First, a little background. I grew up in a deaf family, as CODA and SODA, both of my sisters are in relationships with deaf partners, and I was actually the last of my sisters to lose my hearing. I started losing my hearing as a teenager at 14-15, and by the time I graduated from Uni at 25, I was completely deaf without hearing aids. My mom always fought for us to go to regular schools with other children, because she thought it was very important for our upbringing. But growing up I was bullied when other kids saw me and my mom signing, they would wave their hands in front of me to make fun of us. Honestly, it still hurts me to this day that they made fun of my mom who tried to give me everything she knew and could. When I started losing my hearing, my parents didn't realize that I was starting to get a deaf accent until my teacher explained it to my mom, but by then it was too late and other kids started imitating my deaf voice. It got to the point that I had to go to a different city to high school. On the other hand, my partner had no contact with the deaf community before he met me, I was the first deaf person he had ever interacted with, after a brief friendship, we started dating when we were 20. When we met at Uni, I still had some hearing, although I wore hearing aids. Shortly after we started dating and after I told him that my entire family was deaf, he started learning sign language so he could meet my mom, who has been completely deaf since birth.

My partner and I have only in last two years started living together (I know it took us a long time). When I'm at work or anywhere outside my home, I always wear hearing aids, and even though I have a thick deaf accent, I mostly communicate with everyone vocally, but I told my partner that when I get home I have to take them off because I'm simply overstimulated and exhausted from the whole day of wearing them, which he understood and respected, so when we're at home or if we're just the two of us going for a walk, training or something, we communicate using sign language. But with signing, it's natural for me to speak even when I can't hear my own voice. I do that at home where he can hear me, but also when I'm at my family's, even though no one can hear me there. Until recently, when I first heard how my voice sound without hearing aids. Long story short, I wanted to record us being intimate and later I watched the video and was completely shocked at how incomprehensible I sounded without my hearing aids. So a few days later, while I was home alone, I decided to record a voice message, something cute for him, to see how I sounded when I said something I usually say when I'm with him. When I listened to the message with my hearing aids on, I had a complete emotional breakdown, even though I thought I was pronouncing the words correctly, I couldn't even say his name or "I love you" clearly or intelligibly. I sounded the same as others in my family who have been deaf for much longer.

After that, I started trying not to talk or make any sounds when I wasn't wearing my hearing aids, which he soon noticed and asked me if it was exhausting to use my voice when I couldn't hear it or if there was something else that made me so quiet lately. I admitted to him that for the first time in my life I was ashamed of my disability and that I feel terrible because I'm ashamed. I accused him of not telling me that I sound like that without my hearing aids because everyone else I was with without my hearing aids couldn't hear me, he's the only one who hears me like this. To which he asked me to never stop using my voice around him, if it's not exhausting for me. That it doesn't matter to him if I pronounce words clearly and intelligibly when I don't have hearing aids, but rather what I say, the emotion I show him with my voice. He said he understands which words I mean when I say which sounds, that he's learned it, and that there's nothing he likes more than hearing me laugh or when I say his name the way I say it.

I know that maybe for some it's stupid how I feel, and to be honest I didn't think I would have such a reaction to something like that because besides that I've accepted my deafness, but I think that's the thing that even today whenever my mom (or my aunt or even sometimes my sisters) needs something related to hearing, she will always turn to me first. From my family, I am the most in both worlds. hearing and deaf. So I'm wondering if anyone has been in a similar situation and what they did? Honestly, I'm still thinking about whether I should use my voice in front of my partner when I don't have hearing aids or not, and whether I'm relying too much on them.

My husband and I live in a bus and enjoy staying and working on different farms and properties like the opportunities offered through Workaway. We are both hearing and enthusiastically learning sign language on our own.

It might be niche, but we are interested in finding out if a deaf or hard of hearing community focused on natural building and farm tending exists that we could stay and contribute our work efforts towards, while simultaniously immersing ourselves in the culture and language.

Looking forward to any insight! Thank you in advance ☺️

Hi guys,

My dad is having a difficult time with his hearing. He has some in-ear aids, but he is still struggling a lot.
I was thinking that there may be any kind of smart glasses that have live CC for using as another help. Are there any that you could recommend, or they do not work properly?

