Life After Deafness

Imagine going to bed hearing, and waking up deaf. You can’t hear the radio, TV, movies, music or the telephone. You can’t hear the voices of your family, friends or colleagues at work. Overnight, your life has drastically changed. How do you cope? How do you communicate? Where do you run for help, information and emotional support?

The Canadian Hard of Hearing Association (CHHA) is pleased to announce the publication of "Life After Deafness: A Resource Book for Late-Deafened Adults" by Bena Shuster.

One out of 10 Canadians experiences hearing loss. Among them, 300,000 are profoundly deaf. Three-quarters of people who are deaf fall under the category of "late-deafened adults." They are people who grew up hearing or hard of hearing and then suddenly or gradually experienced a profound loss of hearing.

The causes are varied -- heredity, illness, accidents, aging, noise, tumours or ototoxic drugs -- but the results are the same. The lives of these people have been immeasurably transformed.

Unlike those who were born deaf, late-deafened adults have had no preparation or role models for living and coping with deafness. Usually, they cannot speechread or use sign language. Their hearing doctors, families and friends are generally unfamiliar with the available technology and support organizations. Moreover, few rehabilitation programs and services exist for persons with acquired deafness.

As a result, many newly deafened people live in isolation and despair. They experience deafness as a loss of beloved and familiar things: the voices of their children, the beauty of music, intimacy and ease of communication. Acquired deafness intensely alters every aspect of a person’s life -- identity, self-esteem, confidence, work, relationships and social life. It can be the greatest trauma a person can experience.

This book was written to demonstrate that there is a "life after deafness." Author Bena Shuster is herself late-deafened and has devoted years to researching and collecting information about coping successfully with deafness. "Newly deafened people can survive if they receive the right kind of help and information," she says. "They need an introduction to assistive devices, new means of communication and coping skills. Most of all, they need to know that they are not alone and that with some adaptation they can continue to lead full, productive lives."

"Life After Deafness" contains over 600 listings related to health, education, employment, assistive devices, organizations and information services. There are comprehensive listings of Canadian, provincial and federal programs, and U.S. and international resources. Tips for everyday living cover travel, the family, social life and driving. This book will also be a valuable guide for health care workers and service providers.

King Jordan, the first president of Gallaudet University who is deaf, states, "Deaf people can do anything hearing people can do, except hear." True. You can use the phone, watch films and TV, work, study, travel, enjoy a social life and most of your favourite activities -- but you do them in a different way.

For further information, contact the Canadian Hard of Hearing Association (CHHA), 205-2435 Holly Lane, Ottawa, ON, K1V 7P2; phone/voice: (613) 526-1584; TTY: (613) 526-2692; Fax: (613) 526-4718; toll-free: 1-800-263-8068.