficient with her prosthetic leg. She has been through a lot of rehabilitation to practice her walking pace. This is a positive example of her fiery independence and determination. Losing her leg in the accident upsets Maya greatly, but it doesn’t damage her strong self-belief.</p>
<p>Once she arrives in New York, Maya is sent to a special school for Deaf pupils. There, she enrols in martial arts classes and begins developing some of the skills that will define her as a superhero. </p>
<p>Moving to New York is a significant turning point in Maya’s story, as here she will become embroiled in the city’s criminal underworld. She joins a gang as an enforcer working for Marvel super villain, Kingpin (Vincent D'Onofrio).</p>
<h2>Nuanced characters</h2>
<p>The character of Echo first appeared in the 1998 Marvel comic Daredevil. Daredevil (who has a Marvel television series of his own) is a blind lawyer and superhero with super-human senses due to an accident involving radioactive chemicals.</p>
<p>In the series, Maya is at one point called on to fight against a rival gang. Unexpectedly, Daredevil (Charlie Cox) intervenes and gets into a fight with Maya. The two are on opposing sides thanks to her connection with Kingpin. The battle is a formidable challenge between two opponents who are equally matched. Deaf hero versus blind hero. Superheroes with a disability are rarely portrayed in comic books and this scene in the series marks a positive step towards inclusive representation. </p>
<p>There are other interesting choices in the show. Although Kingpin is the main antagonist of the show, he has also been Maya’s benefactor and once employed a mysterious and cryptic ASL interpreter to help him communicate with Maya. Quite an unusual niche – an interpreter who works for a crime boss.</p>
<p>Deaf and disabled people are often treated like charity cases because they are patronised, mocked and pitied by an ableist and ignorant society. Echo is important because it positions a Deaf character as a positive and versatile role model. She is an inspiration to the Deaf and disabled community.</p>
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<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kevin Buckle does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>It is important that Deaf actors play Deaf characters in TV and film, so that audiences engage with authentic depictions of disability.Kevin Buckle, Graduate Research Fellow for BSL, Deaf Studies and Linguistics, York St John UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2143552023-11-12T14:02:50Z2023-11-12T14:02:50ZHow workplaces can create more inclusive environments for employees with deafness and hearing loss<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/558486/original/file-20231108-27-9y4qc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=99%2C71%2C9390%2C6245&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Despite the increasing representation of persons with hearing loss in the workplace, discrimination, a lack of accessibility and isolation still prevent equity and inclusion.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" allowtransparency="" allow="clipboard-read; clipboard-write" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/how-workplaces-can-create-more-inclusive-environments-for-employees-with-deafness-and-hearing-loss" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>Hearing loss is a critical diversity, equity and inclusion issue for managers and employers. Persons with hearing loss are a growing population around the world. According to the World Health Organization, over <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/deafness-and-hearing-loss">five per cent of the world’s population</a> — or 430 million people — have disabling hearing loss. This number is expected to rise to over 700 million by 2050. </p>
<p>Despite the increasing number of persons with hearing loss in the workplace, <a href="https://www.chha.ca/new-govt-of-canada-grant-funded-post-secondary-program-for-deaf-and-hard-of-hearing-canadians/">only 20.6 per cent of Canadians</a> with hearing loss are employed full-time. Discrimination, a lack of accessibility and isolation still prevent equity and inclusion at work. Persons with hearing loss also <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/26235284">experience higher levels of stress</a> and fatigue and earn lower incomes.</p>
<p>Persons with hearing loss have diverse preferences and skills that can <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/deafed/enz018">affect their career outcomes</a>. Knowledge of disability, reasonable workplace accommodations, effective communication skills and support from mentors and peer networks all contribute to positive career outcomes. </p>
<p>However, experiences can vary greatly by hearing loss type and job demands. For example, sign language users may have more access to Deaf communities and resources, but less access to mainstream opportunities. Spoken language users may have more access to mainstream opportunities, but less access to Deaf communities and resources. </p>
<h2>How do persons with hearing loss cope with isolation at work?</h2>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/01492063221143714">Our new study</a> examines how employees with hearing loss cope with feeling isolated at work. We found that how employees cope depends on both the severity of hearing loss and the quality of their relationship with their supervisors.</p>
<p>Specifically, our results suggest the severity of an employee’s hearing loss influences the degree to which they rely on professional connections for their sense of self. This, in turn, has consequences for their career outcomes, especially for those with less supportive supervisors. </p>
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<img alt="A woman with hearing aids working at a computer" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/558484/original/file-20231108-19-ybwsgg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/558484/original/file-20231108-19-ybwsgg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/558484/original/file-20231108-19-ybwsgg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/558484/original/file-20231108-19-ybwsgg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/558484/original/file-20231108-19-ybwsgg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/558484/original/file-20231108-19-ybwsgg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/558484/original/file-20231108-19-ybwsgg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">About 430 million people have hearing loss — a number expected to rise to over 700 million by 2050.</span>
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<p>Surprisingly, we found that employees with more severe hearing loss tend to fare better in terms of the impact of isolation on career outcomes. This is because employees with more severe hearing loss were more likely to experience awkward, anxious and frustrating interactions with co-workers and have a harder time building and maintaining professional connections. </p>
<p>As a result, employees with more severe hearing loss usually placed less importance on professional connections and more importance on connections with other persons with hearing loss, making them less sensitive to isolation from professional connections.</p>
<h2>What can persons with hearing loss do to support themselves?</h2>
<p>Our research found that persons with hearing loss use a number of strategies to help themselves thrive in their careers. One thing persons with hearing loss do is accepting and embracing hearing loss as part of their identity. This positively changes how they view themselves and their relationship to work.</p>
<p>Many persons with hearing loss also redefine their personal definitions of career success. They shift from material achievements to social contributions, personal growth and well-being. Some end up moving to new roles or occupations that better match their changing skills, interests and values.</p>
<p>Some even turn their hearing loss into an asset. For instance, attorneys, doctors or therapists with hearing loss can focus on serving clients and patients who share their condition. </p>
<p>Persons with hearing loss often expanded their professional networks to include others in the community. This may involve affiliations with organizations like the <a href="https://alda.org/">Association of Late-Deafened Adults</a>, <a href="https://www.chha.ca/">Canadian Hard of Hearing Association</a>, <a href="https://cad-asc.ca/">Canadian Association of the Deaf</a>, <a href="https://www.hearingloss.org/">Hearing Loss Association of America</a> and the <a href="https://www.nad.org/">National Association of the Deaf</a>.</p>
<p>Our research underscores the resilience and adaptability of persons with hearing loss in the workplace. By redefining success, shifting their perspectives and expanding their networks to include supportive communities, persons with hearing loss are able to lead rich and fulfilling professional lives.</p>
<h2>What can co-workers and supervisors do to help make workplaces more inclusive?</h2>
<p>There are a number of practices supervisors can adopt to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0018726716687388">support employees with hearing loss effectively</a>. These practices include: avoid assuming an employee with a disability is less able, ask persons with hearing loss about their preferred communication methods and <a href="https://askjan.org/about-us/index.cfm">provide reasonable accommodations</a> for them, such as interpreters, captioning, assistive devices and flexible work arrangements.</p>
<p>These can help persons with hearing loss to communicate effectively, participate in meetings and training sessions, access information and resources and perform their jobs effectively. Supervisors should create a sense of openness and flexibility so employees feel comfortable requesting accommodations as needed. </p>
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<span class="caption">Supervisors and co-workers should learn more inclusive communication skills, like basic sign language, to help persons with hearing loss to communicate effectively at work.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
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<p>In addition, supervisors and co-workers should learn more inclusive communication skills. For example, they can learn basic sign language, use clear and articulate language, speak more slowly and clearly, and avoid covering their mouths when speaking as this can hinder lip-reading. Many persons with hearing loss also find it easier to communicate one-on-one in well-lit, quiet locations.</p>
<p>Regular check-ins with employees to see how things are going, what challenges they are facing and if they need any support are also essential. Supervisors and co-workers should raise awareness, educate others, challenge stereotypes and promote accessibility at work. They should advocate for a more inclusive and respectful work environment for all employees, especially those with hearing loss.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/214355/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Liu-Qin Yang receives funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Brent John Lyons, Camellia Bryan, and David C Baldridge do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Discrimination, a lack of accessibility and isolation still prevent persons with hearing loss from experiencing equity and inclusion at work.David C Baldridge, Professor of Management/Organizational Behavior, Oregon State UniversityBrent John Lyons, York Research Chair in Stigmatization & Social Identity, Associate Professor of Organization Studies, York University, CanadaCamellia Bryan, Postdoctoral Fellow, Rotman School of Management, University of TorontoLiu-Qin Yang, Professor of Industrial-Organizational Psychology, Portland State UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2114842023-09-26T12:30:23Z2023-09-26T12:30:23ZLoud sounds at movies and concerts can cause hearing loss, but there are ways to protect your ears<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/547905/original/file-20230912-27-1u2h6u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C7%2C5046%2C3351&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Many movies reach sound levels of 85 decibels and beyond.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/cinema-royalty-free-image/1035974618?phrase=PEOPLE+COVERING+THEIR+EARS+AT+LOUD+MOVIES&adppopup=true">GoodLifeStudio/E+ via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Ever go to the movies or a rock concert and been blasted by the sound? You may not realize it while it’s happening, but ongoing exposure to loud sounds at these venues can damage your hearing.</p>
<p>Our ears are highly sensitive to loud noise. Even very short exposures to high-level sounds – that’s anything above 132 decibels – can cause <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/hearing_loss/what_noises_cause_hearing_loss.html">permanent hearing loss for some people</a>. That’s true even if it’s just a brief blast; a single gunshot or fireworks explosion can cause immediate damage to the ear. </p>
<p>Even lower-level sounds – around 85 decibels – <a href="https://www.asha.org/public/hearing/loud-noise-dangers/#">can injure the ear</a> if heard for extended periods of time. Listening to a lawn mower for eight hours a day, for example, can put a person at risk for hearing loss.</p>
<p>Simply put, as the sound gets louder, safe exposure times get shorter. And whether from movies or concerts, fireworks or lawn mowers, about 40 million Americans have <a href="https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/noise-induced-hearing-loss">hearing problems from loud noise exposure</a>. The unfortunate part is that it’s all preventable.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/547899/original/file-20230912-23-95d711.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A multicolored chart that shows the decibel levels where hearing loss occurs." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/547899/original/file-20230912-23-95d711.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/547899/original/file-20230912-23-95d711.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=317&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/547899/original/file-20230912-23-95d711.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=317&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/547899/original/file-20230912-23-95d711.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=317&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/547899/original/file-20230912-23-95d711.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/547899/original/file-20230912-23-95d711.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/547899/original/file-20230912-23-95d711.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Some rock concerts can cause hearing damage within two minutes.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/hearing_loss/toolkit/too_loud.html">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>How hearing damage happens</h2>
<p>As an <a href="https://www.uchealth.org/provider/cory-portnuff/">audiologist and scientist</a> who <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=JdYxmRoAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao">studies hearing loss</a>, I spend a lot of time talking to my patients and the public about preserving their hearing for a lifetime. </p>
<p>What many people do not know is that exposure to loud sounds over time can <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/hearing_loss/how_does_loud_noise_cause_hearing_loss.html#">damage the tiny hair cells</a> of the inner ear. These cells pick up sound and turn them into neural impulses that travel to the hearing centers of the brain. </p>
<p>Injuries to the ear from loud sound <a href="http://dangerousdecibels.org/education/information-center/noise-induced-hearing-loss/">can cause difficulty hearing</a>, decreased tolerance of loud sounds – <a href="https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/hearing-problems-reduced-tolerance-to-sound">also known as hyperacusis</a> – and <a href="https://theconversation.com/that-annoying-ringing-buzzing-and-hissing-in-the-ear-a-hearing-specialist-offers-tips-to-turn-down-the-tinnitus-192242">tinnitus</a>, a constant ringing in the ears.</p>
<p>I’m particularly concerned about recreational noise exposure. While we commonly think about potential harms from loud noises in factories, construction sites or other loud workplaces, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 53% of people ages 20 to 69 who have hearing loss from loud noise <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/hearingloss/index.html">report no workplace noise exposure</a>.</p>
<p>That means these people choose loud hobbies or recreational activities without being aware of the risks. It’s not just movies, concerts and sporting events; power tools, motorcycles, off-road vehicles and firearms can all be hazardous to the ear. </p>
<h2>Concerts and movies</h2>
<p>Concerts regularly exceed 105 decibels, where sound exposure is safe for only about four minutes. Some shows can be even louder. And these levels of sound usually last for long periods of time – two or three hours. This clearly puts listeners at risk for hearing loss. The same also applies to other music-dominated events, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1258/002221504772784577">like nightclubs</a>.</p>
<p>Movie theaters can exceed 100 decibels, though usually not for extended periods of time. Generally, most people are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1097/AUD.0000000000000076">safe when going to movies</a>, though many moviegoers may find some louder sounds uncomfortable – like music or over-the-top sound effects, along with the explosions and gunshots. Extended watching of movies, such as a double feature, can increase a viewer’s risk.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pYSHFExHE48?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">How to fix the sound when watching a movie on your laptop.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Protecting yourself</h2>
<p>Using a sound meter app can estimate how loud the environment is, and then you can decide if you need to protect your hearing. </p>
<p>For iPhones, <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/niosh-slm/id1096545820?mt=8">the NIOSH SLM app</a> is good; for Android, <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.skypaw.decibel">the Decibel X app</a> works well. Apple Watches come with an already installed <a href="https://support.apple.com/guide/watch/noise-apd00a43a9cb/watchos">Noise app</a>. </p>
<p>Here are some other <a href="http://dangerousdecibels.org/">tips to protect your ears</a>: </p>
<p>First, if you can control the volume, turn it down. For headphones, use <a href="https://doi.org/10.2147/AHMT.S74103">the 80-90 rule</a>, which means you can listen at 80% of the maximum volume for 90 minutes per day. Turning it down gives you more time; turning it up gives you less time.</p>
<p>If you can’t control the volume, move farther away from the sound source. Standing next to big speakers at a concert, for instance, is often louder than being in the middle of the crowd. Taking breaks from the sound also helps.</p>
<p>So will earplugs or earmuffs. Although foam or rubber earplugs work, they block high frequencies, which sometimes muffles the sound. But <a href="https://www.etymotic.com/product/er20xs/">specialty earplugs</a> are designed to reduce loud music levels without muffling the sound. That said, for children, earmuffs are usually the easiest and safest choice. </p>
<p>Injury from loud sound results in premature aging of the ears. The ears of a 30-year-old with damage from loud sound may hear <a href="https://www.noiseandhealth.org/text.asp?2009/11/44/129/53356">more like the ears of a 50-year-old</a>. But remember, it’s largely preventable. Taking action today can help you protect and preserve your hearing for a lifetime.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/211484/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Cory Portnuff does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>About 40 million Americans have hearing problems due to exposure to loud sounds.Cory Portnuff, Assistant Clinical Professor of Audiology and Clinical Audiologist, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical CampusLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2099892023-09-24T20:01:53Z2023-09-24T20:01:53Z‘Excavating something I barely had language for’: two memoirs of disability and family explore Deafness and dwarfism<p>In my many years of reading and writing about disability and chronic illness, my preference leans toward books that look outward, rather than inward, in their approach to truth-telling. The intricacies of living in a marginalised body tend to feel more philosophical if they resist solipsism and reach toward the universal. </p>
<p>I’m thinking about Fiona Wright’s essay collection, <a href="https://giramondopublishing.com/books/the-world-was-whole">The World Was Whole</a>, which focuses on suburban and urban houses and homes, and invites us to think about the body as home – and the question of what happens when the body fails us. </p>
<p>Books like this prove inclusive, rather than exclusive, because they cater to those living with disability, but also use a near-universal experience (in Wright’s case, the theme of houses and homes) as a framework to help readers to imagine their way into their specific experience (for Wright, of being failed by her body).</p>
<hr>
<p><em>Review: The House with all the Lights On – Jessica Kirkness (Allen & Unwin); Broke – Sam Drummond (Affirm Press).</em></p>
<hr>
<p>The more people included in a readership, the wider the discussion and the greater the potential to grow larger communities of caring and empathy. </p>
<p>In their plight to lift the lid on oft-hidden disabled experiences, two debut memoirs – one exploring Deafness, the other pseudoachondroplasia (a form of dwarfism) – do just this. They focus not just on the experience of living in an othered body, but on the authors’ experiences of family.</p>
<h2>Deaf ways of being</h2>
<p>Jessica Kirkness’s grandfather videoed his family, his sheep and the busy ants. But as a Deaf person, he didn’t bother with the audio when showing those videos to others. For him, audio was irrelevant: it’s seeing that matters.</p>
<p>Being a highly-tuned seer is a Deaf Gain. As Kirkness explains in her book, this is “the notion that there are unique cognitive, creative and cultural benefits arising from Deaf ways of being in the world”. Her memoir illustrates this notion.</p>
<p>Kirkness grew up living next-door to her Deaf grandmother and grandfather and <a href="https://www.allenandunwin.com/browse/book/House-With-All-The-Lights-On-9781761069079/">The House With All The Lights On</a> is about the deep love they shared. In its very language, it’s hyper-aware of Kirkness’s role as a hearing person writing about the Deaf experience. </p>
<p>To be deaf (small “d”) is to be without hearing – but to be Deaf is to be part of a shared culture, who identify as culturally Deaf and share a <a href="https://theconversation.com/explainer-what-is-sign-language-21453">signing language</a>. (In Australia, that’s Auslan, or Australian sign language.)</p>
<blockquote>
<p>If I were to tell you a story in sign language – the story of my grandparents and me – I’d begin with a single finger touching my chest. My hands would form the signs for “grew up” and then “next door”, a flattened palm rising from my torso to eye level, followed by my index finger hooked over my thumb and turned over at the wrist like a key in an ignition. I’d use the signs for “my grandparents”: a clenched fist over my heart, and the letter signs “G, M, G” to represent “grand-mother-father”. Then, placing two fingers over my right ear, I’d use the sign for “deaf” to refer to them, and to describe myself, I’d use “hearing”: a single digit moved from beside the ear to rest below the mouth. I’d sign our closeness by interlocking my index fingers in the sign that doubles for “link” or “connection”. By puffing air from my lips, squinting my eyes slightly, and rocking my looped fingers back and forth, I’d place emphasis on the sign, the duration, direction and intensity of its delivery giving tone and shape to the meaning it makes.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>As a scholar specialising in d/Deaf people’s appreciation and perceptions of music, there is a deep rhythm to Kirkness’s telling. A musician, she’s an aural person, but having grown up as a conversationalist with and interpreter for her grandparents – and later, a sign-language teacher to children – she is, consequently, a visual person, too. </p>
<p>The sound of her prose in the reading-mind is sometimes magnificent. And the descriptions of her grandparents communicating – with her, with one another – is abundantly, respectfully detailed. Passages such as the one above are plentiful, bound to draw readers wholeheartedly into the narrative of her unique upbringing. </p>
<p>Not shying away from statistics, chronicles and definitions, the book is also instructive. And though Kirkness clearly appreciates the role Deaf culture plays in her life, it’s rarely biased. </p>
<p>By this I mean: if I had a friend whose baby was diagnosed deaf, and that friend had to make a decision about whether or not to give the baby a cochlear implant and therefore the gift of sound, I would give them this book with the intention of providing the pros and cons of Deafness. </p>
<p>A con might be particularised in the following passage, where Kirkness writes about experiencing rude comments and looks directed at her grandparents:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Inside of me, pride and shame were housed in separate but neighbouring compartments. Much as I tried to ignore this fact, they grazed against one another often enough to produce a kind of reckoning in my adulthood. In all the years I tended to the fault line between my grandparents and the world – the contact zones that carried the eternal threat of turning hostile – I’d never thought to acknowledge the feeling that accumulated like sludge in my belly. My strategy was to bury it. Deny it. If I could keep anything negative from Nanny and Grandpa, I would.</p>
</blockquote>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/henry-lawson-and-judith-wright-were-deaf-but-theyre-rarely-acknowledged-as-disabled-writers-why-does-that-matter-208365">Henry Lawson and Judith Wright were deaf – but they’re rarely acknowledged as disabled writers. Why does that matter?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Not own-voices, but valuable</h2>
<p>Reading a hearing person discuss the negative effects of growing up a grandchild of Deaf adults might raise alarm bells for some. In an own-voices story of Deafness, the story would be written by the Deaf person themselves. </p>
<p>Not following that etiquette is taboo from some points of view within marginalised communities. But I think it depends on your reading of the book. </p>
<p>Yes, this is a story that educates its readers about Deaf culture. But it’s also a story about familial love, told in the wake of loss after Kirkness’s grandfather died.</p>
<p>The passage continues:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>But the layers of feeling – the residue of the unexpressed – began to tug at me. I threw myself at the problem the best way I knew. I began to read. From the university library, I sought everything I could from the fields of Deaf and Disability Studies: books, journal articles, online forums. I finished one postgraduate degree and began another, all in the name of excavating something I barely had language for.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>There is a sense that signing is the best language for digging through emotion. But because it is not Kirkness’s native language, she’s had to work hard to learn to inhabit it – and it’s paid off. The House With All The Lights On is a product of that work – and a stunning act of gratitude.</p>
<p>Kirkness refuses to speak of her grandparents as if they are one unit, their Deafness shared. She consistently gives them individual agency. She has drawn them with thick lines, voluminous curves, edgy angles and various colours. She has deftly brought to the page what her Grandpa and Nanny have brought to her life – while also providing insight into Deafness with each anecdote.</p>
<p>One especially memorable sketch shows Granny learning to speak English: the chalk powder placed on the back of her hands, so when she put her lips close and the chalk either moved or did not, she could tell the difference between “p” and “b”. Granny then positioned her granddaughter’s hand on her throat and sounded out “m” and “n” and said, “I learned about sounds through feeling, see?” </p>
<p>Nanny was proud of her speech and of her ability to lip-read, whereas Grandpa only wanted to sign: “To appreciate him fully, I need visuals, for his voice was always carried in his hands.” Kirkness later describes those hands, which turned thousands of pages, as she described his relationship with books: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>Ever the autodidact, Grandpa was always reading. He’d frequently consult his encyclopaedias and reference books whenever he found himself wondering about one thing or another. It was a habit he developed in childhood, having found himself excluded, often unintentionally, from family conversations.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The House With All The Lights On is a profound book on Deafness as identity, written by a hearing person who cannot divorce Deafness from the love she feels for her grandparents.</p>
<p>Kirkness’s book sits bravely and beautifully alongside Fiona Murphy’s <a href="https://www.textpublishing.com.au/books/the-shape-of-sound">The Shape of Sound</a> and Jessica White’s <a href="https://uwap.uwa.edu.au/products/hearing-maud">Hearing Maud</a> as part of a growing dialogue on deafness and hearing, and on Deafness and seeing. </p>
<p>It is one of the most touching, generous, superbly written family memoirs I’ve come across.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/covid-has-brought-auslan-into-the-spotlight-but-it-would-be-wrong-to-treat-the-language-as-a-hobby-or-fad-151667">COVID has brought Auslan into the spotlight, but it would be wrong to treat the language as a hobby or fad</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>The injustices of growing up disabled</h2>
<p>Sam Drummond begins his memoir, <a href="https://affirmpress.com.au/browse/book/Sam-Drummond-Broke-9781922848475/">Broke</a>, with a scene that does not live in his own memory. His child-aged mother is playing the piano and her mother, who sits beside her, is contemplating how to tell her children she’s dying. </p>
<p>By beginning with his mother’s story, rather than his own, this prologue works as an explanation for why Drummond’s mother might have moved him and his brother around so much – and had so many failed romantic relationships. It’s a signpost to how we should read his story.</p>
<p>Drummond is a disability advocate and lawyer who lives with pseudoachondroplasia, a form of dwarfism that impacts bone growth and joint health. </p>
<p>The injustices of growing up disabled – schoolyard taunts, unfit to play sports, going for a job interview for the first time and striking out before a question is even asked – run throughout, in matter-of-fact prose that avoids the sentimental and resists overindulgences. </p>
<p>If I’m to trust the prologue, then the author’s reliance on a far-from-self-centred narrative is due to a focus on his mother, rather than himself. For example, after he leaves hospital for a surgery involving the breaking and resetting of his legs, he notices his mother’s back pain as she lifts him from the car into the wheelchair:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>I realised my Mum was mortal. People had been telling me my whole life that I was deficient in some way, if not directly then in the way they treated me. I had reassured myself I would always have Mum there to make up for my deficiencies. She was a fitness machine. Life had thrown mud at her and she had simply brushed it off. She was a survivor. Yet here I was, at a moment of complete reliance on her. My survival depended on her. And I had glimpsed a chink in her armour. This terrifying thought had not crossed my mind until then: even survivors have an end point.</p>
</blockquote>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/friday-essay-the-female-dwarf-disability-and-beauty-84844">Friday essay: the female dwarf, disability, and beauty</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Rising above it, but not a hero</h2>
<p>Drummond’s struggle with the physical and mental pain of his disability, and with multiple shifts in home and family set-up, is interesting. But at times I found it difficult to pinpoint the focus of this book.</p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/549493/original/file-20230921-15-olhs9k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/549493/original/file-20230921-15-olhs9k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/549493/original/file-20230921-15-olhs9k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=993&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/549493/original/file-20230921-15-olhs9k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=993&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/549493/original/file-20230921-15-olhs9k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=993&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/549493/original/file-20230921-15-olhs9k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1248&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/549493/original/file-20230921-15-olhs9k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1248&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/549493/original/file-20230921-15-olhs9k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1248&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Sam Drummond, with his mum and brother.</span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>At one point I questioned if generational trauma was the focus, but Drummond doesn’t follow through enough with the causes and ripples of his grandmother’s untimely death or his grandfather’s PTSD. Mostly, I read it as a story of survival – of both his mother’s and his own.</p>