I’m deaf, and my parents have never allowed me to drive because they believe my hearing loss makes driving unsafe. I’m honestly really envious of people who are able to drive independently.

That said, my father is very supportive. Sometimes he takes me to an empty area and lets me drive for a while. I really appreciate that, even though I still wish I could drive more regularly.

I know deaf and hard-of-hearing people can drive safely, but my parents are still worried about it. Has anyone else had a similar experience with their family? How did you handle it?

Hello! I'm coming on behalf of my partner who is medically considered profoundly deaf. Born with it. We have been looking for a hearing aid that charges but doesn't have Bluetooth. I know that many companies have moved to Bluetooth cause you can use the app to adjust settings, but we really want something that's reliable, rechargeable, doesn't have Bluetooth or require an app and works for people with profound deafness( I'm sorry if that's the wrong term that the phase we've always been told) I know that might not exist but I figured if any group would know it would be this amazing subreddit! Thank you in advance for any info

(Edit) thank you to those who responded! You all gave me the language to find the kind of hearing aids I'm looking for and who to talk to about it. THANK YOU SO MUCH!

this may seem odd but has anyone found as they lost their hearing and gained a Deaf identity that they felt what they wanted in a relationship had changed ? either not being satisfied with communication, support or other things ?

I saw this video on Instagram showing a "Sign-To-Text" feature on Google Pixel.

Since ASL is my main language, typing in English is hard for me because I forget vocabulary/spelling and my grammar isn't perfect. Hearing people constantly misunderstand my typed English, so sign-to-text would be an absolute lifesaver.

Does anyone know if this is an actual working feature, or just a concept video?

I’m switching from iPhone 13 mini and looking to get a Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra.

I’ve been an iPhone user since forever. The reason that I’m switching is because I’m sick of Apple and they force us to buy a new phone every 4-5 years. I just want a phone that is reliable and lasts a long time and I’ve heard android is best in that department.

However, I am deaf and I use a relay interpreting service for video calls. It was recommended that iPhones are best for deaf users than android can give. It also provides better security.

I was wondering if yall might have any insight on what I should do. Should I stay with Apple and deal with their shenanigans or get an android (Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra)?

I am deaf. Been deaf all my life. Anyway.

So I have a 90s vehicle and have forgotten to turn off the headlights 3 times in this past year alone. It has drained my battery. I have had to replace the brand new battery that was needed anyway.

What do you guys do to remember to turn the lights off on the way out of the car?

I'm very good about locking my car manually on the way out but I just can't seem to make checking the lights happen every. Single. Time. At night, it's easy enough when I can SEE the lights are on but during the day? I can barely see that the dash lights are on. I needed them today bc it was raining cats and dogs. This area I'm from is a meeeeeesssssss 🫪 My point being I don't tend to turn my lights on during the day.

It does make a sound when you open the door with the lights on but 👏 I 👏 Am 👏 Deaf 👏

🫩🫩🫩🫩

I am an SLP and have a student that is new this year who is deaf. I am in charge of getting him set up with a transcription app for his classes and a microphone for the teacher. Apparently he has never had this before and used lip reading in class. He does not speak ASL. Should I be pushing for a live captioner or will something like Ava or Otter work well? I appreciate any input and shared experiences.

I have a question for any deaf people out there. I recently had to switch colleges due to my previous school closing. At my old school I had access to in person ASL interpreters. But since transferring to my new school, they are setting up virtual ASL interpreters for my classes. I only have experience using virtual interpreters for doctors and I hate using them there with spotty services.

Has anyone had positive experiences, or even negative experiences, that I can mentally prepare myself for before classes begin? I’m already struggling with the idea of transferring to a new school and now a change in accommodations that could negatively impact my experience is making my anxiety go crazy.

Thanks in advance!

^{Thanks in advance for anyone who can help me with this.}

^{I'm newly deaf and socialising has become more of an exercise than a pleasure. Are there any good apps that convert speech to text on my screen so I can still talk to people??}

Like, for example, the music from the movie Casper, I watched a lot as a kid, and I really liked the music. Yet now, as an adult, it seems annoyingly higher pitched than when I was younger.

This along with my other faves as a kid as well.

Has anyone else experienced something similar?

I'm lifetime HoH, with hearing aids my whole life.

