I am deaf , born hearing impaired . Seventy-five percent hearing in my left ear and forty-five percent hearing in my right . At the age of 7 , I was diagnosed with a bilateral sensorineural hearing loss . At this young age , mastering the art of lip reading was a challenge . My resound hearing aid is compatible with my right ear device - a hybrid cochlear implant . The hearing aid analyzes the vibrations traveled to my inner ear and amplifies the sound , while the cochlear implant ( CI ) streams the noise with clarity and helps decipher speech .
Deaf for me is defined as - without either device - pure silence . As a child , I was the girl who never wanted to be considered deaf . I overcompensated in school to ensure I was not considered different . Academically , I excelled by choosing to sit in the front of the class and looking directly at my teachers while they instructed . During lunch and
JIM DAY
Speech-Language Pathologist
social settings , I listened intently , determined to be “ normal ”. When I was issued my first pair of hearing aids , Sara Harnack , audiologist of AEA ; and Jim Day , speech pathologist introduced me to various children programs that helped cover the cost of my devices and dedicated one-on-one time with me . Day is a part of the team who helped to identify my disability . He remains a mentor and family friend . At home , my speech was relaxed and often difficult to understand . My mother - a spoken word artist - helped my speech and articulation by teaching me and my older sister , Gabrielle the art of poetry and spoken word . Just like the African griots , we were assigned to write and tell our stories using rhythm and rhyme . We were encouraged to
‘ I ’ m Strugglin ’ ...
Can You Hear What I ’
Redefining what it means to be deaf in
Kei-Che and SaʼMari review signing principles . Below , SaʼMari listens as Kei-Che helps with homework .
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THE SOULTOWN • CONNECTING OUR CULTURE TO OUR COMMUNITY THESOULTOWN . COM