<p>Inspiration porn is a genre of memoir that shows the hardships of living with disability, chronic illness or inflicted trauma, so in the end the author can say, “See! I made it out the other side! And you can too if you keep trying!” While the disability community often shuns it, the masses tend to eat it up. </p>
<p>But though Broke follows inspiration porn’s rising-above-it-all plotline, Drummond mostly manages to avoid falling into this genre. His style is pragmatic, rather than straining to inspire.</p>
<p>When describing an afternoon at Centrelink, for example, he writes, </p>
<blockquote>
<p>“Mum. Why doesn’t anyone complain about waiting so long?”<br>
<br>
“Because we have no choice, darling.”<br>
<br>
I looked around at the elderly, the migrants, the other people in wheelchairs, the single mums. Their shirts hung out, their hair was not perfect, their skin was more leathery than Mum’s. But their shoes were now our shoes. The paperwork they filled out was the same as the sheets that lay on Mum’s lap. Their fates were linked to our fate.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Drummond isn’t casting himself as a hero. He’s clear he is one of many coping with systemic prejudices and inadequate governmental support, helping to make up the “we” who are relegated to the end of the line. His opposite, the “they” who don’t even need to be in the line, are everywhere – even (and especially) in his friendship circle:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Mum came in with a large plate of bread, jam and cream. He looked at the creation with an air of distrust. “What is it?” he asked.<br>
<br>
“Bread, jam and cream. It’s like scones, just with bread.”<br>
<br>
He ate a slice but stayed silent, shifting awkwardly at my feet. […] He had entered my world and I knew it was vastly different from his world of books and fruit and dinner at the dining room table. I had come to accept the differences. It was nice to be in the same world during school hours, but I would never have his life and I had to be okay with that, even if it made him sad or uncomfortable. […]
<br>
I turned back to the little pink telly.<br>
<br>
Mum came in and sat at the piano, looking wistfully at its closed cover.<br>
<br>
“Mum!” I yelled. “Can I have some more bread, jam and cream?”<br></p>
</blockquote>
<p>There’s the mother and the piano again: the foundations of his “we”. </p>
<p>In terms of showing the differences and similarities of the haves and haves-not – the “we"s and "they"s – Drummond’s book ticks all the necessary boxes. </p>
<p>But unlike The House With All The Lights On, Broke is not an unconflicted love letter to family. Drummond’s portrait of his mother is in the <a href="https://www.dailyartmagazine.com/edward-hoppers-women/">Edward Hopper style</a>: a tired woman carrying a bucketful of woes, who, at the end of the day, is lonely. His subject, however, doesn’t feel centred: she’s often hidden by the clutter of too many items in the room.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/209989/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Heather Taylor Johnson does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Jessica Kirkman introduces readers to her Deaf grandparents’ experience – and to Deaf culture – in her memoir. And Sam Drummond recalls growing up with pseudoachondroplasia (a form of dwarfism) in his.Heather Taylor Johnson, Adjunct Research Fellow at the JM Coetzee Centre for Creative Practice, University of AdelaideLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2068252023-07-27T12:25:54Z2023-07-27T12:25:54ZDeaf rappers who lay down rhymes in sign languages are changing what it means for music to be heard<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/539659/original/file-20230726-15479-kw9iix.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=10%2C17%2C1851%2C1237&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Rapper Beautiful The Artist performs in the music video for the dip hop song 'DEAFinitely Lit.'</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbyBd87VpXI">Beautiful The Artist/YouTube</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>In April 2023, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/DeafDjSupalee/">DJ Supalee</a> hosted <a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=650074507126012&set=pcb.650074560459340">Supafest Reunion 2023</a> to celebrate entertainers and promoters within the U.S. Deaf community.</p>
<p>The event included performances by R&B artist and rapper <a href="https://www.facebook.com/shoroc81/">Sho’Roc</a>, female rapper <a href="https://www.facebook.com/beautifultheartist/">Beautiful The Artist</a>, the group <a href="https://www.rit.edu/ntid/sunshine">Sunshine 2.0</a>, DJs <a href="https://roctheparty.com/about-us/">Key-Yo</a> and <a href="https://www.djhearnoevil.net/">Hear No Evil</a>, as well as ASL performer and former rapper Polar Bear, who now goes by <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@reddd.menace">Red Menace</a>. </p>
<p>Many of these artists, activists and entrepreneurs have contributed to an ever-growing hip-hop scene within the Deaf community, which includes a subgenre of rap known as <a href="https://www.pbs.org/video/rapper-warren-wawa-snipe-hip-hop-deaf-community-dzlu7a/">dip hop</a>.</p>
<p>As hip-hop reaches its <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/topics/hip-hop-50-135779">50th anniversary</a>, five decades of its <a href="https://theconversation.com/after-rappers-delight-hip-hop-went-global-its-impact-has-been-massive-so-too-efforts-to-keep-it-real-206373">cultural impact reverberates</a> in mainstream and underground settings. What originated in the Bronx can now be found all over the world, taking on new forms as it has evolved in a diversity of spaces and places, from <a href="https://online.berklee.edu/takenote/trap-music-where-it-came-from-and-where-its-going/">trap music</a> and <a href="https://www.okayplayer.com/originals/horrorcore-rap-albums.html">horrorcore</a> to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MraJc0vyioI">spaza</a>, a subgenre that <a href="https://etd.uwc.ac.za/handle/11394/6966">emerged in Cape Town, South Africa</a>.</p>
<p>Dip hop is one of many styles of rap that have developed over the years. But it stands apart from other subgenres of hip-hop because rappers lay down rhymes in <a href="https://theconversation.com/explainer-what-is-sign-language-21453">sign languages</a> and craft music informed by their cultural experiences within the Deaf community. </p>
<h2>The birth of a musical movement</h2>
<p>As an <a href="https://www.ethnomusicology.org/page/AboutEthnomusicol">ethnomusicologist</a>, <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Katelyn-Best">I’ve followed</a> the development of dip hop since 2011, documenting how rappers have pioneered this art form while introducing outsiders, like myself, to <a href="https://www.nad.org/resources/american-sign-language/community-and-culture-frequently-asked-questions/">Deaf culture</a>.</p>
<p>In 2005, the rapper Warren “<a href="https://diphopwawa.com/home">Wawa</a>” Snipe came up with the term “DIP HOP” in <a href="https://www.nad.org/resources/american-sign-language/what-is-american-sign-language/">ASL</a> and English to classify a developing style of rap music within the Deaf community.</p>
<p>While artists of this style identify their music in different ways – some use labels like “deaf rap,” “deaf hip-hop” and “sign rap” – the designation “dip hop” goes beyond adding a qualifier to the broader musical genre of rap. Instead, it signals an independent style grounded in both hip-hop and Deaf culture. Like <a href="https://oxfordamerican.org/magazine/issue-115-winter-2021/a-brief-history-of-bounce">bounce</a>, trap and <a href="https://www.vulture.com/2022/08/what-is-the-sound-of-drill-rap.html">drill</a>, the label “dip hop” makes a greater distinction from being a variation of rap to a style that is heavily situated within Deaf culture and determined by Deaf aesthetics.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2ZmASV0zK8s?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">‘Feel The Beat’ by Signkid (ft. Mr. Off Key).</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In many ways, dip hop has followed <a href="https://theconversation.com/hip-hop-holiday-signals-a-turning-point-in-education-for-a-music-form-that-began-at-a-back-to-school-party-in-the-bronx-165525">a trajectory not unlike hip-hop</a>. </p>
<p>In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Deaf DJs and entertainment entrepreneurs organized DIY parties, nightlife events and social gatherings. These venues provided opportunities for rappers, DJs, dancers and other artists to begin to develop and explore their own style of hip-hop and connect with other rappers and DJs. </p>
<p>Cities with Deaf schools served as cultural hubs for musical networking. <a href="https://gallaudet.edu/about/">Gallaudet University</a> in Washington, D.C. and the <a href="https://www.rit.edu/ntid/">National Technical Institute for the Deaf</a> in Rochester, New York, have acted as significant sites of production within the U.S. by connecting deaf and hard of hearing students from all over the world.</p>
<p>Additionally, greater access to recording technology, video streaming sites and social media have given Deaf artists tools to create music and connect with other artists and fans.</p>
<h2>The many forms of dip hop</h2>
<p>While the incorporation of sign language is <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/26538859">a fundamental element of dip hop</a> – and remains at the forefront of defining this style – dip hop extends far beyond crafting original rap songs in sign language. </p>
<p>It involves musical expression that’s shaped through a Deaf cultural lens – songs that reorient mainstream notions of what can be considered music. At the same time, every artist has their own rapping style, with dip hop performances taking on a range of <a href="https://library.oapen.org/bitstream/handle/20.500.12657/51888/1/9783839456576.pdf#page=236">different forms and structures</a>. </p>
<p>For example, some dip hop artists work with both oral and manual languages to make their music accessible to hearing people. There are those who perform in both languages simultaneously, and others who <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbyBd87VpXI">prerecord their vocal track</a>, which plays in the background as they rap in sign language.</p>
<p>Some artists collaborate with interpreters. In “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9E0X80oRUs">Vergiss mich nicht</a>,” artist Deaf Kat Night raps in <a href="https://www.unesco.de/en/culture-and-nature/intangible-cultural-heritage/german-sign-language">German sign language</a>, while the lyrics are interpreted orally in German. </p>
<p>Then there are those who collaborate with hearing or deaf DJs. “<a href="https://fb.watch/lcPvboC8YR/">Breaking Barrels</a>,” featuring DefStar, is just one of the many collaborations between Wawa and <a href="https://djnicar.beatstars.com/">DJ Nicar</a>. </p>
<p>Performances can also involve musical instruments. <a href="https://www.deafandloud.com/">Sean Forbes</a>, for example, performs with a live band while also rapping in ASL and English, an approach seen in his music video “<a href="https://youtu.be/lXchQ_uZhUY">Calm Like a Bomb</a>.” </p>
<p>Alternatively, there are rappers who create music for Deaf audiences and solely rap in sign languages. These songs, however, may still have auditory components, which often consist of artists composing their own beats or raising the volume of previously recorded songs to rap over. </p>
<p>Dip hop, like many styles of music, comes to life through live performance. Artists move across the stage with their hands flying through the air as audiences pulse to the rhythm of the blasting bass beat.</p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">A performance by dip hop artists Wawa and Polar Bear at Gallaudet University’s 2015 DSP Bash.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Some artists further immerse their audiences in the musical experience by using specialized instruments and equipment such as subwoofers, objects that can conduct vibrations like balloons, or new forms of <a href="https://masschallenge.org/articles/haptic-technology/">haptic technology</a>, which refers to wearables, <a href="https://subpac.com/subpac-m2/">such as vests</a>, that channel sound vibrations. </p>
<p>Some artists also incorporate visuals into their performances through the use of video screens and <a href="https://www.cymaspace.org/audiolux/">sound-activated lights</a>.</p>
<h2>Breaking into the mainstream</h2>
<p>Dip hop artists have struggled to be acknowledged as musicians in their own right – to have their artistry be the focus of attention, rather than the fact that they’re deaf or hard of hearing.</p>
<p>That’s starting to change.</p>
<p>In 2009, Finnish rapper Marko “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/@signmarkprod">Signmark</a>” Vuoriheimo signed a record deal with Warner Music Finland and released “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUtM8_DOVUI">Smells Like Victory</a>” and “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8YzAo2haKI">Speakerbox</a>” that same year.</p>
<p>This marked the first time in history a Deaf artist was signed to a major record label. The following year, Detroit-based rapper and National Technical Institute for the Deaf alumnus <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/music/deaf-rapper-sean-forbes-makes-himself-joyfully-heard-on-the-hip-hop-scene/2015/01/25/15943fdc-a0f4-11e4-9f89-561284a573f8_story.html">Sean Forbes signed a contract</a> with WEB Entertainment and released the single “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5l-2Jo14cQ">I’m Deaf</a>,” attracting mainstream attention to this style of rap.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Man wearing sunglasses and a shirt that reads 'deaf and loud' holds his hands up to his ears." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/539337/original/file-20230725-29-gqhuwh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/539337/original/file-20230725-29-gqhuwh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=435&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/539337/original/file-20230725-29-gqhuwh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=435&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/539337/original/file-20230725-29-gqhuwh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=435&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/539337/original/file-20230725-29-gqhuwh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=547&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/539337/original/file-20230725-29-gqhuwh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=547&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/539337/original/file-20230725-29-gqhuwh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=547&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Sean Forbes poses during the 2014 National Association for the Deaf Breakthrough Awards Gala.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/deaf-rapper-sean-forbes-poses-during-the-national-news-photo/478567403?adppopup=true">Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>And through the support of the Deaf community, hearing allies and fans, Forbes’ EP “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5JaUg94oazM">Little Victories</a>” reached No. 1 in the hip-hop category on iTunes and made it to the top 200 Billboard chart in 2020.</p>
<p>The following year, Wawa’s single “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKduha4Tvog">LOUD</a>” was a top 20 dance track on iTunes. In 2022, Forbes and Wawa made history again as <a href="https://apnews.com/article/super-bowl-nfl-sports-arts-and-entertainment-mary-j-blige-fe4bf19eab4b5758f4f99eb3fcde5b70">the first ASL performers at a Super Bowl halftime show</a>.</p>
<p>In “<a href="https://www.facebook.com/wawasworld/videos/316257627136868/">Sign of the Times</a>,” Wawa raps: </p>
<pre class="highlight plaintext"><code> Sup beautiful people
I’m the Godpop of dip hop
Deaf eyes through hip hop
With signs for your eyes
Blow your mind and it won’t stop.
</code></pre>
<p>As dip hop evolves, it continues to push the boundaries of convention. In the spirit of hip-hop, dip hop rebels both musically and socially against cultural norms, breaking the mold and expanding possibilities for musical artistry. </p>
<p>Through their performances, dip hop artists not only subvert preconceived notions of music but also of Deaf culture and deafness, changing what it means for music to be heard.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/206825/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Katelyn Best does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Dip hop artists move across the stage, hands flying through the air, as audiences pulse to the rhythm of a blasting bass beat.Katelyn Best, Teaching Assistant Professor of Musicology, West Virginia UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2083652023-07-03T01:17:08Z2023-07-03T01:17:08ZHenry Lawson and Judith Wright were deaf – but they’re rarely acknowledged as disabled writers. Why does that matter?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533983/original/file-20230626-19-nn2wrh.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=5%2C11%2C3988%2C1982&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Henry Lawson (left) and Judith Wright</span> </figcaption></figure><p>Most of us know Henry Lawson and Judith Wright are icons of Australian literature. But it’s less well known that they were both disabled. </p>
<p>Lawson began to lose his hearing when he was nine. Wright started to lose hers in her early twenties. Neither identified as <a href="https://www.handtalk.me/en/blog/deaf-culture/">culturally Deaf</a>, but both named deafness as a significant influence on how and why they wrote. </p>
<p>Lawson said deafness was “in a great measure responsible for my writing”. Wright said her deafness “really reached into all the interstices of my life, it’s been part of the conditions I live under”. </p>
<p>However, their deafness is rarely acknowledged in discussions of their work. </p>
<p>On <a href="https://www.austlit.edu.au/">AustLit</a>, the Australian literature database, only ten of the 788 items on Lawson mention his deafness. And only 4 of the 595 items on Wright refer to hers. </p>
<p>If we recognise rather than ignore the influence of their deafness, its creative possibilities become obvious. We develop a more accurate picture of these writers – and of Australian literature.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/les-murray-said-his-autism-shaped-his-poetry-his-late-poems-offer-insights-into-his-creative-process-188212">Les Murray said his autism shaped his poetry – his late poems offer insights into his creative process</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Henry Lawson: deafness inherent to his writing</h2>
<p>Henry Lawson was born in 1867 in Grenfell, New South Wales. The hearing loss that began when he was nine continued until he was 14. </p>
<p>It is difficult to precisely describe his level of deafness from then on, but he needed anyone speaking to him to be close by and to face him. Of attending plays, he wrote: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>I say [I] “see” [them] because I never heard a play throughout and had to enquire before-hand – or after – and read the notices, or guess the plot and dialogue. </p>
</blockquote>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533645/original/file-20230623-25-v5kif3.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A black-and-white photo of a thoughtful man in a suit, with a moustache and cane" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533645/original/file-20230623-25-v5kif3.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533645/original/file-20230623-25-v5kif3.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=776&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533645/original/file-20230623-25-v5kif3.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=776&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533645/original/file-20230623-25-v5kif3.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=776&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533645/original/file-20230623-25-v5kif3.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=976&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533645/original/file-20230623-25-v5kif3.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=976&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533645/original/file-20230623-25-v5kif3.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=976&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Henry Lawson.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">National Library Australia</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Hearing aids were not generally available and few accommodations were made for deaf people. This meant Lawson was frequently disadvantaged. He attempted university matriculation twice, but failed because he could not hear the dictation test. Yet, from the age of 13 he was determined to be a writer, and his first poems were published in the Bulletin when he was 20.</p>
<p>His deafness remained a key influence on his content and style throughout his 35-year writing career. He wrote about his own deafness in essays such as <a href="https://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks22/2200461h.html">A Fragment of Autobiography</a>, and poems such as <a href="http://www.ironbarkresources.com/henrylawson/SoulOfAPoet.html">The Soul of a Poet</a>. </p>
<p>Deaf characters featured in his short stories and he wrote about them differently. Hearing people often make deafness a constant focus when they write deaf characters – but in his stories, he would often only mention a character’s deafness once. He wrote deafness from the inside.</p>
<p>Deafness was also part of his writing style. He very rarely included descriptions of sound in his writing, even at dramatically loud moments. Instead, he wrote intricate visual detail. </p>
<p>His account of the explosion in his short story <a href="https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Loaded_Dog">The Loaded Dog</a> reads:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Bushmen say that that kitchen jumped off its piles and on again. When the smoke and dust cleared away, the remains of the nasty yellow dog were lying against the paling fence of the yard looking as if he had been kicked into a fire by a horse and afterwards rolled in the dust under a barrow, and finally thrown against the fence from a distance.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Lawson had a particular interest in how visual information influenced communication. As a deaf person, he was always keenly alert to any visual signs that might help him decipher the words he struggled to hear. He experimented with this dynamic in his writing. </p>
<figure class="align-left zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533643/original/file-20230623-17-edqzu4.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Book cover: Henry Lawson's Short Stories - a painting of an outback town with a man and a dog" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533643/original/file-20230623-17-edqzu4.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533643/original/file-20230623-17-edqzu4.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=929&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533643/original/file-20230623-17-edqzu4.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=929&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533643/original/file-20230623-17-edqzu4.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=929&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533643/original/file-20230623-17-edqzu4.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1167&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533643/original/file-20230623-17-edqzu4.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1167&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533643/original/file-20230623-17-edqzu4.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1167&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In his story <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Union_Buries_Its_Dead">The Union Buries its Dead</a>, about a town that holds a funeral for an unknown man, the reader understands more about the people involved and their relationships through what they do with their hats than the words they speak. <a href="https://www.australianculture.org/hungerford-henry-lawson/">Hungerford</a> is mostly spoken words: it makes the same point in a different way. The absence of visual information means the reader cannot determine who is telling the truth.</p>
<p>As the number of people involved in communication increases in Lawson’s short stories, stability decreases. This is true to his experience as a deaf person. When a story has only two or three characters, the atmosphere stays calm and events proceed predictably. Even in a story such as Hungerford, where it is unclear who is lying and who is telling the truth, calm continues. </p>
<p>However, in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill,_the_Ventriloquial_Rooster">Bill, the Ventriloquial Rooster</a>, where a whole neighbourhood is drawn into one man’s determination to see his neighbour’s rooster defeated in a fight, events become chaotic and unpredictable – because four or more characters are involved.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/inside-the-story-99-versions-of-the-same-tale-in-the-drovers-wives-112407">Inside the story: 99 versions of the same tale in The Drover's Wives</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
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<h2>Judith Wright’s deafness: ‘creatively generative’</h2>
<p>Judith Wright was born in Armidale, NSW, in 1915. She began to lose her hearing at age 22. Three years later, she was diagnosed with <a href="https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/ears-otosclerosis">otosclerosis</a>, a form of atypical bone growth within the middle ear that causes progressive hearing loss. Her deafness meant she was denied entry into the women’s forces during World War II. </p>
<p>Instead, she found a role as a statistician at the University of Queensland. When the servicemen returned and her role became insecure, she made a critical decision, one directly informed by her deafness. She writes in her autobiography, <a href="https://www.textpublishing.com.au/books/half-a-lifetime">Half a Lifetime</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>I could no longer hope to earn a living by doing anything in the commercial or academic world. My deafness would increase and the hostility to women holding well-paid jobs would do also. I could perhaps hope to live by writing.</p>
</blockquote>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533648/original/file-20230623-27-zqyynk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="An elderly woman in a broad-brimmed hat and glasses, chin in hand" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533648/original/file-20230623-27-zqyynk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533648/original/file-20230623-27-zqyynk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=407&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533648/original/file-20230623-27-zqyynk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=407&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533648/original/file-20230623-27-zqyynk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=407&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533648/original/file-20230623-27-zqyynk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=511&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533648/original/file-20230623-27-zqyynk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=511&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533648/original/file-20230623-27-zqyynk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=511&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Judith Wright’s decision to become a writer was directly informed by her deafness.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">National Library of Australia</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Wright retained the memory of sound. Until she became completely deaf in her last decade, she was able to hear with a hearing aid (though these were initially bulky and socially embarrassing contraptions). Lip-reading and communicating remained exhausting, however. </p>
<p>Walks with her husband, Jack McKinney, meant Jack running ahead and walking backwards so she could <a href="https://theconversation.com/our-lip-reading-technology-promises-to-make-hearing-aids-more-human-45166">lip-read</a> him. The fatigue and fragility of communication is revealed through prominent themes in Wright’s poetry: the prevalence of silence, her representations of the limits of language, and her careful attention to the nonhuman world, particularly birds.</p>
<p>Without deafness, too, we would not have Wright’s prolific correspondence: as she could not hear on the telephone, she turned to <a href="https://theconversation.com/friday-essay-a-lament-for-the-lost-art-of-letter-writing-a-radical-art-form-reflecting-the-full-catastrophe-of-life-197420">letter writing</a>. She conducted an epistolary friendship with fellow artist <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbara_Blackman">Barbara Blackman</a> (who was blind) for 50 years. Deafness, far from being a drawback in Wright’s life, was a creatively generative and generous condition.</p>
<p>Her letters are captured in volumes such as <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/668988">The Equal Heart and Mind</a> (2004), <a href="https://www.australianbookreview.com.au/abr-online/archive/2007/295-july-august-2007-no-293/7411-lisa-gorton-reviews-with-love-and-fury-selected-letters-of-judith-wright-edited-by-patricia-clarke-and-meredith-mckinney-and-portrait-of-a-friendship-the-letters-of-barbara-blackman-and-judith-wright-edited-by-bryony-cosgrove">With Love and Fury</a> (2006), and <a href="https://www.mup.com.au/books/portrait-of-a-friendship-paperback-softback">Portrait of a Friendship</a> (2007).</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/friday-essay-judith-wright-in-a-new-light-67222">Friday essay: Judith Wright in a new light</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Ignoring disability has consequences</h2>
<p>Deafness inherently shaped Wright and Lawson’s writing. It impacted their style and content, and inspired some of their most well-known poems and stories. Omitting deafness from their biographies, or referring to deafness as an insignificant detail, presents an incomplete and misleading picture. </p>
<p>Too often, Wright and Lawson are represented as two more non-disabled authors. This contributes to the tradition of Australian literature as being overwhelmingly non-disabled. </p>
<figure class="align-left zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533650/original/file-20230623-29-nhvoac.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Cover: I Can Jump Puddles - a boy on crutches, smiling" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533650/original/file-20230623-29-nhvoac.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533650/original/file-20230623-29-nhvoac.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=924&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533650/original/file-20230623-29-nhvoac.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=924&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533650/original/file-20230623-29-nhvoac.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=924&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533650/original/file-20230623-29-nhvoac.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1161&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533650/original/file-20230623-29-nhvoac.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1161&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533650/original/file-20230623-29-nhvoac.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1161&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>And often the exceptions, like <a href="https://www.penguin.com.au/books/i-can-jump-puddles-australian-childrens-classics-9781742535845">I Can Jump Puddles</a> (1955) by Alan Marshall, who was partially paralysed as a result of childhood polio, are interpreted as narratives of overcoming disability – rather than the narrative of disability pride that they are.</p>
<p>This creates the impression writing is something disabled people can’t do. </p>