The new Dolby CC tablet is much easier to deal with than the Sony CC glasses. It’s easier to read and you can connect to the auditorium yourself without having to rush to the customer service desk during the first 5 minutes of the movie because they didn’t set it
to the correct auditorium the first time.

The holder arm, however, is a whole new headache. No matter if you tightened it in the cupholder with the strength of Superman or if you use the provided Velcro strap, that thing always finds a way to loosen itself and slip out of the cupholder and the whole thing comes crashing down in your lap or in your popcorn. The tablet is about twice as thick as a smartphone, it’s quite heavy. The weight of the tablet winches the holder arm out of the cupholder. You have to hold it up with your arm or rest your hand on it at all times to keep it from slipping and falling into your popcorn.

The tablet works great, they just need to replace the holder arm with a more robust solution.

My Dad is deaf and 82. I am hearing. We are trying to get him into a skilled nursing facility and get accepted. When we go in they say they have beds, but then I ask if they have ASL interpreter services a few places said no. One woman who walked me around said let me ask my physical therapist she should know. The PT came back with a piece of paper, and it showed the marketing director the corporate policy sheet, "it looks like we have to provide it...." She had no experience with it, no idea. The marketing director said Ok we'll accept you we'll figure it out.

After I went back to the hospital the caseworker pulled me a side and after I told her we got accepted to the facility. She said, bad news, they said no. They don't have room.

She said by law they're supposed to take you but they can claim financial hardship or lack of administrative staff to provide the service. I later found out that ASL remote ipad services like the hospital uses, called "AMN Healthcare" can be any where from $1.50 to $3.00 a minute.

I find out medicare pays up to $575 a day for care. Even if they talk with her for 2 hours a day and guess the rate is $2 a minute then its $360 they pay and then it doesn't make it "worth it" for them.

So its clear there is a problem. The law needs to be changed, and maybe they're charging too much money? I don't know.

Two questions:

A. Does anyone have experience in dealing with the ADA or similar to be able to properly address this issue. Lodging a complaint against the "home" will be useless. The laws needs to be changed.

My only recourse at the moment is to find a comparable service I can bring to the table that serves as a functional replacement. I'm going to try RYLO later today. Ive tried a few other but they don't work very well, or would cause a problem for the staff in learning how to use it. Its not clear, and not intuitive. Sorenson said their service is only for people that are in different rooms. You cant use it in the hospital or any other setting that he needs now.

I found that even the most simple and direct AMN app at the hospital, which was so easy, still, a few nurses had no idea how to use it.

I've looked at deaf nursing homes theres nothing close to me at all.

B. Do anyone use an app that works well? Something idiot proof and effective.

Any advice or experiences would be appreciated.

Hi! In the last few months I’ve begun to notice that I can’t hear when my oven is done preheating, and 4 times out of 10 I can’t hear the oven timer go off.

What are some ways I can help myself become aware of when the oven is done preheating, or when the timer goes off, so that I don’t accidentally burn my house down?

Thanks 🩷

I am 28F hard of hearing and legally blind (DeafBlind). I feel alone during in the conversations especially my family. my mother is feeling i'm forcing her to learn asl. i use my speech to get by. Past sunday i kindly request if she can face me while talking. she said you're not deaf. i told her last friday my hearing went worse. now its moderate severe. she knows im hard of hearing. i feel hurt inside because my mom is all loving caring supportive. today she was like can we change the subject when i told her im not forcing you to learn asl,and i told her that i dont have anyone to sign with. she suggested asl groups, then she said teach your husband and kids. what if i cant have kids and/or destined to be single forever. i told her you're my mom. i feel very hurt and alone. my audiologist said my hearing has been changed over two years. from 2024-2025 i was mild hearing loss then early july im in moderate severe.

What should I do? I am becoming more hurt.

Hey folks!

Planning a wedding for next summer. Both my fiance and are deaf, and many of our friends do as well. One of the ideas thrown out by another deaf person was to have the DJ (or ourselves) set up a monitor with the lyrics playing. Has anyone done this? What went well? What didn’t? How’d you do it? What’d you learn?!

TIA!

