Blind and Visually Impaired Community
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how much do you rely on your ears? (self.Blind)
submitted by Time-Perception1199
I'm not blind myself, but I am deaf, and I wanted to know how much blind people actually rely on their ears. I would imagine for those with no sight at all, it would become their primary sense for navigating their surroundings, but I don't know/want to know about people who still have some sight, how much do you rely on your ears?
casserole_cat 3 points 1y ago
Well I’m legally blind and hard of hearing. So uh I rely on my ears to hear someone’s tone because I can’t see their facial expressions. But I’m hard of hearing so I don’t rely on it a lot I just pay attention more to what I do hear idk if that makes sense. I also use my vision as much as possible. I kinda just gotta use what I have to the best that I can. I do struggle a lot though because I can’t read lips so I miss a lot of what people say if they are talking at a regular sound level because it sounds like whispering to me. And forget understanding whispering which is how most students talk in class most of the time. And mask sorta muffles peoples voices something. I’m kinda just hoping nothing gets worse then it already is but it probably will because I’m already to this point and I’m only 16.
Time-Perception1199 [OP] 2 points 1y ago
I'm also struggling in school because of the masks, I was born deaf in 1 ear and can barely hear out of the other so the masks are the worst. Even with my hearing aids I couldn't hear at all, and recently had to get a CI because all the strain on my ears actually caused me to go fully deaf in my working ear, but adding blindness into the equation, I don't know how I would be able to deal with that.
casserole_cat 1 points 1y ago
I hope to get hearing aids eventually maybe because right now we don’t have insurance and they are so expensive. Like even just one in my worse ear I feel would help so much. And mask yea it’s like the hidden negative that only effects some of us. It is just so muffled and makes everyone sound so quiet. It’s made it so it’s worse then ever someone will be talking to me in class and I know they are talking to me but I honestly have no clue whatsoever what they are saying.
Also yea with being legally blind into the mix I’m only in my second week into my senior year and I’m already having to switch to a different program. Because they won’t give me a IEP and I’m just left on my own in the class to figure things out. Basically the program is I stay at home and have packets to do to complete courses (which would be classes) and do the work online and turn in. And can meet up with tutors at this library close to my house or do a zoom meeting if it’s something simple. I did the program last year but tried to go back to normal school this year because I miss social interaction. But already public school is failing me. They just don’t include me I have to just hope I sit next to someone nice that is willing to help me out but that’s usually not the case. Which sucks because I actually really love one of my classes this year and I can tell it would be fun.
Idk i guess my high school experience is just unique. There are like no hoh or deaf kids at my school and there was one blind kid but he graduated. So all the disabled kids have mental disabilities not physical disabilities. Expect for a few kids in wheelchairs. What is saying is that they don’t know what to do with me which sucks because I want to stay in regular school but I can’t and I want to go to prom and a graduation ceremony.
Also yea with being legally blind into the mix I’m only in my second week into my senior year and I’m already having to switch to a different program. Because they won’t give me a IEP and I’m just left on my own in the class to figure things out. Basically the program is I stay at home and have packets to do to complete courses (which would be classes) and do the work online and turn in. And can meet up with tutors at this library close to my house or do a zoom meeting if it’s something simple. I did the program last year but tried to go back to normal school this year because I miss social interaction. But already public school is failing me. They just don’t include me I have to just hope I sit next to someone nice that is willing to help me out but that’s usually not the case. Which sucks because I actually really love one of my classes this year and I can tell it would be fun.
Idk i guess my high school experience is just unique. There are like no hoh or deaf kids at my school and there was one blind kid but he graduated. So all the disabled kids have mental disabilities not physical disabilities. Expect for a few kids in wheelchairs. What is saying is that they don’t know what to do with me which sucks because I want to stay in regular school but I can’t and I want to go to prom and a graduation ceremony.
Time-Perception1199 [OP] 2 points 1y ago
It sucks that schools just can't cater to students with problems, even though I have a CI, i never learned to speak properly, so I just claim that I was born fully deaf and am mute because of it so I don't ask questions in class or ask for help because none of my teachers know ASL so if I need something I have to sign to the interpreter and have them ask for me, and its such a pain in the ass. I'm currently trying to get into this prestigious Catholic school in my area because they have a program exclusively for deaf people and my friend who swapped over last year has told me he's doing really well and loves it there. I got pretty lucky with the school I go to because there are a lot of other deaf and blind kids there. everyone in my friend group is deaf asides from me, 2 others who are also HoH but not as badly and 1 person who also known ASL for some reason. There is also a whole group of blind kids at my school who my girlfriend hangs out with so our groups are pretty intertwined because most of us share all our classes
ChangeAcrobatic4632 2 points 1y ago
I’m 18 but in the same boat is you. Legally blind and moderate-to-severely deaf. I’ve got hearing aids but that can only help so much. I’ve got Ushers syndrome so I know my eyes are only going to keep getting worse while I end up relying on my ears and attention to physical detail.
bradley22 2 points 1y ago
I can see light and outlines so I' say I rely on my ears about 99 percent of the time.