<p>Non-disabled readers – particularly young readers – absorb this false understanding. When they grow up to be publishers, teachers, librarians, editors, and booksellers, they unthinkingly pass this message on to the next generation by continuing to omit disability from Australian writing.</p>
<p>Some might say things are getting better, pointing to works such as the recent anthology, <a href="https://www.blackincbooks.com.au/books/growing-disabled-australia">Growing Up Disabled in Australia</a>, edited by disabled writer <a href="https://www.harpercollins.com.au/9781460755037/say-hello/">Carly Findlay</a>. But Growing Up Disabled, welcome as it is, is more about featuring disabled people than disabled writers. While there is nothing wrong with this, the contributions don’t represent the experience of being a disabled writer. </p>
<p>The consequences of erasing disability from Australian literature are worse for disabled readers and writers. We are deprived of our history and lineage. </p>
<p>Many disabled Australians grow up having never read a book by an Australian with the same impairment as our own. We can read books featuring characters with our particular impairment, but they are usually written by non-disabled writers who often have nothing in common with our experience of the world. </p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533651/original/file-20230623-19-fky9rc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Les Murray: a large man dressed in black, sitting in a chair, smiling" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533651/original/file-20230623-19-fky9rc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533651/original/file-20230623-19-fky9rc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533651/original/file-20230623-19-fky9rc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533651/original/file-20230623-19-fky9rc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533651/original/file-20230623-19-fky9rc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533651/original/file-20230623-19-fky9rc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533651/original/file-20230623-19-fky9rc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Les Murray’s autism is rarely acknowledged.</span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>And when we do read books by disabled writers, we often don’t know it. Like Lawson and Wright, renowned Australian poet <a href="https://theconversation.com/les-murray-said-his-autism-shaped-his-poetry-his-late-poems-offer-insights-into-his-creative-process-188212">Les Murray</a> acknowledged his disability (<a href="https://theconversation.com/autism-advocacy-and-research-misses-the-mark-if-autistic-people-are-left-out-94404">autism</a>) for decades before his death, starting in 1974. But it’s rarely acknowledged, even now.</p>
<p>From this, we learn that there is nobody like us. We are cast adrift, without role models. Aspiring disabled writers have to continually reinvent the wheel when we write about our particular experience of the world. We then have to convince a world used to reading inauthentic representations of our experience that our real stories are important.</p>
<p>But disabled authors have always been part of Australian culture. When we understand impairment as a complex condition rather than simply a deficit, we realise disability engenders creativity.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/208365/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Henry Lawson said deafness was ‘in a great measure responsible for my writing’. Wright said hers was ‘part of the conditions I live under’. Their disability was inherent to their creativity.Amanda Tink, PhD Graduate, Western Sydney UniversityJessica White, Senior Lecturer in Creative Writing and Literature, University of South AustraliaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2071262023-06-21T12:17:43Z2023-06-21T12:17:43ZSign language is now official in South Africa - how this will help education in Deaf schools<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533170/original/file-20230621-15-eg40ue.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Universities have a role to play in equipping future teachers of the Deaf by teaching sign language.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Wits University</span></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>South African Sign Language is now <a href="https://www.thepresidency.gov.za/speeches/remarks-president-cyril-ramaphosa-signing-ceremony-south-african-sign-language-bill%2C-union-buildings%2C-tshwane">the country’s 12th official language</a>. Parliament approved a <a href="https://www.gov.za/documents/constitution/chapter-1-founding-provisions#5">constitutional</a> amendment in a bid to “promote the rights of persons who are deaf (sic) and hard of hearing”.</em> </p>
<p><em>Claudine Storbeck, founder and director of the Wits Centre for Deaf Studies at South Africa’s University of the Witwatersrand, explains what the move could – and should – mean for Deaf education in the country.</em></p>
<h2>What is the educational environment today for Deaf learners in South Africa?</h2>
<p>There are 43 schools for the Deaf <a href="https://uni24.co.za/list-deaf-schools-south-africa/?gclid=Cj0KCQjw7aqkBhDPARIsAKGa0oJnBcAkxxbXrVTXuKy-BKZJZK_zJ2hFSec6XTO-G8ehQMkWtlkpycAaAu8zEALw_wcB">across the country</a>. Of these, 38 use South African Sign Language (SASL) as the language of teaching and learning. The aim is to ensure that the complete academic curriculum is taught. However, the anecdotal feedback we get from teachers of the Deaf suggests that they are unable to fully complete the curriculum each year and this gap keeps growing. </p>
<p>There isn’t any data on hearing versus Deaf education nor on the number of qualified teachers of the Deaf. We at the Wits Centre for Deaf Studies plan to start such a database soon. We do know that the large majority of teachers in schools for the Deaf are hearing. They are not required to have any form of specialised training or qualification in Deaf education or in SASL before they are appointed. Their signing skills are not evaluated before they are appointed. </p>
<p>In fact, these teachers are not formally required to do SASL courses – only encouraged. In this situation the teachers pick up some SASL from learners as they go along. It’s totally unacceptable that pupils have to become teachers to try to facilitate communication, before they can truly be learners. Teachers’ signing skills are never re-assessed; there are no quality assurance mechanisms in Deaf education in South Africa and ultimately it is the Deaf learners who pay the price.</p>
<p>This situation makes it clear why Deaf learners’ education is sub-par and their literacy levels are low. As with the question of qualified teachers for the Deaf, there is a dearth of data on Deaf school leavers’ literacy levels: the most <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctv2rh298v?turn_away=true">recently available figures</a>, quoted in a <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/239789213_Inclusive_education_for_Deaf_students_Literacy_practices_and_South_African_Sign_Language">2012 research article</a>, suggest that </p>
<blockquote>
<p>In South Africa as few as one in three Deaf adults who use South African Sign Language (SASL) is functionally literate and the average Deaf school leaver has a written language comprehension ability equal to that of a hearing child of eight.</p>
</blockquote>
<h2>Will the recognition of SASL as an official language help Deaf education?</h2>
<p>The poor quality of Deaf education has a <a href="https://limpingchicken.com/2020/03/09/liam-odell-how-to-stop-the-domino-effect/">domino effect</a> on post-school opportunities and employment. Previously, training entities – as well as employers – could decline access to SASL interpreting. They could say it wasn’t <a href="http://www.included.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/2546_IESA_EU-Factsheet-08_Reasonable-Accomodation-WEB-1.pdf">reasonably practical</a> or it caused <a href="https://www.dpsa.gov.za/dpsa2g/documents/ee/2015/289_1_2_3_20_08_2015_Policy.pdf">an undue burden</a>.</p>
<p>Now that SASL is an official language it must, by law, be properly integrated into the education and post school system.</p>
<p>The constitutional amendment can empower the national department of basic education to make it mandatory for teachers at schools for the Deaf to have specialist qualifications. The department must also strengthen SASL curriculum training and support. This can be done with the help of curriculum and subject specialists at the department as well as <a href="https://www.wits.ac.za/centre-for-deaf-studies/academic-programmes/pgce-south-african-sign-language/">at universities</a>. <a href="https://www.thutong.doe.gov.za/Default.aspx?alias=www.thutong.doe.gov.za/southafricansignlanguage">SASL resources</a> need to be expanded along with <a href="https://www.wits.ac.za/centre-for-deaf-studies/roots-resources/">Deaf education materials</a>, and Deaf learners need to see their own <a href="https://newafricabooks.com/products/mpumi-and-jabus-magical-day-1?variant=32244174553124">published literature</a>.</p>
<p>There are <a href="https://issuu.com/witsalumnirelations/docs/wits_review__april_2021_issuu/s/12025816">academic specialists</a> in Deaf education and SASL linguists. But very few are Deaf academics themselves: crucially, Deaf education <a href="https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2022-05-11-much-needed-change-in-deaf-education-must-be-led-by-the-deaf/">must be led by the Deaf</a>. Hearing academics who wish to partner on this journey need to be fluent signers and experts within SASL and Deaf education in the South African context.</p>
<p>To reach this point, universities and the department of basic education must prioritise the training of Deaf teachers. This is an historical challenge: Deaf children come through a poor education system and don’t graduate with an equitable school leaving qualification or don’t qualify for university access to train as teachers – a vicious cycle. The proposals I’ve outlined here can help to break this cycle.</p>
<p>The recognition of SASL as an official language is a big step in the right direction. It’s an opportunity for the almost <a href="http://www.sanda.org.za/">4 million Deaf people</a> in South Africa (of whom <a href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064710339351">600,000 are SASL users</a>) to properly access their <a href="https://www.gov.za/documents/constitution/chapter-2-bill-rights">human rights</a> in a language they understand. That journey must begin in the classroom.</p>
<p><em><a href="https://www.thepresidency.gov.za/speeches/remarks-president-cyril-ramaphosa-signing-ceremony-south-african-sign-language-bill%2C-union-buildings%2C-tshwane">Updated to reflect South African Sign Language becoming an official language on 19 July 2003</a>.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/207126/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Claudine Storbeck has received research funding from the UK-MRC (Medical Research Council) and the Global Challenges Research Fund (UK-MRC/AHRC). She is a visiting researcher at the University of Manchester, UK.
</span></em></p>This is an opportunity for Deaf people to finally be properly educated in a language they understand.Claudine Storbeck, Professor and Founder of the Wits Centre for Deaf Studies, University of the WitwatersrandLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1960972023-01-23T13:24:48Z2023-01-23T13:24:48ZCochlear implants can bring the experience of sound to those with hearing loss, but results may vary – here’s why<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/504991/original/file-20230117-14-1zs337.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C2121%2C1412&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">A patient's age upon receiving a cochlear implant can influence the technology's effectiveness.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/yr-old-boy-with-cochlear-implant-studying-and-royalty-free-image/1203208092">Cavan Images/Cavan via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Cochlear implants are among the most successful neural prostheses on the market. These artificial ears have allowed nearly <a href="https://doi.org/10.1121/10.0012825">1 million people globally</a> with severe to profound hearing loss to either regain access to the sounds around them or experience the sense of hearing for the first time.</p>
<p>However, the effectiveness of cochlear implants varies greatly across users because of a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1097%2FAUD.0b013e3182741aa7">range of factors</a>, such as hearing loss duration and age at implantation. Children who receive implants at a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1001/archotol.130.5.570">younger age may</a> may be able to acquire auditory skills similar to their peers with natural hearing.</p>
<p>I am a <a href="https://search.asu.edu/profile/3630640">researcher studying pitch perception with cochlear implants</a>. Understanding the mechanics of this technology and its limitations can help lead to potential new developments and improvements in the future.</p>
<h2>How does a cochlear implant work?</h2>
<p>In <a href="https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/how-do-we-hear">fully-functional hearing</a>, sound waves enter the ear canal and are converted into neural impulses as they move through hairlike sensory cells in the cochlea, or inner ear. These neural signals then travel through the auditory nerve behind the cochlea to the central auditory areas of the brain, resulting in a perception of sound.</p>
<p>People with severe to profound hearing loss often have damaged or missing sensory cells and are unable to convert sound waves into electrical signals. Cochlear implants bypass these hairlike cells by <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heares.2008.06.005">directly stimulating the auditory nerve</a> with electrical pulses.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/505008/original/file-20230117-20-hub8am.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Diagram of anatomy of hearing" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/505008/original/file-20230117-20-hub8am.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/505008/original/file-20230117-20-hub8am.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=538&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/505008/original/file-20230117-20-hub8am.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=538&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/505008/original/file-20230117-20-hub8am.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=538&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/505008/original/file-20230117-20-hub8am.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=676&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/505008/original/file-20230117-20-hub8am.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=676&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/505008/original/file-20230117-20-hub8am.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=676&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Sound travels through the ear canal and is converted by hair cells in the cochlea into electrical signals that enter the brain.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/illustration/hearing-cross-section-of-humans-ear-with-royalty-free-illustration/1345828402">ttsz/iStock via Getty Images Plus</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Cochlear implants consist of an external part wrapped behind the ear and an internal part implanted under the skin. </p>
<p>The external unit, which includes a microphone, signal processor and transmitter, picks up and processes sound waves from the environment. It divides sounds into different frequency bands, which are like different channels on a radio, with each band representing a specific range of frequencies within an overall spectrum of sound. It also extracts information about amplitude, or loudness, from each frequency band.</p>
<p>It then transmits that information to the receiver in the internal unit implanted in the cochlea. The electrodes of the internal unit directly stimulate the auditory nerve with electrical pulses based on amplitude information. Electrodes at the base of the cochlea transmit electrical signals containing high-frequency auditory information while electrodes at the top transmit electrical signals containing low-frequency information to the brain, mimicking the frequency analysis in a fully-functioning ear.</p>
<h2>Where cochlear implants fall short</h2>
<p>While people with cochlear implants are able to detect sounds and perceive speech in quiet environments reasonably well, they often have great difficulty <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heares.2008.06.005">understanding speech in noisy environments</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/108471380400800203">enjoying music</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1121/1.2821965">localizing sounds</a>, that is, figuring out which direction a sound is coming from.</p>
<p>Cochlear implants are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1044/2020_JSLHR-19-00225">fundamentally limited</a> by their poor ability to tell the difference between sound frequencies and transmit rapid variations in sound amplitude over time. For example, current cochlear implant systems use only 12 to 22 electrodes to stimulate surviving auditory nerve fibers, whereas natural hearing has 30,000 auditory nerve fibers to encode detailed information about incoming sounds. Furthermore, electrode stimulation inside the cochlea excites a large group of auditory nerve fibers without much precision. </p>
<p>These factors result in poor frequency resolution. Picture it like painting with a thick brush that can show only an overall shape without the fine details, or only blurry details.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xW4qfOkA4oc?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">The hearing experience from cochlear implants differs from that of natural hearing.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Why cochlear implants work better for some</h2>
<p>It remains <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0048739%E2%80%8B">difficult to accurately predict</a> the performance of cochlear implants for each user. </p>
<p>There are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/000348949810701102">a variety of factors</a> that can affect the number of healthy auditory nerve fibers available to transmit acoustic information to the brain. Cochlear implant users with better survival of their auditory nerve fibers may have improved <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heares.2014.09.009">frequency and timing representations of sounds</a> represented by electrical stimulation, which can lead to better speech and pitch perception.</p>
<p>Neural health is not the only factor that contributes to variability in cochlear implant effectiveness. One 2012 study of 2,251 cochlear implant users found that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0048739">speech recognition varied greatly</a>, and only 22% of the difference could be explained by clinical factors like length of experience with the implant and cause of hearing loss. Furthermore, it is <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10162-022-00876-w">challenging to directly assess</a> the effects of neural survival on the performance of cochlear implants. This suggests that other factors also play a role in determining the success of speech recognition with cochlear implants.</p>
<p>For instance, research has found that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1097/MAO.0000000000002544">cognitive skills</a> like working memory can influence the extent to which a person can understand speech after implantation. Cochlear implants <a href="https://doi.org/10.1097/AUD.0000000000000145">increase cognitive load</a>, or the amount of mental effort required to perform a task, as the sound quality users hear is often lower than that of natural hearing. Aging may also negatively affect cognitive processing skills, including <a href="https://doi.org/10.1097/AUD.0b013e3182741aa7">attention deficits and slower processing speed</a> on listening tasks.</p>
<p>Furthermore, most of the implant’s electrode arrays don’t reach the top of the cochlea where low-frequency information is conveyed in natural hearing. This <a href="https://doi.org/10.1097%2FAUD.0000000000000163">leads to mismatches</a> between the frequencies conveyed by the implant and those of natural hearing, resulting in reduced sound quality.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/504988/original/file-20230117-11104-w83z6d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Four cochlear implants of different colors." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/504988/original/file-20230117-11104-w83z6d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/504988/original/file-20230117-11104-w83z6d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=512&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/504988/original/file-20230117-11104-w83z6d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=512&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/504988/original/file-20230117-11104-w83z6d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=512&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/504988/original/file-20230117-11104-w83z6d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=644&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/504988/original/file-20230117-11104-w83z6d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=644&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/504988/original/file-20230117-11104-w83z6d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=644&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The effectiveness of cochlear implants varies based on a number of factors.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/cohlear-implant-devices-royalty-free-image/490611153">Elizabeth Hoffmann/iStock via Getty Images Plus</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Improving cochlear implants</h2>
<p>Scientists are investigating a number of potential ways to improve the effectiveness of cochlear implants.</p>
<p>Hearing sound through electrical stimulation is a new experience for those used to hearing without an implant. Auditory training exercises can help familiarize users with this new form of hearing and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/1084713807301379">may even enhance overall speech and music perception</a>. However, even with training, conventional cochlear implants may not fully replicate the rich experience of natural hearing.</p>
<p>Researchers are studying the potential <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/cochlear-implant">use of light beams</a> instead of electrical pulses to obtain better frequency resolution. This is done by genetically modifying the auditory nerve fibers to make them sensitive to light. Because light beams are able to more selectively stimulate auditory neurons compared to electrical pulses, this tactic may result in more precise frequency information. The research team behind this approach aims to start clinical trails in 2026.</p>
<p>Another approach involves <a href="https://twin-cities.umn.edu/news-events/university-minnesota-lead-97-million-nih-grant-improve-hearing-restoration">inserting electrodes directly into auditory nerve fibers</a> instead of the cochlea. By increasing the number of available electrodes, this strategy may enhance the sound frequency and timing information of the implant, and improve speech understanding in noisy environments and music perception.</p>
<p>Lastly, another development uses <a href="https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.76682">magnetic stimulation</a> to transmit acoustic information via small, implantable microcoils. This approach allows for finer stimulation patterns than the widespread electrical activation of traditional electrodes, potentially leading to more precise sounds representation.</p>
<p>Research on new technologies may provide solutions to further improve the hearing experience for those struggling with hearing loss.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/196097/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Niyazi Arslan receives educational funding from the Republic of Türkiye.</span></em></p>Researchers are exploring different ways to improve how cochlear implant users perceive speech and music in noisy environments.Niyazi Arslan, Ph.D. Candidate in Speech and Hearing Science, Arizona State UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1944612022-11-15T16:19:10Z2022-11-15T16:19:10ZEarbuds: can they be used as hearing aids?<p>Hearing loss is a major global issue. Around 5% of the world population, <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/deafness-and-hearing-loss">430 million, have disabling hearing loss</a>. With ageing populations, this burden will only increase. </p>
<p>The primary remedy is the simple hearing aid. It is an essential helpmate to ensure continued social contact and quality of life. Simple, but not necessarily cheap. They cost around US$1,000 (£850) per ear for a reasonable quality device – not an insubstantial amount, especially in times of austerity. Although, in the UK they are free on the NHS.</p>
<p>The basic function of a hearing aid is to amplify sound in a pattern to match the profile of the loss of hearing sensitivity in the wearer. Legally, a hearing aid can only be dispensed by a registered clinician. But a new class of devices, called personal sound amplification products (PSAPs), bypass this legal restriction. </p>
<p>A PSAP is not a difficult device to build. Most of us already carry the core components around in our pockets in the form of a smartphone. A microphone, some computer processing and either a loudspeaker or earpiece are “all” that you need. </p>
<p>The processing, in the form of apps, has been available for many years. In its simplest form, even the ability to separately control the treble and bass of your smartphone performs like a PSAP.</p>
<p>Taking this further, a <a href="https://www.cell.com/iscience/fulltext/S2589-0042(22)01708-4">new paper</a> from researchers in Taiwan reports on the possible use of earbuds as PSAPs, specifically Apple AirPods, incorporating the Apple “Live Listen” function. Live Listen allows the microphone on an iPhone to amplify audio and transmit it wirelessly to AirPods. </p>
<p>Using technical measures, a few of these models meet some of the <a href="https://webstore.ansi.org/Standards/ANSI/CTA20512017ANSI">required performance standards</a> for PSAPs. In the paper, volunteers with hearing impairment were assessed on their ability to repeat back speech presented in either quiet or in noise. The researchers reported similar improvements in performance to those available from either a premium or a basic hearing aid when compared with unaided hearing. </p>
<p>Does this mean that the extensive development work put into hearing aids over the past 100 years has been usurped? Not really.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Hearing aids." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/495343/original/file-20221115-12-ubt5n3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/495343/original/file-20221115-12-ubt5n3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/495343/original/file-20221115-12-ubt5n3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/495343/original/file-20221115-12-ubt5n3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/495343/original/file-20221115-12-ubt5n3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/495343/original/file-20221115-12-ubt5n3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/495343/original/file-20221115-12-ubt5n3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Hearing aids aren’t cheap.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/various-hearing-aids-on-white-background-1060697090">krolya25/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The most common form of hearing loss that can’t be fixed with surgery is the loss in the cellular mechanisms of the cochlea – the tiny snail-shaped organ that sits at the end of the ear canal. This loss is not like blocking your ears. A person loses the sensitivity to soft sounds, but loud sounds often appear just as loud as to a person with unimpaired hearing. </p>
<p>The solution is an automatic volume control: turning up quiet sounds and turning down too-loud sounds. This automatic control can be performed in a smartphone app so that the user always has a comfortable listening experience. Since hearing loss also varies with audio frequency, the behaviour of the automatic volume controls has to change with frequency. </p>
<p>A modern hearing aid performs multiple channels of automatic volume control but has a host of other features operating at the same time. For example, reducing interfering noises, preventing squealing and operating “directional microphones” to focus on the desired sound source. All of these features contribute to the long-term wearability of any hearing aid. This latest study is light on detail as to what processing was performed in the AirPods other than the use of volume control. </p>
<h2>Not a long-term fix</h2>
<p>So why are hearing aids more expensive than PSAPs? When an audiologist measures hearing loss, they also look to identify the causes of the loss – which can be many more than just the changes expected with old age. Some of these causes can be very serious and require treatment. This necessary human expertise has to be paid for.</p>
<p>There are also serious consequences of untreated or under-treated hearing loss. Uncorrected losses of our senses are associated with longer-term declines in mental abilities, with an <a href="https://academic.oup.com/psychsocgerontology/article/75/6/1230/5449037">increased risk of dementia</a>. These declines are <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/dementia">identifiable only over many years</a>, or even decades, and are associated with massive costs – costs that will need to be covered by families and healthcare systems. </p>
<p>The researchers in the new study say that PSAPs “could potentially bridge the gap between persons with hearing difficulties and their first step to seeking hearing assistance”. But it would be unwise to see them as a long-term fix.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/194461/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Michael Stone receives funding from National Institute for Health Research (NIHR, UK). </span></em></p>Some commercial wireless earphones could work as basic hearing aids, a new study claims.Michael A Stone, Senior Research Fellow, Division of Human Communication, Development and Hearing, University of ManchesterLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1929362022-11-04T12:34:56Z2022-11-04T12:34:56ZOver-the-counter hearing aids offer a wide range of options – here are things to consider before buying<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/493199/original/file-20221103-18-v5rzin.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=51%2C8%2C5760%2C3785&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Now that over-the-counter hearing aids are available, it's important to know what questions to ask.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/hearing-impaired-mature-man-adjusts-settings-for-royalty-free-image/1364368694?phrase=hearing%2Baids">peakSTOCK/iStock via Getty Images Plus</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Following the <a href="https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-finalizes-historic-rule-enabling-access-over-counter-hearing-aids-millions-americans">U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s ruling</a> in August 2022, nonprescription over-the-counter hearing aids went on sale <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/10/17/hearing-aids-are-now-available-over-the-counter-from-walgreens-cvs-and-best-buy.html">at pharmacies, supermarkets and consumer electronic stores</a> on Oct. 17, 2022. These devices are intended only for people with perceived mild to moderate hearing loss.</p>
<p>For millions of Americans, these over-the-counter hearing aids are <a href="https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/over-counter-hearing-aids">easier to access and less expensive</a> than prescription versions. Some people view them as a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/blog/over-the-counter-hearing-aids/">tremendous innovation</a>. Yet others say <a href="https://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/healthcare/333943-sen-warrens-not-listening-otc-hearing-aids-will-do-more-harm-than-good/">they won’t work optimally</a>, as the device may be of poor quality, or consumers may not self-diagnose or customize the device appropriately. </p>
<p>As <a href="https://som.ucdenver.edu/Profiles/Faculty/Profile/36711">audiologists specializing</a> in <a href="https://www.uchealth.org/provider/cory-portnuff/">hearing care</a>, we are actively involved in <a href="https://scholar.google.at/citations?user=rgECg40AAAAJ&hl=en">health care research</a> and the <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=JdYxmRoAAAAJ&hl=en">clinical care</a> of people with a range of hearing disorders. We have also conducted research on <a href="https://virtualhearinglab.org/">over-the-counter hearing aids</a>. </p>
<p>Our aim is to present a balanced view on what is known about over-the-counter aids based on academic research – and provide you tips on what to know when shopping for these devices. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WgUdp_LgVBQ?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">The U.S. Food and Drug Administration estimates that 30 million Americans could benefit from hearing aids.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Hearing device categories</h2>