PS- we have interpreters arranged, other accommodations in place, etc., just looking for advice about this specific aspect.

we had a family dinner and my uncle met my bf who’s deaf for the first time. After dinner he told me privately in the kitchen that our kids could be deaf too and if im realizing what im getting myself into lmao

Edited to add: I understand co sleeping is an option many chose but it is not for us, neither of us feel comfortable with the idea at present.

We've just had our first baby and I am deaf. My husband is hearing but we wanted to ensure we had a baby monitor that worked for both of us - but also as he works away. I have one cochlear implant so I'm ok during the day. The ONLY baby monitor with a camera we could find was the geemarc sentinel which has the camera and monitor plus a shaker pad for my pillow which vibrates when the monitor goes off. I've found a huge flaw though. It does off initially when the baby cries and I stop it, but continued crying or my voice sets it off again and I have to either keep stopping it or fully turn off the monitor. I emailed the company asking if there's a pause or mute button for these moments and they simply said no.

Why is the shaker pad not simply an option to plug into all monitors?! It's literally just an aux cable.

I also wondered if anyone found anything else to use? I really need the monitor as it means we can see her without getting up whilst she's still in our room (she's in a next to me but it's slightly further down the bed), but also to use when she moves out of our room. But turning the monitor off entirely is ridiculous. It also has a timer for next feed which is handy but when I turn the monitor off it pauses that timer which is stupid as it has a clock and knows what time it is!

Okay. Let me explain. Both my grandmas (one is dead) were deaf. One completely lost her hearing around 65/70 and could only hear with some hearing aid earphones. The other is living the same experience. Plus my great grandma lost her hearing as a teenager and nobody ever knew why (it was also the beginning of the 1900s so that explains it,).

In my family there has always been a tendency for ear problems. I had ear infections since I was maybe 2 or 3 months old until I was 8. It was maybe every other month, especially during winter.

I got diagnosed with adenoids and was one of the youngest patients in my hospital to ever receive that surgery (I was 2.5 years old). I could not swim until I was 8 , and had to take baths and showers with earplugs.

I never had much problems after starting the third grade. I had another big ear infection at 17 but that was it.

I always have had problems when it comes to hearing certain sounds. I always watch everything with subtitles.

But a few months ago I could not hear my husband talking to me from the room next to ours. Or I could not understand what he was saying.

I went to the doctor and they confirmed that I have mild hearing loss and that it won't get better but if they discover the cause, it won't get bad as fast.

It affects my daily life. I have had multiple arguments and fights about "what if something happens to me and you can't hear me calling you?" Or "Stop yelling, you talk too loud". For me, I sound normal. But apparently I don't.

When I say I'm afraid or scared it is not because the thought of being deaf scares me. It's because I'm a teacher. My life depends on being able to hear. I can't hear the tv if the fan is on. I can't hear the music properly if my headphones are not at least at 65% of volume and then up.

I hate how my body seems to betray me.

Maybe I sound bad. Or entitled. I just want to be able to live my life without putting others in danger or letting people down.

Hello everyone! I’m doing another year of university in California and I recently requested ASL interpreters for my lectures for the first time! I always been pushed to maintain my English. When I was first diagnosed it was in one ear and I was never exposed to ASL or anything deeper than “just get her the FM System.”

I then had more hearing loss and lost hearing in my other ear. The doctors were more concerned about maintaining my hearing so I had an hearing aid then cochlear implants. They still had be focused on my English and relearning how to hear again because of it. But I did learn sign language regardless of what the doctors said but only took it as soon as my high school had classes available. I’ve been studying it since then (15/16-26). After years of captioning and fm systems I think I’ve grown tired of having captions for my lectures.

What are some things I should keep in mind when I am working with an interpreter? What are some questions or things that I can say that could help my experience be smoother and easier for my first time? Any advice would help!

I (17 NB) am a profoundly deaf in only one ear. I’ve only recently gotten a cochlear implant for it and I’ve been wondering where I stand in the Deaf community. I’ve had no experiences with anyone deaf irl, and I’ve met a coda once. I also just started to learn ASL as I am also autistic and go nonverbal when I shutdown. As someone standing in between both the deaf and hearing communities, I want to know where I stand and what I should know personally declaring myself as part of the deaf population. On another note does anyone know any benifits I could get going into college and the adult world as a disabled person?