Laser_Lens_4 2 points 1y ago
Hearing is everything. I localize sounds, pick out voices, and echolocate with my ears.
macadamia_owl 1 points 1y ago
I was only visually impaired àt 15 but suddenly lost vision in left eye completely right eye due various diseases now has 200/1000 or under 2% (hand movement from few centimeters). Had standart O&M no formal "echolocation" training i myself got more sensitive to sounds (i didn't wanted to use white cane at first so i searched other ways to navigate)
When surroundings are too loud, overwhelming sounds i get disoriented, unsure, uneasy even with white cane. Sudden noise can make me flinch few steps in random direction (i know dangerous) but it's like someone unknown would touch me. If my cane is making diffrent sound than usual on the way (for me daily ways are like songs same "music" mostly or it's like riding with the same bus line then suddenly it rides bit differently) i can startle it's not only the surface but the echo sound my cane is doing and my walking too.
It's hard for me to walk and talk i have to concentrate on navigation and hearing the surroundings almost constantly if it's not my regular walking route or it's busy so many people even my family are disappointed when walking with me they're used to doing both at the same time.
I should really more on my cane i redid O&M but i hadn't good match with new instructor, first one was great that convinced me i should try using white cane.
The echo sound bounces back differently from different surfaces similar to basketball thrown hard: grass is soft bounce, sift wall is good softer bounce, open space (opened doors window big hole) no bounce or very slight, carpet and other textures very small bounce...Ok glass things (walls, doors) still are giving echo and if you throw a basketball... crash so my example failed so maybe small tennis balls?
When surroundings are too loud, overwhelming sounds i get disoriented, unsure, uneasy even with white cane. Sudden noise can make me flinch few steps in random direction (i know dangerous) but it's like someone unknown would touch me. If my cane is making diffrent sound than usual on the way (for me daily ways are like songs same "music" mostly or it's like riding with the same bus line then suddenly it rides bit differently) i can startle it's not only the surface but the echo sound my cane is doing and my walking too.
It's hard for me to walk and talk i have to concentrate on navigation and hearing the surroundings almost constantly if it's not my regular walking route or it's busy so many people even my family are disappointed when walking with me they're used to doing both at the same time.
I should really more on my cane i redid O&M but i hadn't good match with new instructor, first one was great that convinced me i should try using white cane.
The echo sound bounces back differently from different surfaces similar to basketball thrown hard: grass is soft bounce, sift wall is good softer bounce, open space (opened doors window big hole) no bounce or very slight, carpet and other textures very small bounce...Ok glass things (walls, doors) still are giving echo and if you throw a basketball... crash so my example failed so maybe small tennis balls?
TechnicalPragmatist 1 points 1y ago
I would say. A fair bit but I use proprioception and kinesthetics a lot. I am a hands on type of person. But I think hearing helps a lot with it as well. I sometimes put in a pair of headphones and I got some excellent excellent beats headphones. Unfortunately they are so good, when I put it on the world disappears. My coordination and proprioception is that much worse. It works but meh!!!!! I don’t strictly just use audio but audio with other things. My spacial awareness is that much worse when I am wearing the headphones haha! And at that point I have to rely on kinesthetics. I don’t like walking around with them much especially inside a house without my cane. But strictly audio. Probably a good 60 percent but I use other stuff too. My main operation mode isn’t hearing nor is audio my learning channel. I read my books fully in braille or else I don’t understand it. If you read me a book I will have to tell you huh? What? Can you repeat that? Read slower. What did that say? Can you repeat that page again? Again? Again? Yeah, auditory learning for me sucks! I wonder if it’s a slight processing issue. I also read very slow. I red about a chapter or two only a day 50 pages is plenty in a day for me. With reading and touching I also get to think about it.
SoapyRiley 1 points 1y ago
Hard of hearing over here too. “I just gotta use what I have to the best that I can” —pretty much sums it up.
I live in a busy part of town. Traffic constantly going by. I have no directional hearing so I literally can’t tell where the cars are or pick out a single car in the bunch. If my glaucoma keeps spreading, I’ll be screwed because I won’t even be able to see the lights. Right now I can see the lights and I navigate by that even when the rest of the picture doesn’t make sense (visual migraine).
I live in a busy part of town. Traffic constantly going by. I have no directional hearing so I literally can’t tell where the cars are or pick out a single car in the bunch. If my glaucoma keeps spreading, I’ll be screwed because I won’t even be able to see the lights. Right now I can see the lights and I navigate by that even when the rest of the picture doesn’t make sense (visual migraine).
team_nanatsujiya 1 points 1y ago
I have some remaining vision so I don't rely primarily on my hearing, but I definitely use it more than other people. For example, finding someone in a crowded place is absolutely the worst experience ever and I have turned down invitations that I wasn't super interested in attending because I would have had to find someone/a group at a crowded place. So if it's a small enough place, instead of looking, I'll listen for their voice instead. In fact, I usually identify someone by their voice rather than their face.
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