<p>The newly available <a href="https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/08/17/2022-17230/medical-devices-ear-nose-and-throat-devices-establishing-over-the-counter-hearing-aids">over-the-counter hearing aids</a> add to a range of existing devices, including <a href="https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/guidance-documents-medical-devices-and-radiation-emitting-products/class-ii-special-controls-guidance-document-transcutaneous-air-conduction-hearing-aid-system-tachas">conventional prescription hearing aids</a> and <a href="https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2019/10/28/2019-23464/medical-devices-ear-nose-and-throat-devices-classification-of-the-self-fitting-air-conduction">self-fitting hearing devices</a>. Conventional hearing aids are tailored to fit by a hearing care professional. But over-the-counter devices come either in self-fitting types – meaning they adjust to the wearer’s hearing after self-testing – or preset, a type that is less individualized.</p>
<p>In addition, there are three other categories of hearing-related devices to be aware of. These include <a href="https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/hearing-aids-and-personal-sound-amplification-products-what-know">personal sound amplification products</a>, which serve as hearing enhancement devices for individuals with normal hearing. A second type are called <a href="https://www.hearingtracker.com/hearables">hearables</a>, like wireless earbuds designed for listening to music or tracking fitness. The third fall under consumer audio, like headphones. </p>
<p>None of the products in those categories are regulated, because they are not considered medical devices. But as technology advances, many of them may have functions similar to hearing aids. In other words, all the hearing devices listed above may look similar to one another and may be hard to distinguish just by their appearance. </p>
<p>Because of the variety of devices on the market, you should read product labels to make sure you’re not confusing over-the-counter hearing aids with other technologies. It is not uncommon to see <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/1995/11/ftc-settles-false-advertising-charges-against-maker-miracle-ear">false advertising claims</a>, such as personal sound amplification products or hearables advertised as over-the-counter hearing aids. </p>
<h2>About over-the-counter aids</h2>
<p>As noted, over-the-counter hearing aids come in two types: one-size-fits-most, with preset listening programs, and self-fitting, which can be more finely adjusted using apps on a smartphone. The latter type goes through a more rigorous <a href="https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/device-approvals-denials-and-clearances/510k-clearances">government approval process</a> and generally costs more. The least expensive ones cost around US$200, with the most running about $800. For comparison, prescription hearing aids start at roughly $1,000 and go up to approximately $6,000 per pair. The difference in cost is based on the technology level of the device as well as added services provided by hearing care professionals. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/492395/original/file-20221029-53244-cubwfz.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Flow chart diagram showing the varying types of hearing aid options." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/492395/original/file-20221029-53244-cubwfz.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/492395/original/file-20221029-53244-cubwfz.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=205&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/492395/original/file-20221029-53244-cubwfz.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=205&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/492395/original/file-20221029-53244-cubwfz.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=205&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/492395/original/file-20221029-53244-cubwfz.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=258&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/492395/original/file-20221029-53244-cubwfz.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=258&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/492395/original/file-20221029-53244-cubwfz.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=258&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The cost of hearing devices varies dramatically, depending on their features and sophistication.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Vinaya Manchaiah, University of Colorado School of Medicine</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/">CC BY-NC-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.2147/CIA.S135390">Our review of the literature</a> on over-the counter aids revealed the following: First, several studies looking at their acoustic characteristics – that is, the degree of sound distortion and self-generated noise – found mixed results. Some over-the-counter hearing products <a href="https://doi.org/10.1155/2015/827463">don’t measure up to acceptable standards</a>, whereas others <a href="https://doi.org/10.1097/MAO.0000000000001414">do provide appropriate amplification</a>. </p>
<p>Second, several <a href="https://hearingreview.com/hearing-products/marketrak-viii-utilization-of-psaps-and-direct-mail-hearing-aids-by-people-with-hearing-impairment">large-scale consumer surveys in the U.S.</a> and <a href="https://www.ehima.com/surveys/">Japan</a> suggest that users are less satisfied with over-the-counter aids than with conventional prescription hearing aids. This lower satisfaction can be primarily attributed to consumers choosing inappropriate devices or being unable to personalize or handle them.</p>
<p>Conversely, several clinical trials <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/2331216519900589">measuring the self-fitting process</a> and the benifits of over-the-counter hearing aids <a href="https://doi.org/10.1044/2017_AJA-16-0111">generally report positive outcomes</a> for people with mild to moderate hearing loss. More <a href="https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/results?cond=Hearing+Loss%2C+Sensorineural&term=OTC+hearing+aid&cntry=&state=&city=&dist=">clinical trials are ongoing</a>. </p>
<p>To add to the confusion, there is another caveat to those studies: Most examined early generations of direct-to-consumer hearing devices such as the personal sound amplification products – not the over-the-counter hearing aids that are now on the market. That is why consumers should take the results of those early studies with some skepticism. What’s more, as the market matures, a combination of competition and regulation will likely improve the quality of the devices.</p>
<h2>Questions to consider before purchasing</h2>
<p>You’ll want to take into account the look, feel and capabilities of the device. Ask yourself: Do you want a hearing aid that looks more like a wireless earbud – small and not noticeable? Is it comfortable to wear or irritating after several hours? Will it work with a smartphone and Bluetooth? How often does it need to be recharged?</p>
<p>Also: What is the warranty? How can I get the device fixed if it breaks? What’s the return policy? Is there free customer support after the purchase? Is the device appropriate for my particular kind of hearing issue?</p>
<p>Only a <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/reviewed/2022/10/17/otc-hearing-aids-buy-now-bose-lively/10523887002/">handful of companies</a> now offer over-the-counter hearing aids. Some may not be in the business for very long. So choose a brand with a good reputation that stands behind its product, offers customer service assistance and lets you return the device and receive a refund if it doesn’t work for you.</p>
<p>Studies show that people often <a href="https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.15009">underestimate the severity of their hearing loss</a>. For these people, the over-the-counter devices may not provide adequate amplification. Remember, they work only for those with mild to moderate hearing loss. In addition, some people may have treatable hearing problems, like earwax buildup, that need medical treatment instead of hearing aids. </p>
<p>That’s why we strongly recommend consumers get a hearing test from an audiologist before purchasing the over-the-counter hearing aids. If that is not feasible, you can take a <a href="https://www.who.int/teams/noncommunicable-diseases/sensory-functions-disability-and-rehabilitation/hearwho">free online hearing test</a> and also <a href="https://sites.northwestern.edu/cedra/">screen yourself for risk of an ear disease</a> or other conditions that may affect hearing. And <a href="https://doi.org/10.1044/2018_JSLHR-H-18-0370">online consumer reviews</a> provide user reports on the perceived benefits and limitations about specific products. </p>
<p>If you find the over-the-counter devices don’t work for you, there may be <a href="https://www.hearingloss.org/hearing-help/technology/otc-hearing-devices/otc-hearing-aids/">some issues that are fixable</a>. But if not, don’t forget: You always have the option to return them – and then, make an appointment with <a href="https://theconversation.com/newly-available-over-the-counter-hearing-aids-offer-many-benefits-but-consumers-should-be-aware-of-the-potential-drawbacks-189041">a hearing health care professional</a>.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/192936/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>They are cheaper to buy and don’t require a doctor’s prescription. But OTC hearing aids come with some limitations.Vinaya Manchaiah, Professor of Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery , University of Colorado Anschutz Medical CampusCory Portnuff, Assistant Clinical Professor of Audiology, Clinical Audiologist, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical CampusLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1923572022-10-21T15:03:27Z2022-10-21T15:03:27ZHow Strictly is challenging the way people think about dance<p>At the beginning of every British autumn we mark the turning season with three immutable certainties: bright chilly mornings, the start of a new academic year and the launch of <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006m8dq">Strictly Come Dancing</a>. This year sees the 20th series, with a line-up that has sparked nationwide conversations about gender, sexuality and disability.</p>
<p>Last year’s <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2021/dec/18/a-groundbreaking-strictly-final-in-step-with-modern-britain">ground-breaking final</a> was praised for its inclusive representation with deaf actress Rose Ayling-Ellis and John Whaite, the first male contestant to dance in a same-sex pairing.</p>
<p>This year’s series demonstrates the BBC’s commitment to continuing its work in challenging norms about who can or should dance – and who they should dance with. As a researcher in the field, my work looks at inclusive dance practice, leading me to working with colleagues on a <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/historyofthebbc/ahrc/wood-foellmer-meehan-stamp/">project with the BBC</a> looking at how Strictly embraces diversity.</p>
<p>This year’s line-up includes paralympian Ellie Simmonds and comedian Jayde Adams, who are still in the competition, as well as presenter Richie Anderson, who was eliminated in week three.</p>
<p>Simmonds, who was born with <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m0016503/ellie-simmonds-a-world-without-dwarfism">Achondroplasia dwarfism</a>, is part of a growing group of disabled celebrities showcasing their abilities in Strictly Come Dancing, (including last year’s champion, Ayling-Ellis, who won people’s hearts with her “<a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/strictly-come-dancing-rose-ailing-ellis-couples-choice-performance-deaf-community_uk_61901c4ae4b0c621c5cdbfb6">silent dance</a>”).</p>
<p>Anderson and Adams are the two contestants in same-sex pairings this year. These partnerships were <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/strictly-come-dancing-nicola-adams-same-sex-pairing-bbc-b933634.html">first introduced</a> in 2020 when boxer Nicola Adams was partnered with Katya Jones, and continued last year with finalists and fan favourites John Whaite and professional dancer Johannes Radebe. </p>
<p>With this year being hailed as <a href="https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/entertainment/anton-du-beke-diversity-strictly-come-dancing-newsupdate/">the most diverse series ever</a>, Strictly is attempting to better reflect the diversity that exists across the British population by challenging the dominant norms in dance traditions and styles that feature on the show.</p>
<p>The drive towards more inclusivity and representation has been <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/sep/27/ellie-simmonds-on-strictly-dancer">praised by many</a>, not least by communities that have long been underrepresented on television generally, and more specifically, on primetime shows.</p>
<p>As a co-investigator on the <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/historyofthebbc/ahrc/wood-foellmer-meehan-stamp/">Strictly Inclusive</a> project to celebrate the BBC’s centenary, I have been talking to the public about the show. The project collaborated with Coventry Pride, the Deaf Cultural Centre and Deaf Explorer in Birmingham. We also spoke to local artists, analysed archival clips of the series, hosted discussions and reflected on inclusion and representation as whole on the show – past, present and future.</p>
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<h2>Gender pairings and disability</h2>
<p>This push for greater inclusivity on Strictly does not always find support. Developing the format away from the original show <a href="https://www.bbc.com/historyofthebbc/anniversaries/september/come-dancing/">Come Dancing</a> (which launched in 1950) has been met with some negative criticism.</p>
<p>Recently labelled as a “<a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/columnists/2022/09/27/strictly-come-dancing-has-become-bbcs-latest-woke-box-ticking/">woke box-ticking exercise</a>”, Strictly seems to be disrupting ideas of what dance should be and what dancers should look like, as well as expanding what we have come to expect from Saturday night entertainment shows. </p>
<p>Interestingly, Strictly’s first disabled contestant was not on the main show, but a 2015 Comic Relief version. <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02glql8">The People’s Strictly</a> welcomed specially chosen members of the public to participate in a one-off series. War veteran Cassidy Little took part and won.</p>
<p>Since then, many paralympians and veterans have embarked on their “Strictly journeys”, working with dance partners and choreographers to adapt movement to best suit their bodies, while attempting to adhere to the rules and expectations of ballroom and Latin dance styles.</p>
<p>Queer culture has long been a part of Strictly’s identity, from its popular judges to its celebration of queer celebrities through costuming and song choice – see Russell Grant’s 2011 <a href="https://blog.dancevision.com/what-is-american-smooth-dance-style">American smooth</a> to LGBTQ+ anthem I am what I am.</p>
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<p>It seems same-sex pairings were <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/sep/05/strictly-queer-culture-same-sex-couple-nicola-adams">requested and denied</a> for many years. The BBC introduced the idea with the first celebrity same-sex partnership in 2020, ten years after it happened on <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-israel-dance-idUSTRE6A155G20101102">Israel’s Dancing with the Stars</a>. In spite of accusations of superficial tokenism, Strictly now appears to be committed to genuine sexual representation, ensuring there is a choice in dance partners. </p>
<h2>How things change</h2>
<p>Diversifying those who participate in reality TV shows can bring pressing issues to a larger audience. On last year’s series, deaf actress Ayling-Ellis spotlighted British Sign Language (BSL) so prominently that there was a <a href="https://www.itv.com/news/2021-11-01/rose-ayling-ellis-strictly-appearance-leads-to-surge-in-demand-for-bsl-courses">surge in searches for BSL courses</a>.</p>
<p>Since being crowned 2021 Strictly champion, she has led a campaign to make BSL a <a href="https://www.bigissue.com/news/social-justice/it-will-be-so-emotional-rose-ayling-ellis-on-bsl-becoming-an-official-language/">recognised language in public life</a>, championing a bill that was passed by MPs in early 2022. </p>
<p>The actress has spoken of how the fight to get BSL recognised as an official language has been long and hard-won, suggesting that the publicity and reach of Strictly contributed to the success of the campaign. This highlights how the show can effect change and engage new audiences, champion difference and help inform public policy. Televised dance has the potential to change views on sexuality, gender and disability, as well as who can dance.</p>
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<h2>What’s next for Strictly?</h2>
<p>For all the developments and changes, Strictly’s work on inclusion is not done. To avoid claims of “box-ticking”, the show should continue exploring what dance is, who can dance and how it is shared with diverse audiences.</p>
<p>Although Ayling-Ellis’ stint on the programme made a considerable impression, there is still no permanent BSL interpretation provided for the live show, for example. Also, the styles or genres presented on Strictly showcase particular dance traditions while other styles practised across the UK are rendered somewhat invisible to big public audiences due to their exclusion.</p>
<p>By engaging with audiences and the public more through research projects such as <a href="https://www.coventry.ac.uk/research/research-directories/current-projects/2022/strictly-inclusive-co-creating-the-past-present-and-future/">Strictly Inclusive</a>, we can understand the impact televised dance can have on communities and wider society. There is more to be done, but this is certainly a step, a twirl and a shimmy towards a more progressive show and audience.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/192357/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kathryn Stamp has received funding from the Arts and Humanities Research Council and the BBC. </span></em></p>Strictly continues its work in busting norms in who can or should dance – and who they can dance with.Kathryn Stamp, Assistant Professor in Dance Studies, Coventry UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1890412022-10-21T12:38:54Z2022-10-21T12:38:54ZNewly available over-the-counter hearing aids offer many benefits, but consumers should be aware of the potential drawbacks<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/490440/original/file-20221018-7297-l8bqgl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=8%2C8%2C5583%2C3713&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Over-the-counter hearing aids are now available at pharmacies and big-box stores.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/senior-woman-holding-hearing-aid-close-up-royalty-free-image/926841484?phrase=hearing%20aids&adppopup=true">Mara Ohlsson/Image Source via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>U.S. retailers <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2022/10/17/over-the-counter-hearing-aids-available/10522017002/">began selling over-the-counter hearing aids</a> on Oct. 17, 2022, a long-awaited move that some experts predict could be a game-changer in <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/you-can-now-buy-lower-cost-hearing-aids-over-the-counter-heres-how">making these devices accessible and affordable</a>. A prescription is no longer needed, nor is a visit to a doctor or even a fitting appointment with a hearing specialist. </p>
<p>Instead, Americans <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/17/health/over-the-counter-hearing-aids-available/index.html">can purchase hearing aids</a> by going online or with a single trip to the nearest pharmacy or big-box store. These aids are only for those with mild to moderate hearing loss. For these consumers, over-the-counter hearing aids clearly offer an appealing alternative. </p>
<p><a href="https://med.virginia.edu/otolaryngology/faculty/bradley-w-kesser-m-d/">As an otologist/neurotologist</a> – that’s someone who specializes in the diseases of the ear – I like to say that while vision binds us to the world, hearing binds us to each other. In my practice, I see firsthand how patients with hearing loss often withdraw socially and become isolated. They don’t want to put themselves in situations where they may mishear or seem disengaged, disinterested or unintelligent. This may be why studies show hearing loss is <a href="https://doi.org/10.1097/MOO.0000000000000825">associated with depression</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gbab194">cognitive impairment</a>. </p>
<p>So it seems the over-the-counter hearing aids would be a great solution for patients with hearing loss, right? Less hassle and less cost – in many cases, thousands of dollars less – and more people than ever getting the help they need. But it’s not that simple. Occurring just two months after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s <a href="https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-finalizes-historic-rule-enabling-access-over-counter-hearing-aids-millions-americans">final ruling on the matter</a>, over-the-counter sales of hearing aids come with caveats and even some risks.</p>
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<h2>How hearing loss happens</h2>
<p>Hearing specialists divide hearing loss into two main categories: <a href="https://www.asha.org/public/hearing/conductive-hearing-loss/#:">conductive</a> and <a href="https://www.asha.org/public/hearing/sensorineural-hearing-loss/">sensorineural hearing loss</a>. Conductive loss is caused by any number of things, including ear wax obstruction, a perforation in the ear drum or fluid in the middle ear. Children are more likely than adults to have conductive hearing loss, and most of the time, many of these problems are relatively easy to correct. </p>
<p>But sensorineural hearing loss is caused by a problem occurring in the inner ear, auditory nerve and brain. Most commonly, there is a loss of the tiny cochlear hair cells that <a href="http://www.cochlea.eu/en/hair-cells">convert sounds into an electrical signal</a>. The brain interprets that signal as a bird singing or a child laughing. Hair cell injury is generally permanent and irreversible; those cells do not regenerate in humans, or for that matter, in any mammal. </p>
<p>Whether conductive or sensorineural, hearing aids have proved to be a tremendous boon for patients with hearing loss. One national survey found that in 2019, 7.1% of adults aged 45 and over <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db414.htm">used a hearing aid</a>. </p>
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<h2>Problems with over-the-counter hearing aids</h2>
<p>Before over-the-counter hearing aids became available, patients <a href="https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/do-you-need-hearing-test">needed a formal hearing test and assessment</a>. This is critical because not all hearing loss is the same; hearing specialists – both otolaryngologists and audiologists – are trained to decipher the type of hearing loss that a patient is experiencing. From that, they make recommendations on hearing treatment. If a patient needs a hearing aid, a health care professional will <a href="https://www.healthyhearing.com/help/hearing-aids/fitting">fit them with one</a>.</p>
<p>But purchasing an over-the-counter hearing aid requires none of those things – not an ear exam, not a hearing test and not a fitting session. There are many reasons why this shortcut approach, while certainly less expensive and offering easier access, may not be ideal for someone experiencing hearing loss.</p>
<p>First, patients may have a chronic infection or condition that requires medical or surgical management, rather than a hearing aid. Second, some patients may be a candidate for surgical correction of their hearing loss. Third, patients with hearing loss in one ear or a large difference in hearing between the two ears may have a benign growth on the hearing and balance nerve. This often requires surgery or radiation treatment. Again, a hearing aid would not help with this condition. </p>
<p>Additionally, for those who would benefit from an over-the-counter product, not every hearing aid fits every ear – one size most certainly does not fit all. And one more caveat: Over-the-counter hearing aids are not recommended for people under 18. </p>
<p>Finally, some patients may have too much hearing loss for these devices to provide any benefit. Instead, many patients with more advanced hearing loss have <a href="https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/cochlear-implants">the option of a cochlear implant</a>, which is essentially a wire with an electrode array surgically placed into the cochlea, the bony “house” of the hair cells situated deep in the skull. The electrodes stimulate the auditory nerve directly, bypassing the damaged hair cells. For these patients, cochlear implants offer <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/cochlear-implants/about/pac-20385021">an exceptional opportunity to hear again</a>. As the technology improves, more people will become candidates for this medical miracle.</p>
<p>About 80% of adults aged 55 to 74 who would benefit from a hearing aid <a href="https://doi.org/10.3109/14992027.2013.769066">do not use them</a>. The new over-the-counter hearing aids hold great promise for the right patients. But buyer beware: They are not panaceas. Not all customers will be satisfied with over-the-counter hearing aids – and a visit to the doctor or audiologist is still critical.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/189041/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Bradley Kesser does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>They are easy to get, and far less costly than prescription hearing aids. But over-the-counter devices are not the answer for everyone with hearing issues.Bradley Kesser, Professor of Otology/Neurotology, University of VirginiaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1871092022-07-19T13:07:35Z2022-07-19T13:07:35ZLove Island’s Tasha is the show’s first deaf contestant – here’s what you should know about deaf accents<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/474830/original/file-20220719-20-fbzwr5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=11%2C182%2C3791%2C5516&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Tasha Ghouri is the first deaf Islander on the popular ITV show.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.itv.com/presscentre/itvpictures/galleries/islanders-itv2-generic">ITV / Lifted Entertainment</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>I sat down to watch the first episode of this year’s Love Island with my daughter as I was told that there was a deaf contestant appearing on the show. I don’t usually watch Love Island, but as a deaf person I was intrigued to find out more about how this contestant, Tasha Ghouri, would handle being the only deaf person on the show. </p>
<p>I asked my daughter, who is hearing, whether or not she could hear that Ghouri was deaf – she seemed to be communicating with her hearing peers with complete ease. My daughter replied: “I can hear the deaf in her voice.” This was not surprising, as several members of my family are deaf and I socialise mainly with deaf people. My daughter is highly familiar with what we, deaf people, call, “deaf accent”, also known to researchers as “deaf speech”. </p>
<p>Sadly, a few weeks into the show, there has been a wave of online trolling and abuse <a href="https://graziadaily.co.uk/celebrity/news/love-island-tasha-ghouri-trolling-deaf/">directed at Ghouri</a>. Much of this has focused on her cochlear implant – an electronic device that allow some deaf people to hear and process speech (this varies greatly among deaf people) – and her accent.</p>
<p>An accent refers to people’s voice quality, intonation and their pronunciation of both vowels and consonants. In general, people tend to have an accent when speaking that reflects their gender, ethnicity, social class, age and their region or country of origin (among other factors). Other linguistic differences in vocabulary and grammar are known as dialects, and relate to the same social factors as accents. </p>
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<p>Accents may also indicate that a person has a disability, including deaf people. “Deaf accent” occurs because deaf people are often unable to hear the full range of sounds that hearing people hear. This means that they are not always able to replicate the full range of sounds in spoken words. Speech also has various tones or intonation patterns that deaf people may also be unable to hear, thus they do not replicate those. There is a high degree of variability in deaf accents simply because every deaf person is different, with some who are mildly deaf and others who are profoundly deaf. </p>
<p>Quite often, deaf people undergo speech therapy (whether they want to or not) during their school years to learn how to pronounce sounds and words they’re unable to hear. Many deaf people have quite <a href="https://www.handspeak.com/learn/index.php?id=371">negative experiences</a> of speech therapy. For deaf people, learning to speak and using speech can be quite a conscious and laborious process. </p>
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<p>In addition to a deaf accent, it is quite possible for a deaf person to have a regional accent, depending on how deaf they are. Deaf people from different parts of the country, like hearing people, can sound different from one another when they speak. </p>
<p>As well as having varying accents, deaf people frequently comment that they can “see” accents, because different sounds may appear different on the lips. In a <a href="https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/applirev-2020-0144/html">recent study</a>, deaf people mentioned that mouthing varied in different parts of the country. This shows that deaf people are aware of differences in accents, giving examples such as how the word “bath” looks differently articulated by deaf people from the north and south of England. </p>
<h2>‘Accents’ in sign language</h2>
<p>Many deaf people in the UK use British Sign Language (BSL). Like spoken English, there is a high degree of variability, depending on social factors. Technically, there is <a href="https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/applirev-2020-0144/html">little evidence</a> for accent in sign languages – that is, systematic variation in pronunciation in signs such as their handshape or other formational features – related to social factors such as region.</p>
<p>But there is definitely widespread lexical variation, with different signs used for a given concept. This is similar to differences in dialect in spoken English,
like the <a href="https://www.bl.uk/british-accents-and-dialects/articles/lexical-variation-across-the-uk">different words for the shoes</a> that British children wear for PE. </p>
<p>We found in <a href="https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/applirev-2020-0144/html">our research</a> that BSL signers tend to equate this lexical variation with accent. We think this is because this variation is very noticeable, and marks regional identity in BSL in the same way that accents do in spoken languages. For example, <a href="https://bslsignbank.ucl.ac.uk/dictionary/regional/sixteen-1.html">signs for numbers</a> can vary greatly.</p>
<p>Importantly, we found in the same study that BSL signers place a high value on the regional variation in BSL. It’s part of what makes it a rich language, on equal footing with English, the surrounding majority language. The contestants on Love Island come from all over the UK and the world. In this season alone, there is accent variation from London, Newcastle, Wales, Italy and Essex, to name a few – Tasha’s accent is just another example of the rich diversity in English accents.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/187109/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kate Rowley receives funding from the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC). She works for University College London (UCL) and has her own freelance business (Language Wise). </span></em></p>Deaf people from different parts of the world can have different accents, whether they speak, sign or both.Kate Rowley, Lecturer in Deafness, Cognition and Language, UCLLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1826412022-05-25T12:54:20Z2022-05-25T12:54:20ZParents of deaf children often miss out on key support from the Deaf community<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/465056/original/file-20220524-20-hx4n51.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C41%2C4648%2C3052&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The Deaf community, which includes hearing people as well as those who are deaf and hard of hearing, can be a big help to deaf children and their parents.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/julia-bathjer-emma-davis-and-naomi-vanostenbridge-laugh-news-photo/1315507577">Lauren A. Little/MediaNews Group/Reading Eagle via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>An increasing number of deaf and hard-of-hearing kids in the U.S. are receiving cochlear implants – <a href="https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/cochlear-implants/what-cochlear-implant">electrical conductors surgically inserted</a> into the inner ear to stimulate the nerve responsible for hearing.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/sites/default/files/Documents/health/hearing/FactSheetCochlearImplant.pdf">Fewer than 30,000</a> U.S. children had received cochlear implants by 2010, while an <a href="https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/statistics/quick-statistics-hearing">estimated 65,000 children</a> had them by 2019. This is due to continuously improving <a href="https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/cochlear-implants/benefits-and-risks-cochlear-implants">medical and technological advances</a> in cochlear implantation that make it cheaper and less painful to hear better than they would with other types of devices.</p>
<p>Yet most kids with cochlear implants <a href="https://doi.org/10.1001/archotol.130.5.673">still need significant help</a> learning to understand and produce spoken language, much less learn material taught in lessons primarily meant for students who can hear. And they often struggle to fit in with peers who were born hearing, sometimes only finding a community that truly understands their life’s journeys <a href="https://www.handspeak.com/learn/index.php?id=371">upon reaching adulthood</a> and connecting with other people who were born deaf or hard of hearing.</p>
<p>When parents choose to get their child a cochlear implant, they are no doubt making the best choices they can with the information and understanding they have about growing up and living in a world where most people can hear. </p>
<p>But too often they miss out on key support for themselves, and for their kids, from the Deaf community, which I am a part of – as the deaf mother of a deaf son – and which <a href="https://www.rit.edu/academicaffairs/facultyscholarship/person.php?username=prcnge">I study professionally</a>. People who are deaf or hard-of-hearing, and those with average hearing all use sign language – the most common of which in the U.S. is <a href="https://www.signasl.org/">American Sign Language</a> – to fully understand and express themselves in ways that go beyond speech, and help each other navigate the challenges presented in a hearing world.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/465058/original/file-20220524-21-goagjg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A side view of a child's head, showing cochlear implant equipment." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/465058/original/file-20220524-21-goagjg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/465058/original/file-20220524-21-goagjg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=463&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/465058/original/file-20220524-21-goagjg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=463&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/465058/original/file-20220524-21-goagjg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=463&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/465058/original/file-20220524-21-goagjg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=582&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/465058/original/file-20220524-21-goagjg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=582&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/465058/original/file-20220524-21-goagjg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=582&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A cochlear implant includes electronics implanted in the inner ear and additional equipment behind the ear magnetically attached to the skull.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/noah-larson-on-may-31-in-their-long-beach-calif-home-noah-news-photo/1032014668">Jeff Gritchen/Digital First Media/Orange County Register via Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Key materials leave out vital information</h2>
<p>According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, some of the <a href="https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/cochlear-implants/benefits-and-risks-cochlear-implants">benefits of having a cochlear implant</a> include being able to understand speech without lip reading, making telephone calls, watching TV and enjoying music. </p>
<p>Many professional websites maintained by hearing implant specialists boast that deaf and hard-of-hearing children can be <a href="https://www.cochlear.com/us/ci-landing-page">successfully trained to speak and hear</a> for full integration in their communities.</p>
<p>But these sources leave out key information, such as the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1001/archotol.130.5.673">common need for assistance in school</a> even after getting a cochlear implant. Their primary focus, as with many consultations with hearing specialists, audiologists and speech therapists, is on helping deaf and hard-of-hearing children <a href="https://chs.asu.edu/sites/default/files/shs_strategic_plan_2019_2024.pdf">learn to listen and speak</a>.</p>
<p>These efforts downplay or ignore the idea that there are other ways deaf and hard-of-hearing people can communicate, without hardship or difficulty. For instance, on the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/hearingloss/treatment.html">website section about screening for congenital deafness</a>, the emphasis is on providing deaf and hard-of-hearing children early intervention services to avoid delays in learning to speak. Information on American Sign Language is <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/hearingloss/language.html">reached only by clicking to another page</a> and reading through a bullet list of technical jargon like “auditory-oral” and “cued speech.”</p>
<h2>A history of oppression</h2>
<p>Over decades, even centuries, the Deaf community in the U.S. and around the world has been ignored, and even repressed, by mainstream hearing society.</p>
<p>As far back as the 19th century, educators of deaf people, such as telephone inventor <a href="https://www.gallaudet.edu/history-through-deaf-eyes/online-exhibition/language-and-identity/the-influence-of-alexander-graham-bell">Alexander Graham Bell</a>, have tended to believe that <a href="https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/16767-auditory-verbal-therapy">speaking and listening are critical to functioning</a> in the broader society. As a result, they have <a href="https://www.bu.edu/articles/2017/asl-language-acquisition/">discouraged children from learning to sign</a>, even though research shows that if kids can <a href="https://www.clarkeschools.org/about-us/philosophy/">communicate effectively without speaking</a>, they’ll be <a href="https://doi.org/10.1901%2Fjaba.2007.23-06">more interested in learning speech</a>.</p>
<p>This resulted in the methods used to teach generations of deaf Americans, including me, at <a href="https://www.ceasd.org/">schools for the deaf</a>. I was not allowed to use American Sign Language in the classroom, but rather what was called the “Rochester Method,” a combination of speech and fingerspelling.</p>
<p>Attendance at these schools, which are mostly residential, <a href="https://www.nad.org/2011/02/16/nad-action-alert-preserve-state-schools-for-the-deaf/">has been declining since the 1975</a> passage of the first federal law requiring public school systems to <a href="https://sites.ed.gov/idea/IDEA-History">offer a range of education options</a> for students with different medical or physical conditions, including hearing loss. One option was placement in mainstream schools with aides for assistance.</p>
<p>But public schools aren’t always good at supporting deaf and hard-of-hearing students, who often <a href="https://www.gettingsmart.com/2016/08/21/10-challenges-deaf-students-face-in-the-classroom/">struggle to follow along and fit</a> in at school, including classrooms, hallways, cafeterias and recreational spaces – all of which can be very noisy, making it hard to distinguish one person’s voice from another. </p>
<h2>Little attention paid</h2>
<p>All this history helps explain why there is so little research about the Deaf community, and why officials and families often don’t know much about it.</p>
<p>There is no recent census data or systematic research on the use of American Sign Language. The best figure I’ve ever found was published in 2004, when the University of Iowa’s Department of Speech Pathology and Audiology estimated that <a href="https://www.gallaudet.edu/documents/Research-Support-and-International-Affairs/ASL_Users.pdf">between 250,000 and 500,000 people in the U.S.</a> – both deaf and hearing – used American Sign Language. </p>
<p>In my personal and professional experience, this group – the Deaf community – is made up of people who are well equipped to support the mental, emotional and social health of deaf and hard-of-hearing children and their families. They participate fully in society, <a href="https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/finding-a-job/hearing-impaired-jobs">holding a wide range of jobs</a> <a href="https://www.rit.edu/ntid/healthcare/">unhindered by the limits on their hearing</a>. And they have come to understand the role of deafness in their own identities and lives. The <a href="https://heartdeaf.com/">HeART of Deaf Culture</a> website offers a selection of creative works that present profound insight for Deaf identity affirmation. </p>
<p>Yet deaf children who are taught to speak <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007%2Fs00127-017-1351-7">often struggle with language delays</a> through childhood and into adulthood. Teaching them to sign, however, can help them fully express their thoughts, feelings and ideas, and <a href="https://clerccenter.gallaudet.edu/national-resources/info/info-to-go/deaf-culture/american-deaf-culture.html">find acceptance and connection with others with similar experiences</a>. I believe these children deserve to be taught to sign, to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007%2Fs00127-017-1351-7">celebrate their deaf identity</a>.</p>
<p>And many parents of deaf children want more help from the Deaf community than they are able to find. A 2018 survey found that <a href="https://handsandvoices.org/fl3/resources/needs-assessment.html">just 27% of hearing families</a> with a deaf child were connected with deaf adults to help support their child. </p>
<p>One parent told the surveyors: “<a href="https://handsandvoices.org/fl3/resources/docs/HV-FL3_NeedsAssessment_19Jul2018_Final-opt.pdf#page=29">I wish we could have a deaf mentor</a> or at least access to a program. I really would like to have a deaf person weekly in our home teaching us.” And 8% of parents of deaf children reported wanting access to instruction in American Sign Language.</p>
<p>But there are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/14643154.2019.1664795">not enough sign-fluent professionals</a> available to meet that need.</p>
<p>As parents make their decisions about how best to support their deaf and hard-of-hearing children, they will definitely encounter a large number of medical experts, speech therapists and other professionals who want to help their kids function in a world that places a lot of emphasis on hearing. But they should know there is another community available, too, standing ready to help their deaf and hard-of-hearing kids, with or without cochlear implants, gain deeper understanding of themselves and more fully develop their limitless human potential.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/182641/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Pamela Renee Conley does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Families with deaf children often seek a lot of advice and help, but too rarely find the robust Deaf community in the US full of people with experience and expertise.Pamela Renee Conley, Associate Professor of Liberal Studies, National Technical Institute for the Deaf, Rochester Institute of TechnologyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1802222022-03-30T18:15:10Z2022-03-30T18:15:10ZDespite its Oscar win, CODA is still a film that depicts deafness as a burden<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/455065/original/file-20220329-13-x0v2uk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=7%2C22%2C4913%2C2491&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Academy Award winning films about disability tend to focus on the needs, feelings and perspectives of a non-disabled person.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Apple TV+)</span></span></figcaption></figure><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" allowtransparency="" allow="clipboard-read; clipboard-write" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/despite-its-oscar-win--coda-is-still-a-film-that-depicts-deafness-as-a-burden" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>Thirty-five years ago, the film <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0090830/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0"><em>Children of a Lesser God</em></a> was released. The <a href="https://thehotpinkpen.com/2020/10/20/children-of-a-lesser-god-blazed-a-trail-for-representation-but-doesnt-hold-up-today/">disability representation was flawed</a>, showing a hearing audience that being deaf was tragic, but could be overcome through the charity of a hearing person. The film <a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/children_of_a_lesser_god">received strong reviews</a> and <a href="https://www.etonline.com/marlee-matlin-reflects-on-historic-oscar-win-35-years-after-children-of-a-lesser-god-exclusive">won a number of awards</a>.</p>
<p>Despite the glaring flaws in the film, it opened the doors for more disability representation. Perhaps more important than that, it showed filmmakers that the academy <a href="https://www.mamamia.com.au/disability-oscar/">loves a story about disability</a>.</p>
<p>This year is no different. With <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10366460/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1"><em>CODA’s</em></a> <a href="https://variety.com/2022/film/news/apple-best-picture-oscar-coda-1235213717/">win for best picture</a>, the academy continues to make no secret of its affinity for movies about disability. </p>
<p><em>CODA</em>, like any film about disability, has the potential <a href="https://tupress.temple.edu/book/3607">to advance how our society</a> talks about and <a href="http://people.tamu.edu/%7Edscott/340/U7%20Readings/6%20-%201985%20Longmore%20Screening%20Stereotypes.pdf">frames disability</a> through humanizing disabled characters and helping the audience understand the nature and experience of disability.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, the film focuses on the feelings and actions of the non-disabled protagonist, cementing itself as a movie for hearing audiences. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0pmfrE1YL4I?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">‘CODA’ official trailer.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>The academy and disability</h2>
<p>Films focused on <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/radio/day6/episode-379-populism-in-italy-s-elections-greenland-s-ice-melt-the-shape-of-water-ode-to-cds-and-more-1.4555633/what-the-shape-of-water-gets-wrong-about-disability-1.4555657">disabled characters</a>, despite their infrequency, consistently earn <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/2011/feb/28/the-kings-speech-oscars-picture">best picture nominations</a>.</p>
<p>In the past 20 years alone, we’ve seen best picture awards go to <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5580390/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0"><em>The Shape of Water</em></a> in 2018, <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1504320/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0"><em>The King’s Speech</em></a> in 2011 and <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0405159/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0"><em>Million Dollar Baby</em></a> in 2005.</p>
<p>However, it would seem that for the academy to accept a disabled story, the disabled people must either be:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>a real, successful figure (<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2980516/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0"><em>The Theory of Everything</em></a>);</p></li>
<li><p>inspirational for the non-disabled audience (<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0097937/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0"><em>My Left Foot</em></a>);</p></li>
<li><p>or explicitly portrayed as a burden for society or their family to righteously overcome (<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2674426/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0"><em>Me Before You</em></a>).</p></li>
</ul>
<p>Three 2019 films, <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4364194/"><em>The Peanut Butter Falcon</em></a>, <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0385887/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0"><em>Motherless Brooklyn</em></a> and <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4169146/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_2"><em>Give Me Liberty</em></a>, all highlight issues of disability <a href="https://www.jsonline.com/story/entertainment/movies/2020/02/08/spirit-awards-willem-dafoe-give-me-liberty-win-indies-oscars/4660429002">without falling into the stereotypical</a> representations the academy loves to reward. None of these films received Oscar nominations, <a href="https://www.goldenglobes.com/film/motherless-brooklyn">despite</a> being <a href="https://variety.com/2019/film/news/the-peanut-butter-falcon-for-sama-win-top-awards-at-nantucket-film-festival-1203251399/">recognized with other awards</a>. </p>
<h2>Deaf community critiques</h2>
<p>While film critics and audiences alike have <a href="https://mashable.com/article/coda-review-oscars">shouted their praise</a> for this year’s best picture win, <em>CODA</em>, they seem to be ignoring the voices of the Deaf community. </p>
<p>Some <a href="https://jennafischtrombea.com/2021/08/13/coda-review/">deaf viewers</a>, like American deaf activist and writer Jenna Fischtrom Beacom, say that, at its core, the film is yet another instance of praising non-disabled creators for their contribution to telling stories about disability.</p>
<p>Despite its <a href="https://www.today.com/health/deaf-community-responds-movie-coda-starring-marlee-matlin-t230260">strides for real deaf representation</a> — three of the leads are deaf actors — <em>CODA</em> still perpetuates the idea that for a story about disability to be noteworthy, it must put the needs and feelings of a non-disabled person at the centre. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Four people seen in a row applauding." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/455064/original/file-20220329-19-10z33bp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/455064/original/file-20220329-19-10z33bp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/455064/original/file-20220329-19-10z33bp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/455064/original/file-20220329-19-10z33bp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/455064/original/file-20220329-19-10z33bp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/455064/original/file-20220329-19-10z33bp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/455064/original/file-20220329-19-10z33bp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">‘CODA’ sees Ruby, a daughter, played by Emilia Jones, beginning to navigate life on her own terms.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Apple TV+)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Coming of age</h2>
<p><a href="https://variety.com/2021/film/features/coda-director-sian-heder-1235029643/">Written and directed by Sian Heder,</a> <em>CODA</em> focuses on Ruby (Emilia Jones), a 17-year-old high-school senior whose parents, Jackie (Marlee Matlin) and Frank (Troy Kotsur), are deaf, as is her older brother, Leo (Daniel Durant). </p>
<p>Ruby is a hearing person but fluent in American Sign Language, and her life revolves around the family business. She goes out on the boat each morning with Leo and their father, and, back on shore, negotiates the sale of their catch to a wholesaler who, they’re convinced, takes advantage of them as deaf people (and of Ruby as a child). </p>
<p>This family drama and comedy covers Ruby’s coming-of-age. She learns to navigate life on her terms and seek out experiences that speak to her own soul, even as she recognizes that her independent activities and her extended absence may threaten her family’s livelihood.</p>
<h2>Deaf representation</h2>
<p><em>CODA</em> is not without success. It’s refreshing to see disabled roles being filled by disabled actors. Matlin deserves praise for standing her ground and <a href="https://www.kveller.com/jewish-mom-marlee-matlin-makes-history-again-at-the-oscars/">insisting on deaf co-stars</a>. </p>
<p>Their performances are wonderful, and <a href="https://www.indiewire.com/2022/03/troy-kotsur-wins-best-supporting-actor-oscar-coda-1234709364/">Kotsur more than deserved his best supporting actor</a> win. It’s fantastic to finally have more deaf representation, and for it to get so much attention from the academy. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1508255251958218755"}"></div></p>
<p>Yet while this film is a massive improvement on the harm perpetuated by <em>Children of a Lesser God</em>, the ways deafness is presented as a burden to the hearing community perpetuates harmful assumptions about disability. </p>
<p>The family’s inability to understand Ruby’s desires is characterized as a natural result of their deafness. The film naturalizes false stereotypes: that being <a href="https://www.musicalvibrations.com/music-and-d-deaf-people/">deaf means that you can’t enjoy music</a> or understand anyone else’s enjoyment. </p>
<p>The film reinforces ableism further to try and explain the family dynamic in a scene where Ruby is asked by her mother, after removing her headphones at the family dinner table: “If I was blind, would you want to paint?” The film relies on known stereotypes of disability to create a hostile family environment that Ruby will understandably want to escape. </p>
<p>The focus on hearing perspectives, for a movie that is about deafness, takes away from the touching story the film is trying to tell. </p>
<h2>Deaf adult competency</h2>
<p>When Ruby’s departure is imminent, we see the family finally learn to engage with the hearing community. Given that Ruby is 17 in the movie — even if she’s been interpreting since she was able to speak and sign — she could not have been her family’s interpreter for longer than 12 years. Frank has been in this town, with this job, his whole life, so what did he do before Ruby could interpret for him? </p>
<p>The dependence on their hearing daughter is not only unbelievable, but it’s impossible. Even within the movie they are shown as being able to function without her when forced to do so. Repeatedly, deaf competence is minimized for plot purposes. </p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.dol.gov/general/topic/disability/ada">Americans with Disabilities Act was introduced in 1990</a>. Among other implications for deaf people, it meant that hospitals or courts had to ensure people who are deaf have access to interpreters. While it’s true that this act only provides bare minimum requirements for compliance and often <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/andrewpulrang/2021/07/31/31-years-later-31-things-about-the-americans-with-disabilities-act/?sh=52cbf70163d6">fails the disabled community</a>, the fact that the film seems to simply forego this requirement depoliticizes this issue for hearing audiences.</p>
<h2>Making sense of the world</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.encyclopedia.com/arts/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/reception-theory">People make sense of the world through film</a>. It’s tempting to say it’s just fiction, it’s just one family, what does it matter? </p>
<p>But all representation matters, because “<a href="https://jennafischtrombea.com/2021/08/13/coda-review/">hearing people are so much more likely to encounter fictional deaf people than real ones</a>.” What we see on screen and what we read on the page create an entire picture through which we make meaning. The more successful representation is, the more it will contribute to a hearing person’s conception of deafness and the Deaf community. </p>
<p><em>CODA</em>’s win has the potential to open doors for even more talented disabled writers, directors, actors, editors and cinematographers to tell their own stories, in their own ways, to an even wider audience. If the academy truly cares about representation, this won’t be the last time we see a disabled story win the Oscar for best picture.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/180222/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Billie Anderson does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>It’s refreshing to see disabled actors in disabled roles, but can’t the academy acknowledge films that highlight disability without falling into stereotypical representations?Billie Anderson, PhD student, Media Studies, Western UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1735662022-02-28T13:28:13Z2022-02-28T13:28:13ZIs it possible to listen to too much music each day?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/445798/original/file-20220210-47556-1cbnilb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=35%2C35%2C2959%2C1764&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Listening to music can be a joyful experience.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/nakesha-pope-of-bowie-dances-as-she-listens-to-music-during-news-photo/589997690">Sarah L. Voisin/The Washington Post via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><figure class="align-left ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/281719/original/file-20190628-76743-26slbc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/281719/original/file-20190628-76743-26slbc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=293&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/281719/original/file-20190628-76743-26slbc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=293&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/281719/original/file-20190628-76743-26slbc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=293&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/281719/original/file-20190628-76743-26slbc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=368&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/281719/original/file-20190628-76743-26slbc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=368&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/281719/original/file-20190628-76743-26slbc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=368&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption"></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/us/topics/curious-kids-us-74795">Curious Kids</a> is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, send it to <a href="mailto:curiouskidsus@theconversation.com">curiouskidsus@theconversation.com</a>.</em></p>
<hr>
<blockquote>
<p><strong>Is it possible to listen to too much music each day? – Emma, age 16, Springville, Utah</strong></p>
</blockquote>
<hr>
<p>I love listening to music.</p>
<p>I love music so much I decided to study it in college. I’m earning a <a href="https://www.songsmysisterlikes.com/">doctorate in music history</a>, for which I have researched everything from early 20th-century French music to 1960s funk.</p>
<p>I make and perform music as well. I have played drums in rock and pop bands and composed original music for jazz ensembles.</p>
<p>I always have my headphones on, too. I listen to music while taking a walk. <a href="https://www.okayplayer.com/music/j-dilla-lofi-hip-hop-influence.html">I listen to lo-fi hip-hop</a> while answering emails. I listen to Brazilian <a href="https://library.brown.edu/create/fivecenturiesofchange/chapters/chapter-6/bossa-nov/">bossa nova</a> music while I cook and clean. I listen to the jazz vocalist <a href="https://bostonreview.net/articles/the-sounds-of-struggle/">Abbey Lincoln</a> while driving around town or <a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/6TLQjuOF9aBRrEVLWBXhvW?si=068ea66c436f4fa3">upbeat electronic</a> music while taking long road trips.</p>
<p>I miss out on a lot around me by constantly listening to music, however. I might not hear the sound of birds outside my window or my cat’s mewling when she wants to be fed or to play. I might not hear the rustling of the wind or the chatter of my family enjoying one another’s company right outside my closed door.</p>
<p>Apart from causing you to miss out on all the sounds that surround you, generally speaking, <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/addicted-to-music#is-it-possible">listening to music does not harm your body</a>. It does not damage your liver, poison your lungs or fry your brain. It is not possible to listen to too much music. </p>
<h2>Watch the volume</h2>
<p>There are, however, exceptions. </p>
<p>For instance, you can damage your ears if you listen to music too loud for long periods. The World Health Organization estimates that around <a href="https://www.who.int/pbd/deafness/activities/MLS_Brochure_English_lowres_for_web.pdf">50% of teenagers and young adults</a> listen to music on personal audio devices at unsafe levels.</p>
<p>Fortunately, some smartphones have built-in features that measure <a href="https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/check-your-headphone-levels-iph0596a9152/ios">how much sound is coming from your headphones</a>. Such features measure the output of sound in a unit of measurement called decibels. </p>
<p><a href="https://soundear.com/decibel-scale/">Silence will produce no decibels at all</a>. A jet plane engine produces 120. Everyday conversations are around 60 decibels, while a balloon popping can be as powerful as 150.</p>
<p>The WHO has concluded that people can withstand <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/hearing_loss/public_health_scientific_info.html">85 decibels consecutively for eight hours</a> without damaging their hearing. To give an example, I average about five hours of headphone listening a day at 70 decibels.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/445706/original/file-20220210-27-151xxlt.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A screenshot of headphone audio levels" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/445706/original/file-20220210-27-151xxlt.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/445706/original/file-20220210-27-151xxlt.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=806&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/445706/original/file-20220210-27-151xxlt.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=806&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/445706/original/file-20220210-27-151xxlt.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=806&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/445706/original/file-20220210-27-151xxlt.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1013&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/445706/original/file-20220210-27-151xxlt.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1013&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/445706/original/file-20220210-27-151xxlt.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1013&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The author makes sure his headphone audio levels are safe.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Rami Toubia Stucky</span></span>
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</figure>
<h2>Take precautions</h2>
<p>Anyone who plays music regularly or attends concerts and nightclubs needs to take extra caution as well. Several rock stars from the 1970s and 1980s have spoken out for years about their experience with hearing loss and <a href="https://www.aarp.org/health/conditions-treatments/info-2018/musicians-hearing-loss.html">tinnitus, a condition that causes ringing in the ears</a>.</p>
<p>Their condition resulted from rehearsing and performing for long periods of time at loud volumes. <a href="https://decibelpro.app/blog/how-loud-is-a-rock-concert/">The average concert often exceeds 100 decibels</a>, and the WHO notes that such sound can begin to damage one’s ears after only 15 minutes. Standing closer to the amplifiers and musicians will make the decibel level increase. </p>
<p>Most musicians rehearse and perform for more than 15 minutes. And most concerts last at least an hour, if not much longer. The solution, then, is to take precautions.</p>
<p>Just the way airport workers who signal to pilots <a href="https://pksafety.com/blog/airport-worker-safety-equipment">wear specialized earmuffs</a> while they are on the tarmac to protect their hearing from damage caused by noisy jet planes, musicians and concertgoers can wear earplugs.</p>
<p>I carry mine – which can cut out up to 21 decibels of noise – everywhere, attached to my keychain. I put my earplugs in while rehearsing or attending shows, or whenever I need to relax in a noisy environment. Other people rarely notice.</p>
<p>“<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5363618/">Sound of Metal</a>,” a movie released in 2019, portrays a metal drummer’s experience with hearing loss. It is a sobering reminder of the importance of protecting your hearing.</p>
<p>But that doesn’t mean experiencing a lot of live or recorded music is bad for you. It is hard to listen to too much music, provided the volumes are reasonable. </p>
<hr>
<p><em>Hello, curious kids! Do you have a question you’d like an expert to answer? Ask an adult to send your question to <a href="mailto:curiouskidsus@theconversation.com">CuriousKidsUS@theconversation.com</a>. Please tell us your name, age and the city where you live.</em></p>
<p><em>And since curiosity has no age limit – adults, let us know what you’re wondering, too. We won’t be able to answer every question, but we will do our best.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/173566/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Rami Toubia Stucky does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>As long as you don’t tune out the world and protect your hearing, it’s hard to overdo it.Rami Toubia Stucky, Doctoral Candidate in Critical & Comparative Studies, University of VirginiaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1737622021-12-15T14:54:19Z2021-12-15T14:54:19ZRose Ayling-Ellis in the Strictly final: how the brain helps a person dance to music they can’t hear<p>This year’s series final of <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006m8dq">Strictly Come Dancing</a> will feature actor Rose Ayling-Ellis. Ayling-Ellis is the show’s <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2021/aug/12/rose-ayling-ellis-to-be-strictlys-first-deaf-contestant">first ever</a> contestant who is deaf. She has wowed Strictly viewers throughout the series and achieved excellent scores from the judges. But how is it possible that a person who is deaf can dance to music they can’t actually hear?</p>
<p>Deafness or hearing loss usually involves a problem with the ear. In the ear, tiny hair cells <a href="https://rnid.org.uk/information-and-support/ear-health/how-the-ear-works/">convert soundwaves</a> into electrical signals that travel to the brain. If these electrical signals are missing or reduced, the hearing parts of the brain will not be able to fully understand sound.</p>
<p>But the brain is an excellent problem solver. If sound is missing, it will use other sources of information to understand what’s happening around us. What a person sees, and vibrations felt through the body, can be particularly helpful sources of information for those who are deaf or hearing-impaired.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/are-some-brains-wired-for-dance-170913">Are some brains wired for dance?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>To learn how to dance, the brain views the actions of others moving to music and combines this with careful counting. Many people without hearing loss also do this when learning a dance – the steps are taught to beats or counts, which are then practised before being put to music. For someone with hearing loss, while the appreciation of the music differs, the learning through observation and counting is similar.</p>
<p>In addition, the tactile information provided through music is very helpful for people with hearing loss. Instead of listening to music, a person who is deaf may feel the music, literally sensing the vibrations through their body. </p>
<p>A process called <a href="https://www.jneurosci.org/content/32/28/9626.short">cross-modal neuroplasticity</a> also helps a person who is deaf to be able to dance to music. The brain is remarkably adaptable and will “repurpose” any brain areas that are not being used. So, if the hearing areas of the brain are not being used for responding to sound because a person is deaf, these parts of the brain may instead respond to other things, such as visual or tactile information. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1467211502583222279"}"></div></p>
<p>Technologies like sensory substitution devices can further assist people with sensory loss. Sensory substitution is a technique where missing sensory information is converted into an alternative sense, to help people who are deaf <a href="https://www.wicab.com/brainport-vision-pro">or blind</a> better understand the world around them. </p>
<p>One example is <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00221-015-4346-1">a vibrating vest</a> that allows people who are deaf or have hearing loss to feel sound through their skin. The vest contains a microphone which picks up sound. The technology in the vest converts the sounds into vibrating patterns that the wearer can feel on their torso.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/strictly-come-dancing-research-shows-that-the-luck-of-the-draw-matters-in-talent-shows-122896">Strictly Come Dancing: research shows that the luck of the draw matters in talent shows</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>As the brain is so adaptable and “plastic”, after some training to understand which vibrating patterns match with which sounds, people with hearing loss can experience the auditory world in a new way. Although we haven’t seen Ayling-Ellis use this kind of technology on the show, similar devices <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-37174157">have been used</a> by dancers with hearing problems.</p>
<p>Ayling-Ellis is not the only well-known figure to highlight the remarkable capability of a brain struggling to hear. Composer <a href="https://journals.lww.com/otology-neurotology/Abstract/2020/10000/Beethoven__His_Hearing_Loss_and_His_Hearing_Aids.38.aspx">Ludwig van Beethoven</a> developed severe hearing loss in mid-life, and seemingly used vibrational information in music to help him continue to compose. </p>
<p>As his hearing deteriorated, he is reported to have favoured a piano constructed in such a way that the sounding board was connected to the outer frame, which conveyed powerful vibrations to Beethoven’s fingers and through the floor to his feet. These vibrations were further amplified through a metal resonator that Beethoven placed on his pianos. </p>
<p>These examples highlight the remarkable problem-solving capability of the human brain, and the flexibility with which the brain can approach and overcome sensory challenges. Ayling-Ellis is certainly inspiring the nation and showcasing brain plasticity before our very eyes.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/173762/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Helen Nuttall receives funding from Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kate Slade receives funding from Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council. </span></em></p>The brain uses visual information and vibrations to substitute the missing sense of hearing.Helen E Nuttall, Lecturer in Cognitive Neuroscience, Lancaster UniversityKate Slade, Research Associate in the Neuroscience of Speech and Action Laboratory, Lancaster UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1582132021-04-29T02:03:48Z2021-04-29T02:03:48Z‘We always come last’: Deaf people are vulnerable to disaster risk but excluded from preparedness<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/396217/original/file-20210421-15-1yw814g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=20%2C30%2C6689%2C4436&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Deaf people are highly vulnerable to disaster risk but tend to be excluded from programs aimed at boosting preparedness and resilience, our <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2212420921001229">research</a> has found.</p>
<p>Our study, published in the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2212420921001229">International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction</a>, examined the challenges the New South Wales Deaf community faces in accessing the support they need to effectively respond to disaster risk.</p>
<p>Our research showed Deaf people are vulnerable to disasters for various reasons, including:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>low disaster awareness and preparedness</p></li>
<li><p>poor knowledge of emergency services roles and responsibilities</p></li>
<li><p>dependency on family and friends for help. </p></li>
</ul>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/you-cant-talk-about-disaster-risk-reduction-without-talking-about-inequality-153189">You can't talk about disaster risk reduction without talking about inequality</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Why are Deaf people vulnerable and excluded?</h2>
<p>Via a mix of focus group discussions and interviews with 317 Deaf people, approximately 11.8% of the identified Deaf population in NSW, Deaf people shared their experiences of bushfires, floods, hailstorms and severe storms, tropical cyclones, and earthquakes. </p>
<p>Communication issues are the biggest barrier:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>Deaf people have limited access to disaster information in Auslan (Australian sign language), in plain English or in pictorial form</p></li>
<li><p>emergency messages are usually communicated via TV and radio, door-to-door messaging, loudspeaker alerts and social media which are either audio in form or too complicated for many Deaf people to understand</p></li>
<li><p>emergency personnel and emergency shelter staff can find it hard to communicate with Deaf people due to language barriers.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>Consequently, Deaf people are frequently unaware of evacuation shelter locations, unsure of whom and how to ask for help, and more likely to return to unsafe homes and conditions.</p>
<p>This marginalises them further and increases vulnerability. They also have difficulties in getting information on how to access recovery resources.</p>
<h2>Trust in emergency services was often low</h2>
<p>Good communication requires trust between everyone involved but Deaf peoples’ trust in the emergency services was low due to past bad experiences. </p>
<p>Deaf people reported that emergency services personnel were often uncomfortable communicating with them directly and lack the patience to use non-verbal communication methods. </p>
<p>Deaf people with disaster experience told us they had not received warnings prior to those disasters. This resulted in confusion, feelings of helplessness, panic, and a state of total unpreparedness. There was a sense that “we always come last”.</p>
<p>Consequently, Deaf people often rely on neighbours for assistance, but the help is not always there. One Deaf Central Coast resident <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2212420921001229">told</a> us:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>In Berowra [Sydney suburb], we had great neighbours because we created and exchanged a list with our names, emergency contacts, phone numbers, email addresses, etc. as a way to communicate [with] each other on evacuation plans, emergency warnings, where to go and when to come back…[in] future emergencies. That concept was lovely […] but here in Ourimbah [on the Central Coast] it is different […] Here, in Ourimbah, no one bothers to check or share any updates with us.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>High levels of isolation in rural areas left people without adequate support, with one person <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212420921001229">saying</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Contacting people who live far in the country is very difficult. It’s very sad. This is something that needs to be improved.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>But the root cause of their vulnerability does not stem from their disability as is often assumed. It comes from a <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212420921001229">mismatch of cultures</a> between the Deaf Community, the dominant English-speaking hearing world and institutional cultures found in the emergency services. </p>
<p>This creates misunderstandings on all sides and erodes trust.</p>
<h2>Understanding and engaging with Deaf culture is key</h2>
<p>Deaf people are a cultural and linguistic minority with an invisible disability. Being culturally d/Deaf is not determined by degrees of hearing loss – it’s about belonging to a distinctive cultural group. </p>
<p>Globally, there are about <a href="https://wfdeaf.org/our-work/">70 million</a> Deaf people, using approximately 300 sign languages. They are united together by various cultures, beliefs, experiences and practices. </p>
<p>Deaf community members often experience alienation and marginalisation from the dominant hearing population that misunderstands them. This divide excludes them from the everyday workings of society and increases their vulnerability to disasters. As one New England resident <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212420921001229">told</a> us:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Deaf people know how I feel, what my frustrations are and my feelings. Hearing people do not know or will never understand that.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Deaf people’s weariness and mistrust of hearing people, including emergency responders, is the result of exclusionary processes that begin in childhood. </p>
<p>Education and literacy levels are low because of inadequate Auslan support in schools, making disaster preparedness information written in technical English inaccessible. </p>
<p>Poor support leads to isolation at school, at home and in the workplace. Deaf people are therefore used to working in isolation, feel insecure in the hearing world and often turn to hearing people for help.</p>
<p>This dependency on hearing people is learned and reinforced as a survival technique. This can lead to a degree of passivity within the Deaf Community and mistrust in their own capabilities as leaders. </p>
<p>Disaster management processes don’t help either. In Australia special services are “added onto” mainstream disaster management to cater for those with “special needs” without fully understanding what those needs are.</p>
<p>This accidentally excludes Deaf people more. A lack of Deaf awareness among emergency services leaves them without the knowledge and skills needed to support Deaf people, entrenching the cultural divide. </p>
<h2>Change is underway but there’s much work to do</h2>
<p>There’s an urgent need for greater and sustained engagement and support with the Deaf community. The Deaf community also need to step forward into leadership roles.</p>
<p>Inclusive projects like the Deaf Society’s <a href="https://deafsociety.org.au/community_programs/page/get-ready-project">Get Ready</a> <a href="https://deafsociety.org.au/">Deaf Society of NSW</a> project (in which we were involved) are increasing the preparedness of NSW’s Deaf community by bridging the cultural divide between the Deaf Community and the emergency services.</p>
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<p>Its greatest achievements were the translation of the <a href="https://deafsociety.org.au/community_programs/page/get-ready-project">Australian Red Cross’ national RediPlan into a series of videos in Auslan and the training of Deaf Liaison Officers </a>(DLOs) who deliver Deaf Awareness training to emergency services and emergency preparedness workshops to Deaf people, and sharing disaster preparedness information with their community. One Disaster Liaison Officer <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212420921001229">told</a> us:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>One achievement from this was the change in perceptions. Deaf people realised they cannot play the ‘deaf card’ where they automatically assume someone will be there to help or save them. They need to understand that it is them that needs to be proactive in preparing themselves for natural disasters and hazards otherwise their [vulnerability to] risks will be high.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Thankfully, the inclusion of Auslan interpreters live on TV during emergency broadcasts is now mainstream helping to provide more consistent access to timely information. But this is still not enough. </p>
<p>Providing Auslan interpretation does not empower or equip Deaf community members with the skills they need to prepare, respond to and recover from disasters. </p>
<p>Mainstream Australia must do more to understand the deep-rooted cultural barriers to communication that disadvantage Deaf people. We urgently need sustained engagement and funding of initiatives that support Deaf people prepare for disasters and to lead within their own communities. </p>
<hr>
<p><em>Nick Craig and Julia Allen coauthored this article and contributed to the original research.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/158213/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Emma Calgaro receives funding from the Australian Research Council and Global Resilience Partnership.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Dale Dominey-Howes receives funding from the Australian Research Council, National Disaster Mitigation Program and Global Resilience Partnership. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Leyla Craig is interning with Fire and Rescue NSW as a Disability Inclusion intern. </span></em></p>Those with disaster experience said they hadn’t received proper warnings, which led to confusion, helplessness and panic. There was a sense that ‘we always come last’.Emma Calgaro, Research Associate, Sydney Policy Lab, University of SydneyDale Dominey-Howes, Professor of Hazards and Disaster Risk Sciences, University of SydneyLeyla Craig, PhD student, University of SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1505432020-12-02T19:08:08Z2020-12-02T19:08:08ZIn our own voices: 5 Australian books about living with disability<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/371928/original/file-20201130-17-h9ygr6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=25%2C18%2C4168%2C2829&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://image.shutterstock.com/image-photo/group-happy-women-disability-having-600w-376635907.jpg">Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Fiction and non-fiction works about disability and Deafness are often hampered by stereotypical representations. A disability is frequently presented as something to “overcome”, or used to characterise someone (ever notice all those evil characters portrayed as disfigured?). </p>
<p>These representations obscure the joys, frustrations and creativity of living with disability and Deafness. </p>
<p>Dutch author <a href="https://www.corinneduyvis.net/bio/">Corinne Duyvis</a> started the <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23ownvoices&src=hashtag_click">#OwnVoices</a> movement on Twitter because she was frustrated that calls for diversity within the publishing industry did not extend to diverse authors. Originating in discussions of young adult fiction, #OwnVoices aims to highlight books written by authors who share a marginalised identity with the protagonist. </p>
<p><a href="https://oxlifewriting.wordpress.com/what-is-life-writing/">Life writing</a> also provides firsthand accounts of disability and Deafness, showing what it is like to navigate a world designed for able-bodied people. In addition, these books help people with disability and Deafness learn more about their condition, and create community.</p>
<p>Australia has an established <a href="https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/12996363">literary tradition of writing about disability</a>. Here are five books by Australian disabled writers that reveal insights into their lives and conditions. </p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/creating-and-being-seen-new-projects-focus-on-the-rights-of-artists-with-disabilities-124270">Creating and being seen: new projects focus on the rights of artists with disabilities</a>
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<h2>1. Alan Marshall’s Hammers Over the Anvil (1975)</h2>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/371918/original/file-20201130-19-vvguvl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Hammers Over the Anvil book cover" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/371918/original/file-20201130-19-vvguvl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/371918/original/file-20201130-19-vvguvl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=906&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/371918/original/file-20201130-19-vvguvl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=906&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/371918/original/file-20201130-19-vvguvl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=906&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/371918/original/file-20201130-19-vvguvl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1138&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/371918/original/file-20201130-19-vvguvl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1138&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/371918/original/file-20201130-19-vvguvl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1138&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<p>Many readers will be familiar with Marshall’s <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1954212.I_Can_Jump_Puddles">I Can Jump Puddles</a> (1955), the first book in his series about growing up and living with polio in rural Australia. </p>
<p>Where that book is a cheerful and somewhat sanitised account of living with a disability, <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4564062-hammers-over-the-anvil">Hammers Over the Anvil</a> (1975), the fourth and final book in Marshall’s series, is more realistic. </p>
<p>Marshall’s publisher <a href="https://sydneyreviewofbooks.com/essay/alan-marshall-helen-keller/">refused to publish the book</a>, thinking it would tarnish his image. Despite — or perhaps because of — his brutal treatment, Marshall shows a keen sympathy for disenfranchised people and also for animals.</p>
<h2>2. Donna Williams’ Nobody Nowhere: The Extraordinary Autobiography of an Autistic Girl (1991)</h2>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/371917/original/file-20201130-13-18odlpo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Nobody Nowhere book cover" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/371917/original/file-20201130-13-18odlpo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/371917/original/file-20201130-13-18odlpo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=928&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/371917/original/file-20201130-13-18odlpo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=928&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/371917/original/file-20201130-13-18odlpo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=928&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/371917/original/file-20201130-13-18odlpo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1167&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/371917/original/file-20201130-13-18odlpo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1167&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/371917/original/file-20201130-13-18odlpo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1167&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<p>Donna Williams was not diagnosed with autism until she was an adult; prior to that she was thought to be deaf and psychotic. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/240236.Nobody_Nowhere?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=xY2Rlc5GSc&rank=1">Her story</a> begins at age three and is thick with sensory details, which both delight and overwhelm Williams. She recounts interactions with hostile people — including her own mother, who wanted to admit Williams to an institution. </p>
<p>This book was the first full-length, published account by a person with autism in Australia. It became an international bestseller, spending 15 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, and was translated into 20 languages.</p>
<h2>3. Gayle Kennedy’s Me, Antman & Fleabag (2007)</h2>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/371921/original/file-20201130-19-8a76ax.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Me, Antman & Fleabag book cover" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/371921/original/file-20201130-19-8a76ax.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/371921/original/file-20201130-19-8a76ax.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=934&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/371921/original/file-20201130-19-8a76ax.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=934&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/371921/original/file-20201130-19-8a76ax.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=934&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/371921/original/file-20201130-19-8a76ax.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1174&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/371921/original/file-20201130-19-8a76ax.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1174&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/371921/original/file-20201130-19-8a76ax.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1174&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<p>In <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6271288-me-antman-fleabag">this book</a>, Gayle Kennedy, of the Wongaibon people of south west New South Wales, uses a series of engaging vignettes to describe her life as a First Nations woman who had polio. </p>
<p>Kennedy was sent away for treatment. When she returned, her parents seemed like strangers; it took a while to readjust. Though the subject matter sounds heavy, this humorous and accessible work is rich with stories about the importance of family (including dogs!) and the impact of racism. </p>
<p>It is also an important book because it chronicles some of the experiences of First Nations people with disability. It won the David Unaipon award in 2006.</p>
<h2>4. Andy Jackson’s Music Our Bodies Can’t Hold (2017)</h2>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/371923/original/file-20201130-19-13ebaht.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Music Our Bodies Can’t Hold book cover" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/371923/original/file-20201130-19-13ebaht.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/371923/original/file-20201130-19-13ebaht.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=925&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/371923/original/file-20201130-19-13ebaht.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=925&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/371923/original/file-20201130-19-13ebaht.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=925&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/371923/original/file-20201130-19-13ebaht.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1163&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/371923/original/file-20201130-19-13ebaht.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1163&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/371923/original/file-20201130-19-13ebaht.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1163&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<p>Poet Andy Jackson, who has a condition called <a href="https://www.marfan.org/about/marfan">Marfan Syndrome</a> that affects the body’s connective tissue, began performing poetry to give himself more control over representations of his body. </p>
<p>His <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37925153-music-our-bodies-can-t-hold?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=8OXcrQ6JO5&rank=1">collection</a> consists of biographical poems of people with Marfan Syndrome, some of whom he interviewed, and historical figures who are <a href="https://hartfordhealthcare.org/services/heart-vascular/conditions/marfan-syndrome#:%7E:text=Abraham%20Lincoln%20is%20the%20most,bin%20Laden%20had%20Marfan%20syndrome.">thought to have had the condition</a>, including Abraham Lincoln, the ancient Egyptian pharaoh Akhenaten, Mary Queen of Scots, composer Sergei Rachmaninoff and blues guitarist Robert Johnson. </p>
<p>Poetry, with its focus on voice, is strongly connected to the way that bodies express themselves, often in unique ways. As Jackson writes at the end of his poem Jess: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>now look at this photo and tell me</p>
<p>you still want sameness.</p>
</blockquote>
<h2>5. Carly Findlay (ed), Growing Up Disabled in Australia (2021)</h2>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/372122/original/file-20201201-19-da4dsw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Growing up Disabled book cover" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/372122/original/file-20201201-19-da4dsw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/372122/original/file-20201201-19-da4dsw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=918&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/372122/original/file-20201201-19-da4dsw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=918&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/372122/original/file-20201201-19-da4dsw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=918&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/372122/original/file-20201201-19-da4dsw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1154&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/372122/original/file-20201201-19-da4dsw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1154&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/372122/original/file-20201201-19-da4dsw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1154&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<p>The final book on my list is one I haven’t read yet — but I cannot wait until I can. Edited by Carly Findley, who has <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ichthyosis">ichthyosis</a>, this collection to be <a href="https://www.blackincbooks.com.au/books/growing-disabled-australia">released early next year</a>, will highlight the range of childhoods experienced by people with disability in Australia. </p>
<p>We will be able to read about how young people manage ableism and the (sometimes) soreness of not fitting in, and interviews with prominent Australians such as Senator Jordon Steele-John and Paralympian Isis Holt. </p>
<p>I lost most of my hearing when I was four, and when I was growing up I didn’t read a single book that featured a character who was Deaf. Books like Growing Up Disabled will help young Deaf and disabled people recognise themselves in Australian literature.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-shadow-whose-prey-the-hunter-becomes-review-back-to-back-theatres-exciting-reframing-of-disability-124003">The Shadow Whose Prey the Hunter Becomes review: Back to Back Theatre's exciting reframing of disability</a>
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<p>In my own hybrid memoir, <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/46206962-hearing-maud?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=hqfHdjl3B2&rank=1">Hearing Maud</a>, I weave together my experiences of Deafness with those of Maud Praed, the Deaf daughter of 19th century expatriate <a href="http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/praed-rosa-caroline-8095">Australian novelist Rosa Praed</a>. </p>
<p>Maud and I were born 100 years apart, and although our lives went in radically different directions many of our circumstances are the same — especially the expectation that we conform to a hearing world. My disability is often invisible, and I wanted to explain the relentless and exhausting attention that is needed for me to function. Deafness is far more complex than simply not hearing.</p>
<p>There are thousands more examples of the ways authors can write about living with disability. The <a href="https://www.idpwd.com.au/">International Day of People with Disability</a> is a great time to start reading.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/on-screen-and-on-stage-disability-continues-to-be-depicted-in-outdated-cliched-ways-130577">On screen and on stage, disability continues to be depicted in outdated, cliched ways</a>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/150543/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jessica White does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Rather than presenting a disability as an obstacle, life writing can explore the joys, frustrations and creativity of living with disability or Deafness.Jessica White, UQ Amplify Associate Lecturer, The University of QueenslandLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1447522020-10-19T05:19:59Z2020-10-19T05:19:59ZCoronavirus stopped us doing life-changing surgery, so we invented a new form of PPE<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/361192/original/file-20201001-22-1agvqhv.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=24%2C0%2C4007%2C3017&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Douglas Hartley</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>When the coronavirus pandemic first hit the UK, thousands of surgical procedures were put on hold. For a surgeon like me who performs operations on deaf children to restore their hearing, this created a significant moral dilemma – I wanted to get back into surgery to provide this vital care, but I didn’t want to inadvertently catch or pass on COVID-19 in the process. </p>
<p>I regularly carry out cochlear implant surgery, a process in which a surgeon embeds an electronic device which stimulates the hearing nerve in the ear. The scientific evidence is clear that this surgery needs to be performed at the earliest opportunity so that these children can benefit from being able to hear at a vital stage <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Shani_Dettman/publication/6334682_Communication_Development_in_Children_Who_Receive_the_Cochlear_Implant_Younger_than_12_Months_Risks_versus_Benefits/links/5aab0a82a6fdccd3b9bbf57d/Communication-Development-in-Children-Who-Receive-the-Cochlear-Implant-Younger-than-12-Months-Risks-versus-Benefits.pdf">in their development</a>. </p>
<p>But performing the surgery as normal would have put both children and surgical teams in danger. We needed to come up with another way of doing things. Our team in Nottingham had to combine creativity and science to develop a novel and safe way to restart cochlear implant surgery in a matter of just a few weeks.</p>
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<p><strong><em>This article is part of Conversation Insights</em></strong>
<br><em>The Insights team generates <a href="https://theconversation.com/uk/topics/insights-series-71218">long-form journalism</a> derived from interdisciplinary research. The team is working with academics from different backgrounds who have been engaged in projects aimed at tackling societal and scientific challenges.</em></p>
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<h2>A grave risk</h2>
<p>Soon after the pandemic began, some of the earliest <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/lary.28672">reports</a>, notably those from China and Italy, suggested that healthcare workers were at significantly higher risk of contracting COVID-19 compared to the general public, and that treating ear, nose and throat (ENT) conditions was particularly risky.</p>
<p>I was deeply saddened when I was told that the one of the first healthcare workers in the UK to die of COVID-19 was <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-derbyshire-52084915">Amged El-Hawrani</a>, a 55-year-old ENT colleague from the university hospitals of Derby and Burton. El-Hawrani succumbed to this dreadful disease on March 28 in Leicester’s Glenfield hospital. Although I never had the pleasure of meeting him, his passing was a huge shock to us all. And his exposure to the virus during his care for his patients was a stark reminder of the brutality of this disease.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A picture of Amged El-Hawrani, smiling wearing medical scrubs." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/361110/original/file-20201001-18-k9xlz9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/361110/original/file-20201001-18-k9xlz9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=414&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/361110/original/file-20201001-18-k9xlz9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=414&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/361110/original/file-20201001-18-k9xlz9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=414&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/361110/original/file-20201001-18-k9xlz9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=521&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/361110/original/file-20201001-18-k9xlz9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=521&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/361110/original/file-20201001-18-k9xlz9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=521&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Amged El-Hawrani was one of the first health workers in the UK to lose his life to coronavirus.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.uhdb.nhs.uk/latest-news/tributes-paid-to-queens-hospital-consultant-who-contracted-coronavirus-8018/">University Hospitals of Derby and Burton/NHS</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Like other ENT departments across the world, our service at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust initially halted all elective procedures in March when the pandemic hit the UK, so we could concentrate our team’s efforts on the management of our sickest patients, including those conditions requiring emergency admission, and our cancer services.</p>
<p>Although this initial response proved effective, we were aware that we were not meeting the needs of other patients with time-critical, albeit not life-threatening, conditions. These patients included children who are born deaf and need cochlear implant surgery to restore their hearing as quickly as possible to maximise their chances of developing normal speech and language. Delaying cochlear implant surgery can mean these young people usually never recover <a href="http://www.teohent.net/docs/Language%202003.pdf">full speech and language skills</a>.</p>
<p>We know this because a lot of the critical studies that highlighted the importance of <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaotolaryngology/fullarticle/482696">early cochlear implantation</a> on speech and language development were performed locally in Nottingham, which is home to a large number of world-leading <a href="https://nottinghambrc.nihr.ac.uk/research/hearing">hearing researchers</a>. The first paediatric cochlear implant surgery in the UK was performed by the <a href="https://www.nuh.nhs.uk/naip/">Nottingham Auditory Implant Programme</a> (NAIP) which hosts one of the largest children’s cochlear implant services in the UK.</p>
<h2>A unique risk to ear surgeons</h2>
<p>As a cochlear implant surgeon for NAIP, and a research lead for the Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, I was devastated that we were not able to provide our deaf children with the care they needed. That said, I will admit that the idea of performing cochlear implant surgery at the start of the COVID-19 outbreak was unnerving.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A young child wears a cochlear implact while playing with toys, sitting across from an adult." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/361119/original/file-20201001-18-4rosuw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/361119/original/file-20201001-18-4rosuw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/361119/original/file-20201001-18-4rosuw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/361119/original/file-20201001-18-4rosuw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/361119/original/file-20201001-18-4rosuw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/361119/original/file-20201001-18-4rosuw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/361119/original/file-20201001-18-4rosuw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Cochlear implants can be life-changing for young children, but they need surgery within a specific window to have the best outcomes.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/boy-hearing-aids-cochlear-implants-playing-1674082801">mady70/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>ENT healthcare workers are particularly at risk of catching coronavirus during surgery because of the unique nature of the parts of the body we focus on. The nose of an infected person contains a <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/lio2.384">significant load</a> of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19. The nose is directly connected to the middle ear by a small channel called the eustachian tube, and other types of coronaviruses, including the one that causes the common cold, are commonly found in the <a href="https://cloudflare-ipfs.com/ipfs/bafykbzaced4xstofs4tc5q4irede6uzaz3qzcdvcb2eedxgfakzwdyjnxgohq/pdfs/1998%20Detection%20of%20Rhinovirus%2C%20Respiratory%20Syncytial%20Virus%2C%20and%20Coronavirus%20Infections%20in%20Acute%20Otitis%20Media%20by%20Reverse%20T.pdf">middle ear</a>. This means it is highly likely that SARS-CoV-2 also exists in the middle ear, though, no one has confirmed this <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0196070920302714?via%3Dihub">to date</a>. </p>
<p>The virus uses two proteins to enter human cells (ACE2 and TMPRSS2) that are found throughout the lining of the <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-020-0868-6">nose</a>. The same proteins are found in the eye, suggesting that eye transmission is very likely. We also know that animals express both these proteins in their <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.03.30.015644v1.full">ears</a>, again suggesting that SARS-CoV-2 is highly likely to be found there.</p>
<p>The virus is mainly transmitted via large <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7205645/pdf/main.pdf">droplets</a> that require relatively close contact with an infected person. It has also been suggested that it can be transmitted via <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7157964/pdf/UAST_A_1749229.pdf">aerosols</a>, much smaller particles that can spread over much longer distances. </p>
<p>Several medical procedures have been classed as “<a href="https://journalotohns.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40463-020-00425-6">aerosol generating</a>”, including cochlear implant surgery, which involves drilling into the bone behind the ear to access the middle ear. The high-speed drill we use during surgery can spread droplet and aerosol contamination throughout a confined theatre space. These droplets and aerosols will contain a mixture of water, bone, blood, tissue and, potentially, viable viruses.</p>
<h2>Fixing the problem</h2>
<p>At the beginning of the outbreak, while we knew we needed to restart cochlear implant surgery urgently, we were also extremely aware of the potential risks associated with performing this operation at the height of the pandemic. This problem concerned me greatly. However, I find that the best way to manage concern is though action, and it was at this time that I was very grateful that I work in a city which hosts one of the UK’s largest cochlear implant programmes.</p>
<p>In the matter of just a few days, following just a couple of brief emails, a few phone calls and the odd Zoom meeting, I managed to gather together a team of internationally recognised experts who were all interested in developing a model of cochlear implant surgery that we could follow during the pandemic.</p>
<p>My first port of call was Padraig Kitterick, head of hearing sciences at my university, who generously gave both his time and all the funds we needed to support this crucial work. Next, I contacted my esteemed surgical colleague, Gerry O’Donoghue, who pioneered cochlear implant surgery in the UK. As always Gerry was enthused to be involved. So much so that he also volunteered the expertise of his son, Kevin, who works with us as an anaesthetist in the Queens Medical Centre in Nottingham.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Five people stand in an operating theatre wearing medical scrubs." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/361154/original/file-20201001-20-hne7rd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/361154/original/file-20201001-20-hne7rd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/361154/original/file-20201001-20-hne7rd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/361154/original/file-20201001-20-hne7rd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/361154/original/file-20201001-20-hne7rd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/361154/original/file-20201001-20-hne7rd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/361154/original/file-20201001-20-hne7rd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Left to right: Dr Kevin O'Donoghue, Professor Doug Hartley, Professor Gerry O'Donoghue, Dr Padraig Kitterick and Dr Rachael Lawrence.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Douglas Hartley</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>I then asked my colleagues from the anatomy facility if I could borrow enough skulls on which we conducted experiments that would help us analyse the risk of spreading droplets while performing surgery. Without a moment’s hesitation, Susan Anderson and her colleague Dominik Siwek replied, yes, of course they would be delighted to help. Likewise, Richard Hague and his colleagues from the faculty of engineering provided us with essential 3D printing services to support our work.</p>
<p>Early one Saturday morning, along with Rachael Lawrence, an academic ENT surgeon in training, I collected the skulls from an otherwise deserted anatomy dissection room on one of the upper levels of the Queens Medical Centre. We carried them to one of the ENT theatres located at the other side of the hospital that had been generously provided by our theatre manager, Laura Mitchell.</p>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="A plate of cupcakes decorated with rainbows." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/360913/original/file-20200930-18-ecfv5f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/360913/original/file-20200930-18-ecfv5f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=800&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/360913/original/file-20200930-18-ecfv5f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=800&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/360913/original/file-20200930-18-ecfv5f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=800&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/360913/original/file-20200930-18-ecfv5f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1005&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/360913/original/file-20200930-18-ecfv5f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1005&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/360913/original/file-20200930-18-ecfv5f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1005&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Innovation fuel: cupcakes provided by the author’s daughter.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Douglas Hartley</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Once our team was gathered, we got to work, fuelled by delicious cakes that had been baked by my youngest daughter Alice, decorated with rainbows in support for the NHS.</p>
<p>Our first task was to properly visualise the extent of droplet spread during cochlear implant surgery. To do this, we decided to replace the fluid that we normally use to irrigate our high-speed drilling with a fluorescent dye.</p>
<p>By simulating a cochlear implant operation using this setup, we could see where the dye landed and understand whether we could continue carrying out surgery wearing standard personal protective equipment (PPE). </p>
<p>It soon became apparent from the distribution of luminous dye around the theatre that the contaminated droplets could spread more than two metres from the site of drilling in all directions. This not only includes the area that the surgeon works in, but also the nurses, the anaesthetist, and other theatre staff. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Flouescent dye covers part of an operating table and a skull against a black background." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/361155/original/file-20201001-24-1788fe2.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/361155/original/file-20201001-24-1788fe2.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/361155/original/file-20201001-24-1788fe2.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/361155/original/file-20201001-24-1788fe2.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/361155/original/file-20201001-24-1788fe2.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/361155/original/file-20201001-24-1788fe2.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/361155/original/file-20201001-24-1788fe2.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">How the fluorescent droplets spread from simulated cochlear implant drilling.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Douglas Hartley</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Even worse, we found that droplets easily migrated underneath our full-face visors, the standard recommended PPE for aerosol-generating procedures in the UK. The droplets landed very close to the eyes of the person wearing it. This suggested that a visor offered inadequate protection.</p>
<p>But we were not discouraged. Now we knew the extent of the problem, we were able to work around the clock for the next few weeks until we managed to develop and refine some rather unusual solutions.</p>
<h2>Testing PPE</h2>
<p>During our studies, we evaluated a variety of PPE options, along with several other infection control solutions. These included a full-face respirator and a combination of a half-face respirator and safety goggles, commonly known as “spoggles”. We had also read reports of teams, including one from <a href="https://bioengineering.stanford.edu/pneumask-reusable-full-face-snorkel-mask-ppe-project">Stanford University</a>, who had modified a full-face snorkel mask to be used as PPE, so we tried this too. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A surgeon in scrubs and a hairnet wears a respirator mask and looks down a microscope while simulating an operation on a skull." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/361187/original/file-20201001-20-hgs5zg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/361187/original/file-20201001-20-hgs5zg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/361187/original/file-20201001-20-hgs5zg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/361187/original/file-20201001-20-hgs5zg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/361187/original/file-20201001-20-hgs5zg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/361187/original/file-20201001-20-hgs5zg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/361187/original/file-20201001-20-hgs5zg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The full-face respirator approach.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Douglas Hartley</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>We used a systematic <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7132808/pdf/main.pdf">evidence-based approach</a> to evaluate the PPE for its usability and effectiveness. During simulated cochlear implant surgery, we evaluated each type of PPE across several parameters, including its effect on a surgeon’s ability to communicate, their field of vision, and their comfort.</p>
<p>Many of the PPE options we tried, not least the full-face respirator, were found to substantially restrict the surgeon’s vision during operating. That rendered them unsafe for performing this sort of surgery. Rather worryingly, we also found that the modified snorkel mask that had been described by various groups on the internet was associated with rebreathing of carbon dioxide, so this was not a viable long-term option for PPE.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A surgeon in scrubs and a hairnet wears a snorkel mask and looks down a microscope while simulating an operation on a skull." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/361188/original/file-20201001-18-1r7jl13.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/361188/original/file-20201001-18-1r7jl13.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/361188/original/file-20201001-18-1r7jl13.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/361188/original/file-20201001-18-1r7jl13.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/361188/original/file-20201001-18-1r7jl13.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/361188/original/file-20201001-18-1r7jl13.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/361188/original/file-20201001-18-1r7jl13.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The snorkel approach involved re-breathing carbon dioxide, which can be dangerous.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Douglas Hartley</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Instead, we found that the combination of “spoggles” and a half-face respirator mask had consistently superior performance across all aspects of clinical usability compared with all other options.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A surgeon in scrubs and a hairnet wears googles and a respirator mask and looks down a microscope while simulating an operation on a skull." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/361189/original/file-20201001-22-ce8mps.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/361189/original/file-20201001-22-ce8mps.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/361189/original/file-20201001-22-ce8mps.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/361189/original/file-20201001-22-ce8mps.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/361189/original/file-20201001-22-ce8mps.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/361189/original/file-20201001-22-ce8mps.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/361189/original/file-20201001-22-ce8mps.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The spoggles provided the winning solution.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Douglas Hartley</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>During our studies, we also worked with a surgical product manufacturer to develop a novel drape, basically a tent, that was designed to be suspended from a microscope covering the patient’s head and torso to provide a physical barrier between the site of drilling and the rest of the team.</p>
<p>We found that the operating tent significantly contained the droplets and prevented them from spreading around the theatre environment. We were the first – and are currently only – group in the world to develop an operating tent design that is marked for medical use. After completing our studies, we now had appropriate PPE and a protective operating tent to permit the safe re-starting of cochlear implant surgery during the pandemic.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A man in surgical srubs lies on an operating table underneath a transparent plastic tent." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/361191/original/file-20201001-14-nj7ji4.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/361191/original/file-20201001-14-nj7ji4.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/361191/original/file-20201001-14-nj7ji4.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/361191/original/file-20201001-14-nj7ji4.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/361191/original/file-20201001-14-nj7ji4.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/361191/original/file-20201001-14-nj7ji4.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/361191/original/file-20201001-14-nj7ji4.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Prof Gerry O'Donoghue models the new surgical tent.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Douglas Hartley</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>The new surgical normal</h2>
<p>Our recommendations were rapidly disseminated internationally via webinars and journal <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/lary.29014">publications</a> and quickly adopted as standard patient care by our hospital trust and, subsequently, embraced in other departments in the UK and across the world.</p>
<p>Locally, it was with huge relief that we recommenced cochlear implant surgery for profoundly deaf children after a few days of completing our studies: just a couple of months after this procedure was put on hold. Operating times were a little longer initially, and for the first few procedures we opted to have a backup surgeon available just in case the primary operating surgeon needed some help using this new setup.</p>
<p>Today, these new measures have become second nature to our theatre team, operating times are comparable to our pre-COVID surgeries, and lists are running as before with just one surgeon operating. Apart from a little discomfort associated with wearing the PPE for long periods of time, and the ongoing detrimental impact of the PPE on communication, we have all pretty much accepted the setup as our new normal. In fact, I would go so far as to say, it would feel a little naked to operate without these measures now.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Three people wearing surgical scrubs in an operating theatre." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/361194/original/file-20201001-16-ootyvb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/361194/original/file-20201001-16-ootyvb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/361194/original/file-20201001-16-ootyvb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/361194/original/file-20201001-16-ootyvb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/361194/original/file-20201001-16-ootyvb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/361194/original/file-20201001-16-ootyvb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/361194/original/file-20201001-16-ootyvb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">We have had to find new ways of communicating while wearing PPE.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Douglas Hartley</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The safe recommencement of cochlear implant surgery in Nottingham, and in other centres around the globe, has given many hundreds of deaf children worldwide the chance to hear. These children can grow up with the potential to develop comparable speech and language skills to their peers. Without this timely surgical intervention, life would have been very different for these children and their families.</p>
<h2>The value of speed and collaboration</h2>
<p>The coronavirus crisis has been a strange and scary time for everyone, and it has presented us all with many significant challenges in how we live and work. But it has also opened a number of doors for new opportunities and possibilities. </p>
<p>Before COVID-19, if you told me that I’d need to construct a tent in which to operate this year, while wearing spoggles and a respirator mask, I would not have believed you. That said, I’m sure that most people would not have predicted how much we have all had to rely on Zoom and other new digital media to facilitate our work and social interactions with others over the past few months.</p>
<p>The process involved to translate a novel idea from the laboratory bench all the way through to implementation at the patient’s bedside is normally a very complicated and lengthy one that can take years, and sometimes decades, to complete. So it has been heartening to witness the value of a team working to solve a problem at breakneck speed, without much need for the phrase: “I don’t think we can do that.” Necessity is truly the mother of invention and, with a bit of luck, some of this innovation spirit will live on beyond the pandemic.</p>
<h2>What next?</h2>
<p>It seems that COVID-19 is likely to be with us for the foreseeable future. So we have no plans to abandon our PPE and operating tent for cochlear implant surgery any time soon. In fact, there is a strong argument among the surgical community that these measures should always be used to protect the theatre team from potential contaminants, and the patient from exposure to infections in theatre, regardless of the current pandemic.</p>
<p>Other surgical specialities have also been very interested in the operating tent method as an infection prevention control measure, including those that commonly use an operating microscope, such as spinal surgery, ophthalmology and neurosurgery. In the future we may see a wider use of operating tents.</p>
<p>Certainly, our theatre teams face an ongoing problem from the negative impact of PPE on communication during surgery. It goes without saying that communication is critical for the safe functioning of an operating theatre, and this problem needs an urgent solution. That’s why our group and other centres around the world are continuing to work on the design, not only to aid communication, but also to facilitate easy access into the tent for the surgeon and theatre nurses, while keeping the contaminated droplets inside.</p>
<p>Although COVID-19 has presented significant challenges to recommencing cochlear implant surgery, through collaborative teamwork across a wide range of disciplines, we found solutions. As a team we have certainly learnt from this experience; lessons that I hope we will retain far beyond this pandemic.</p>
<hr>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/313478/original/file-20200204-41481-1n8vco4.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/313478/original/file-20200204-41481-1n8vco4.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=112&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/313478/original/file-20200204-41481-1n8vco4.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=112&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/313478/original/file-20200204-41481-1n8vco4.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=112&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/313478/original/file-20200204-41481-1n8vco4.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=140&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/313478/original/file-20200204-41481-1n8vco4.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=140&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/313478/original/file-20200204-41481-1n8vco4.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=140&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<p><em>For you: more from our <a href="https://theconversation.com/uk/topics/insights-series-71218?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=TCUKengagement&utm_content=InsightsUK">Insights series</a>:</em> </p>
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<li><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/scientists-around-the-world-are-already-fighting-the-next-pandemic-115246?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=TCUKengagement&utm_content=InsightsUK">Scientists around the world are already fighting the next pandemic</a></em><br></li>
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<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Douglas Hartley works for Nottingham University and Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust. He receives funding from the National Institute for Health Research, the Medical Research Council, Action on Hearing Loss, Cochlear UK, Advanced Bionics and Rinri Therapeutics. </span></em></p>Before COVID-19, if you told me that I’d need to construct a tent in which to operate this year, whilst wearing spoggles and a respirator mask, I would not have believed you.Douglas Hartley, Professor of Otology and Consultant ENT Surgeon, University of NottinghamLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1440362020-08-07T10:32:17Z2020-08-07T10:32:17ZLet me tell you how frustrating this pandemic has been for deaf people<p>It would be a brave person who tried to argue that the UK government, over the past several years, hadn’t shown a kind of systemic ableism in its attitudes towards and policies dealing with <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/un-disabled-rights-uk-government-denounced-criticised-united-nations-austerity-policies-a7923006.html">disabled people</a>.</p>
<p>This ableism is reflected in wider societal and media-based discourses in the UK. Over the past few months in particular, the government’s dealings with deaf citizens and the media coverage of deaf people and British Sign Language (BSL) during the coronavirus pandemic has again shown this entrenched ableism and caused immense frustration and anger.</p>
<p>Media exposure for deaf communities in lockdown was either patronising or missing altogether, compared to the celebratory tone taken to promote people such as Tom Moore’s <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-52732300">feat of endurance</a>, or Ed Jackson’s climbing the equivalent of <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-somerset-52416450">Everest on his stairs</a>. Instead, most coverage was either about how easy it would be to <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/articles/zbsrkxs">learn BSL as a hobby during lockdown</a>, or stories emphasising how <a href="https://www.standard.co.uk/news/health/coronavirus-lockdown-deaf-people-hit-harder-a4446811.html">isolated</a> some deaf people could become. </p>
<p>While isolation of deaf people, particularly children who live with people who cannot sign, is a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/jun/07/lockdown-and-the-impact-on-deaf-children">real problem</a>, many of these stories showed a lack of respect for or awareness of BSL as a natural language with associated cultures, communities and histories. This reduced BSL to no more than a a communication “tool” or a novelty to keep people entertained during lockdown.</p>
<p>It might also be said that the new face mask guidance shows the government’s low opinion of deaf people. The most recent guidance states that masks are not required if you are <a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-safer-travel-guidance-for-passengers#exemptions-face-coverings">“travelling with, or providing assistance to, someone who relies on lip reading to communicate”</a>, which suggests that the government thinks all deaf people leave their home with a carer who manages their communication for them. Better guidance would centre on the agency of deaf people and suggest ways to navigate these communicative environments ourselves, rather than relying on the kindness of strangers to communicate.</p>
<p>This also ignores the facts of the spread of disease. By removing masks and shouting so that deaf people can “hear” you, you’re increasing the likelihood of passing any infection you might have onto the deaf person you intend to “help”. Using BSL, gesture or even voice recognition apps on your mobile phone (something deaf people have been doing for years) is much safer and minimises the risk of infection.</p>
<p>Similarly, no deaf person with a social media account will have escaped being tagged in a story or post about “transparent masks” in the last few weeks. Of course, this ignores the fact that it <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/07/16/masks-are-barrier-against-virus-they-also-pose-major-hurdle-deaf-people/">is not us deaf people who need to wear see-through masks</a>, but rather hearing, non-signing people who we might have to lipread while out and about.</p>
<p>It’s striking that now, at the very point that all those hours people have presumably spent learning BSL in lockdown might finally come in useful, BSL is still considered a hobby not fit for use in the real world.</p>
<h2>Where were the interpreters?</h2>
<p>This patronising attitude to deaf people and BSL takes on a nastier tone in the refusal of the UK government to <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/disability-52323854">provide BSL interpreters for their daily coronavirus briefings</a>. All the devolved administrations provided their own BSL interpreters, who were in the room during briefings. The physical presence in the room meant that the interpreter would feature in all footage, whichever channel subsequently screened it. This ensured that information given in English (or in Welsh) was accessible for deaf people on whichever platform or channel they chose.</p>
<p>In England, however, the Westminster government delegated responsibility for providing BSL interpretation to the BBC, which only provided in-vision interpreters on the BBC News channel, and only at certain times. This meant that access was only in place for deaf people whose preferred language is BSL if they watched the briefing live, on that specific channel. Any footage used in later news bulletins would not be interpreted.</p>
<p>This lack of access sparked a campaign with the hashtag #whereistheinterpreter, started by deaf activist <a href="https://twitter.com/JerseySnail">Lynn Stewart-Taylor.</a> And that, in turn, culminated in <a href="https://www.disabilitynewsservice.com/coronavirus-bsl-users-launch-mass-legal-action-over-government-discrimination/">legal action</a> being taken against the government for discrimination against deaf people whose first or preferred language is BSL.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1246045400865349633"}"></div></p>
<p>BSL is a separate language from English, with its own grammar and structure. Many deaf people have been failed by the education system in the UK, resulting in a persistent <a href="https://www.ndcs.org.uk/about-us/news-and-media/latest-news/lost-generation-of-deaf-children-falling-a-grade-behind-at-gcse/">achievement gap between deaf and hearing pupils</a>, particularly in English. This can be traced back to at least the 1970s, when the first and so far only national test of deaf children’s outcomes was conducted by <a href="https://www.britishdeafnews.co.uk/conrad-at-100/">psychologist Reuben Conrad</a>. Subtitles therefore do not provide the necessary access to the more than <a href="https://bda.org.uk/help-resources/#:%7E:text=British%20Sign%20Language%20(BSL)%20is,they%20use%20BSL%20at%20home">87,000 deaf people whose first or preferred language is BSL</a>).</p>
<p>In these times of altered social norms, surely we should be rethinking our relationships with other cultures, communities and languages.</p>
<p>Everyone can benefit from thinking creatively about what they might learn from other language practices. When it comes to deaf communities, that’s particularly true while masks obscure what many hearing people take for granted, but which can be expressed equally, if differently, through BSL. Maybe it’s time to drop the ableist attitudes towards BSL and deaf people, and see what the rest of our society can learn from them.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/144036/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Dai O'Brien does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The absence of BSL interpreters at daily briefings and patronising mask guidance have made a grim time even worse for some citizens.Dai O'Brien, Senior Lecturer BSL and Deaf Studies, York St John UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1425412020-07-24T12:27:42Z2020-07-24T12:27:42ZThe ADA isn’t just about ramps – over 30 years, it has profoundly changed the deaf community<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/348196/original/file-20200717-29-v0d3if.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=85%2C49%2C2847%2C1881&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">A sign language interpreter signs as Secretary of State John Kerry testifies in 2013. </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/sign-language-interpreter-signs-for-the-hearing-impared-as-news-photo/451061777?adppopup=true">Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>The <a href="https://www.ada.gov/">Americans with Disabilities Act</a> is 30 years old. </p>
<p>For young people who have grown up with the ADA, the results of this landmark legislation are part of everyday life – sometimes in ways they may not even realize.</p>
<p>I was there at the beginning. As a young deaf man in 1990, I attended the Rose Garden ADA signing ceremony. I clearly recall the sun was shining brilliantly and the joy among leaders in the disability community who had long worked to bring about this civil rights legislation. </p>
<p>In the decades since, I have witnessed the ADA’s profound impact as <a href="https://muse.jhu.edu/book/31442">an educator of deaf and hard-of-hearing students</a> for this population and the U.S. as a whole.</p>
<h2>A decades-long journey</h2>
<p>Four senators who were major supporters of the ADA in the 1980s had personal connections to the issue. Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts had <a href="https://www.jfklibrary.org/learn/about-jfk/the-kennedy-family/rosemary-kennedy">an intellectually disabled sister</a>. Iowa’s <a href="https://qconline.com/news/iowa/frank-harkin-older-brother-to-sen-tom-harkin-dies/article_3a30e1fa-71c4-5441-824a-fe1022fa2c69.html">Tom Harkin had a brother who was deaf</a>. Bob Dole of Kansas <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2013/01/14/us/bob-dole---fast-facts/index.html">had been disabled in World War II</a>. Connecticut’s <a href="https://apnews.com/c9a989d731e91e97ee89d029e47e912e">Lowell Weicker had a son with Down syndrome</a>. A seminal moment at the passage of the ADA was Harkin’s <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BomPo6fPOOo&feature=emb_title">address to Congress</a> in sign language – the first time the body had been addressed this way.</p>
<p>The ADA prohibits discrimination against persons with disabilities in employment, state and local government services, businesses that are public accommodations or commercial facilities and in transportation. </p>
<p>In many ways, I feel the most important changes brought about by the legislation relate to making it easier for deaf people to communicate. In his book “<a href="http://gupress.gallaudet.edu/POOO.html">A Phone of Our Own: The Deaf Insurrection Against Ma Bell</a>,” historian Harry Lang described the long struggle in the deaf community to gain access to the telephone. The ADA provided a huge leap forward by requiring the establishment of <a href="https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/telecommunications-relay-service-trs">nationwide telecommunications relay services</a>. This system provided telephone access 24/7 to deaf citizens who previously had relied on volunteer services with limited hours. No longer would deaf individuals be excluded from employment opportunities requiring the use of the phone. And it enabled deaf people to participate in the mainstream of the American life by being free to call for pizza or to wish a loved one happy birthday. </p>
<h2>A more entertaining life</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.ada.gov/ada_title_III.htm">Title III of the ADA</a> required that public facilities, such as hospitals, bars, shopping centers and museums – but, importantly, not movie theaters – provide access to verbal information on televisions, films or slide shows. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2010/07/26/2010-18337/nondiscrimination-on-the-basis-of-disability-movie-captioning-and-video-description">Stiff opposition from the motion picture and cable industry</a> prevented the ADA from including a requirement for closed captioning in films and on cable television. However, as a concession, Congress did include a requirement for all federally funded public service announcements to be captioned.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/348197/original/file-20200717-21-wtbjgy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/348197/original/file-20200717-21-wtbjgy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/348197/original/file-20200717-21-wtbjgy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=420&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/348197/original/file-20200717-21-wtbjgy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=420&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/348197/original/file-20200717-21-wtbjgy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=420&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/348197/original/file-20200717-21-wtbjgy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=528&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/348197/original/file-20200717-21-wtbjgy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=528&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/348197/original/file-20200717-21-wtbjgy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=528&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">US Senator Tom Harkin of Iowa uses sign language to address the Democratic National Convention in 2000.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/senator-tom-harkin-of-iowa-uses-sign-language-whilst-news-photo/51562763?adppopup=true">Paul J. Richards/AFP via Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The historian Lang <a href="https://time.com/5797491/closed-captioning-captions-history/">examines the history of access to films and television through captioning</a>. He describes how the ADA was a milestone greatly affecting <a href="http://www.ncicap.org/about-us/history-of-closed-captioning/">efforts</a> to make educational and entertainment films accessible to deaf persons. </p>
<h2>Creating a ‘deaf middle class’</h2>
<p>ADA and <a href="https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/504faq.html">Section 504</a>, which guarantees accessibility and accommodations in public schools, provided educational opportunities for many deaf and hard-of-hearing students to attend college. This helped create, as educators and authors Carol Padden and Tom Humphries referred to it, a <a href="https://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog.php?isbn=9780674022522">deaf middle class</a> of community leaders and an ever-increasing number of deaf lawyers, doctors and PhDs.</p>
<p>While great strides have been made, people with disabilities still are <a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/40588265/people-with-disabilities-are-still-twice-as-likely-to-be-unemployed">twice as likely</a> to be unemployed as those without disabilities. The employment gap between deaf and hearing people in the United States is significant. Only <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/1095081/employment-unemployment-labor-force-rates-deaf-and-hearing-us/">53.3% of deaf people ages 25-64 were employed in 2017</a>, compared to 75.8% of hearing people <a href="https://www.nationaldeafcenter.org/news/employment-report-shows-strong-labor-market-passing-deaf-americans">an employment gap of 22.5 percent</a>. In round numbers, nearly 10 million Americans are <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16177267/">hard of hearing and close to 1 million are functionally deaf</a>.</p>
<p>Deaf college graduates fare much better. The college I lead, <a href="https://rit.edu">Rochester Institute of Technology</a>’s <a href="https://rit.edu/ntid">National Technical Institute for the Deaf</a>, puts a high emphasis on building relationships with employers. Historically, <a href="https://www.rit.edu/ntid/sites/rit.edu.ntid/files/aboutntid/annual_report_2019.pdf">95% of our graduates find employment</a>.</p>
<h2>New pandemic challenges</h2>
<p>As the world navigates the COVID-19 pandemic, new challenges are arising. Masks make communication difficult for those who rely on speechreading, endless Zoom meetings bring more fatigue for those who rely on visual communication, and access to health care and emergency information can be spotty. </p>
<p>But there are bright spots when one considers progress since passage of the ADA. Recognition of American Sign Language and the importance of ASL interpreters for access has grown tremendously over the past 30 years as deaf and hard-of-hearing citizens have sought greater inclusion in the mainsteam of American society. <a href="https://er.educause.edu/articles/2017/8/a-rising-tide-how-closed-captions-can-benefit-all-students">Captioning</a> is used by more than 60% of students with disabilities, and 50% of those with no reported disabilities. Prior to the current employment crisis, the <a href="https://www.bls.gov/ooh/media-and-communication/interpreters-and-translators.htm#tab-6">Bureau of Labor Statistics</a> predicted increased demand for sign language interpreters. <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/engineering/automatic-speech-recognition">Automatic speech recognition</a> apps allow for increased interaction between deaf and hearing colleagues, classmates and friends. These advancements benefit not only the students on my campus, but at other campuses with deaf populations such as Gallaudet University and California State University, Northridge.</p>
<p>[<em>Deep knowledge, daily.</em> <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/newsletters/the-daily-3?utm_source=TCUS&utm_medium=inline-link&utm_campaign=newsletter-text&utm_content=deepknowledge">Sign up for The Conversation’s newsletter</a>.]</p>
<p>The ADA proclaimed accessibility as a civil right. Just as ADA-sanctioned accommodations such as sidewalk ramps originally designed to benefit those with mobility issues was a positive for families with strollers and bicycles, closed captioning designed as a service for deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals now is ubiquitous on televisions, computers and smart phones in hearing households as well.</p>
<p>The deaf community has historically been able to work around challenges and find solutions to communication barriers. This time in our history is no different. Innovative thinkers continually find ways to advocate, modify and make current and emerging technologies work for everyone.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/142541/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Gerard Buckley does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The 30th anniversary of the American with Disabilities Act offers a chance to celebrate the greater inclusion of disabled Americans in mainstream society, but much work remains to be done.Gerard Buckley, President of the National Technical Institute for the Deaf, Rochester Institute of TechnologyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1143402019-04-09T13:24:38Z2019-04-09T13:24:38ZWorkers in Tanzania’s noisy factories are at risk of hearing damage<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/268129/original/file-20190408-2905-qms01u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Manufacturing sites are high noise working areas.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source"> Israel Paul Nyarubeli</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Excessive exposure to noise can cause permanent hearing loss. It’s estimated that a <a href="https://www.who.int/health-topics/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/deafness-and-hearing-loss">third</a> of disabling hearing problems in the world are caused by excessive exposure to noise among adults who are older than 65. Some noise workplaces include mining, manufacturing, agriculture and construction sites.</p>
<p>The number of people with hearing loss in the world has <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/deafness-and-hearing-loss">increased</a> over the past two decades, from <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12689363">120 million</a> people in 1995 to 466 million in 2018. Estimates of hearing loss caused by working in noisy environments are <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4007124/">higher</a> in low- and middle-income countries including sub-Saharan Africa than high-income countries. This may be due to ongoing economic investments in industrialisation as well as inadequate public health policies, lack of industrial regulation and limited resources spent on preventive measures. </p>
<p>Despite <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28685503">efforts</a> such as engineering and administrative controls, and mandating the use of hearing protection devices at workplaces by governments and health and research organisations, this problem isn’t going away.</p>
<p>People who work in really noisy places such as construction sites, military sites, mines and factories are particularly at an increased risk of hearing damage or loss.</p>
<p>We conducted a <a href="https://academic.oup.com/annweh/article/62/9/1109/5064905">study</a> looking at workers in high noise environments in Tanzania. We wanted to determine if these workers knew the effect of working in noisy environments and if they had access to noise protection devices. We found that most of the workers didn’t have any protection against potential hearing loss and didn’t know that the negative effects of working in a noisy environment were irreversible. This sort of <a href="https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/177884/WHO_NMH_NVI_15.2_eng.pdf">damage</a> affects the inner part of the human ear and can’t be effectively treated with existing technology. </p>
<p>Hearing loss like this is preventable. Measures to control or reduce workplace noise exposure are critical to protect the health and safety of these workers. </p>
<h2>What we found</h2>
<p>We surveyed workers in large steel manufacturing factories in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. We asked if they knew that exposure to high noise levels might cause hearing problems. Only 45% of participants did. And only 33% understood that this damage was permanent. </p>
<p>We were shocked to find that workers in iron and steel factories were exposed to an average noise level of 92 decibels. This level is higher than the <a href="http://www.tbs.go.tz/index.php/standards/">national regulatory limit</a> for noise exposure at work, which is 85 decibels. This is similar to standing next to an operating jackhammer without hearing protection or standing next to a landing aircraft without protection for your ears. </p>
<p>Additionally, 86% of the factory workers we studied had never been provided with nor used hearing protection devices. This was unexpected in such large and well-organised factories.</p>
<p>We believe the situation is probably the same in factories in other low and middle income countries. It’s also likely to be worse in small and unorganised workplaces in many other countries in the world, among them places like <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19672017">India</a>.</p>
<h2>Tackling the problem</h2>
<p>Our research shows that many factory workers are exposed to hazardous noise levels and aren’t provided with hearing protection gear. </p>
<p>This situation calls for government and industry to promote and implement control measures in workplaces with high noise levels such as factories and construction sites. </p>
<p>Industry must provide workers with hearing protection devices. Government needs to ensure that operational safety guidelines are followed. And workers must learn about the dangers of noise exposure and received training on measure they can take to protect themselves. </p>
<p>This is important because deafness has biological, physical and psychological and economic <a href="https://www.who.int/health-topics/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/deafness-and-hearing-loss">effects</a> on individuals, families and societies. With the right protection and care, hearing loss in the workplace can be avoided.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/114340/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>This work is part of the PhD project ‘occupational noise exposure and hearing loss among factory workers in Tanzania’ led by Professors Bente E. Moen and Magne Bråtveit from Univesity of Bergen, Norway with close collaboration with Dr. Alexander M. Tungu (co supervisor) from Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS), Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The project was financially supported by the Norwegian State Educational Loan Fund (Lånekassen) and equipment provided by the Norwegian Programme for Capacity Development in Higher Education and Research for Development (NORHED). </span></em></p>Measures to control or reduce workplace noise exposure are critical to reducing hearing loss in workers.Israel Paul Nyarubeli, PhD candidate, University of BergenLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1097742019-01-21T22:15:27Z2019-01-21T22:15:27ZSign language needs policy protection in Ghana<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/254161/original/file-20190116-163283-apf71i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Andrew Foster with students from the boarding school for deaf children at Mampong-Akwapim, Ghana, about 1961.
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Courtesy of Gallaudet University Archives</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>In 1957, <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/march/6/newsid_2515000/2515459.stm">when Ghana gained independence from British colonial rule</a>, African-American educator <a href="https://www.gallaudet.edu/about/history-and-traditions/andrew-foster">Andrew Foster</a> established the first school for <a href="http://cad.ca/issues-positions/terminology/">the Deaf</a> in Ghana. </p>
<p>In so doing, Foster consolidated and echoed <a href="https://www.encyclopedia.com/people/history/african-history-biographies/kwame-nkrumah#C%20">Kwame’s Nkrumah’s</a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOEdJDdz690">independence day declaration of freedom for Ghanaians</a>. While Nkrumah championed African independence movements across the continent, Foster, <a href="https://www.gallaudet.edu/academic-catalog/about-gallaudet/history-of-gallaudet">a graduate of Gallaudet University in Washington</a>, is the man who modelled equal education opportunities in Ghana. </p>
<figure class="align-left ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/253985/original/file-20190115-152977-j9kg8l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/253985/original/file-20190115-152977-j9kg8l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=789&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/253985/original/file-20190115-152977-j9kg8l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=789&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/253985/original/file-20190115-152977-j9kg8l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=789&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/253985/original/file-20190115-152977-j9kg8l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=992&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/253985/original/file-20190115-152977-j9kg8l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=992&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/253985/original/file-20190115-152977-j9kg8l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=992&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Andrew Foster, centre, with his two most successful proteges: Seth Tetteh-Ocloo (left) from Ghana and Gabriel Adepoju (right), a Nigerian. Tetteh-Ocloo went on to lead the Ghana National Association for the Deaf.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Courtesy of Gallaudet University Archives</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Today, Ghana has about 16 schools for the Deaf. However, equal educational opportunities elude Deaf people in Ghana and students encounter <a href="http://gnadgh.org/">many challenges</a>. Chief among them is the fact that Ghana has no formalized sign language policy and therefore doesn’t systematically or adequately fund sign language services in schools for Deaf people. </p>
<p>Ghana urgently needs an official Ghanaian Sign Language (GSL) policy. Such a move has the potential to humanize Deaf education and alleviate the linguistic discrimination that Deaf students face. Furthermore, the work of GSL educators with Deaf students would finally find the support it needs and deserves.</p>
<h2>Multiple sign languages in Ghana</h2>
<p>People who take hearing for granted may not have considered the fact that sign languages <em>are languages</em> and require safeguards — just like spoken languages, for the sake of people and communities who rely on them.</p>
<p>As a doctoral researcher of language policy, I study how Ghana implements educational language policy for speakers of minority languages.</p>
<p>In my research with sign language professionals, I have discovered that just as a multitude of spoken languages exist in Ghana (<a href="https://www.ethnologue.com/country/GH">81 in total</a>), the Ghanaian Deaf community is also linguistically diverse. </p>
<p>Sign language researcher <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/sign-languages/sign-languages-in-west-africa/0A1F049657C4FD09671AB6A3F2014EBE">Victoria Nyst has identified four sign languages in Ghana</a>. Ghanaian Sign Language (GSL) is widely used in schools and is a spin-off from American Sign Language (ASL). But GSL incorporates some locally constructed signs.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/253970/original/file-20190115-152989-f0vxhk.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/253970/original/file-20190115-152989-f0vxhk.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=395&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/253970/original/file-20190115-152989-f0vxhk.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=395&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/253970/original/file-20190115-152989-f0vxhk.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=395&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/253970/original/file-20190115-152989-f0vxhk.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=496&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/253970/original/file-20190115-152989-f0vxhk.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=496&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/253970/original/file-20190115-152989-f0vxhk.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=496&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Sign languages in Ghana.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>GSL is estimated to be used by the majority of Deaf people in Ghana. But statistics about the Deaf in Ghana are not well documented. </p>
<p>The <a href="http://gnadgh.org/about-us/">Ghana National Association for the Deaf (GNAD)</a> says approximately 0.4 per cent out of Ghana’s population of almost 29 million is deaf, or 110,625 people; by contrast, the Ghana Statistical Service, reports <a href="http://www.statsghana.gov.gh/docfiles/2010phc/Mono/Disability%20in%20Ghana.pdf">211,712</a> as deaf. </p>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/su4102765">Research shows that sign language is often viewed as an aberration in Ghana</a>. The Deaf are often derogatorily referred to as <em>mumu</em>, meaning dumb. </p>
<p>In this way, a mainstream Ghanaian way of seeing equates deafness and sign languages to a defective way of being and speaking.</p>
<h2>No official sign language policy</h2>
<p>In Ghana, the <a href="http://www.ilo.org/dyn/natlex/natlex4.detail?p_lang=en&p_isn=86287&p_country=GHA&p_count=116">Persons with Disability Act, 2006 (Act 715)</a> enshrines the rights and treatment of Persons with Disability (PWDs). </p>
<p>Yet when compared with regional and global disability legislations, <a href="https://allafrica.com/stories/201804120647.html">Act 715 is seriously deficient</a> for many reasons — among them, the fact that this act provides no policy pertaining to GSL. </p>
<p>Researchers <a href="https://www.iiste.org/Journals/index.php/JLPG/article/view/21711/21903">have called for the Ghanaian government to strengthen local policy for PWDs</a> and to fully conform to provisions outlined in the <a href="http://www.un.org/disabilities/documents/convention/convoptprot-e.pdf">United Nations’ Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities</a> (UNCRPD). </p>
<p>Ghana ratified <a href="https://www.hrw.org/news/2012/08/22/ghana-disability-rights-convention-ratified">this convention in 2012</a>, but the country has yet to follow UNCRPD measures and protections to support sign language learning and promote the linguistic rights and identity of Deaf communities.</p>
<h2>Schooling challenges</h2>
<p>Due to inadequate interpretation and translation services in Ghanaian schools for the Deaf, <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/313539005_Access_to_English_Language_Acquisition_in_Ghana_Schools_for_the_Deaf_Are_the_Deaf_Students_Handicapped">Deaf students gradually forfeit schooling</a>.</p>
<p>Schools serving Deaf students in Ghana have developed in a provisional and stopgap fashion. Schools offer varied levels of academic instruction and vocational skills training, but Deaf students receive the same instruction and <a href="https://www.waecgh.org/EXAMS/BECE.aspx">national level assessments as their hearing counterparts</a> and it’s up to the teachers to make it work. </p>
<p>Thus educators in schools for students who are Deaf work in a context common for many minority languages — as language policy researcher Terrence Wiley names it, a <a href="https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/e/9781136697708/chapters/10.4324%2F9780203813119-11">“null policy” context, with language needs met with a significant absence of policy</a>. Educators develop de facto policies and strategies to address <a href="http://globaldisability.org/2016/04/28/ghana-disability-act">gaps</a> and promote their students’ academic, social and emotional welfare to lessen marginalization the students experience. </p>
<h2>Using GSL to resist ‘disciplinary power’</h2>
<p>Educators and the <a href="http://gnadgh.org/">Ghana National Association of the Deaf (GNAD)</a> are challenging stereotypes and <a href="https://millneckinternational.org/our-work/ghana-national-association-of-the-deaf-youth-section/">empowering Deaf students to participate in policy surrounding their welfare</a>. </p>
<p>For example, GNAD created a drama using GSL before the 2016 Ghanaian elections to promote awareness of civic rights. In the drama, Deaf people both taught the public about signing as a valid mode of communication and about how to vote. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/UPzY4MWKtdw?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Drama created for 2016 presidential and parliamentary elections by Ghana National Association of the Deaf.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The creation of <a href="https://ourtalkinghands.com/wp-content/uploads/GSL-Dictionary-Second-Edition-Sample.pdf">GSL dictionaries</a> for use offline and <a href="http://www.ayelefoundation.org/dictionary/">online</a> is another instance of unofficial language policy and planning. </p>
<p>The recent <a href="http://gnadgh.org/hope-college-introduces-ghanaian-sign-language-into-school-curriculum/">introduction of sign language into a mainstream school curriculum</a> is an unprecedented attempt by sign language educators to break communication barriers between Deaf and hearing people in Ghana.</p>
<p>But the fact that instruction in Ghana’s specialized schools for the <a href="https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1126501">Deaf is still based on curriculum for hearing schools</a> illustrates that Ghana’s language policy is still being used as what language policy researcher James Tollefson calls “<a href="http://www.tesl-ej.org/wordpress/issues/volume1/ej01/ej01r2/">a form of disciplinary power</a>.” </p>
<p>This is to say the institutional neglect of a language policy supporting the needs of Deaf people continues to serve as a means of differentiating the Deaf from the hearing.</p>
<p>Much more can and must be done to recognize GSL. The Ghanaian government must <a href="https://www.independentliving.org/standardrules/WFD_Answers/WFD.pdf">implement accessibility standards</a> to counter <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/ghana-deaf-live-isolation-180617180707102.html">the alienation Deaf students face</a>.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/109774/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Mama Adobea Nii Owoo does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Ghana urgently needs an official Ghanaian Sign Language (GSL) policy. Such a move has the potential to humanize education for people who are Deaf and alleviate the linguistic discrimination they face.Mama Adobea Nii Owoo, PhD Student, University of TorontoLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.