“People are cruel when they know you are a little different and being deaf or hard of hearing is an invisible disability that is often overlooked,” said Fairland resident Belinda Mendes.
“If someone is in a wheelchair, for example, the public is often open to assisting that person. Being deaf is extremely frustrating when trying to get assistance from someone who doesn’t understand being unable to hear. I am often unable to understand what someone is saying.”
Mendes lost her hearing in 2007 while pregnant. She has a genetic condition, otosclerosis, which causes a hardening of the middle ear.
She does not need to speak sign language herself but is overjoyed at the ruling incorporating it as an official language. “This is an important moment to help those with hearing difficulties to feel seen and for more help, hopefully, to become available to them.”
She has fairly recently had a surgical titanium implant inserted into her right ear and has a hearing aid for her left which both help, but she still struggles. “I can hear very loud sounds but speech, not well at all. During the pandemic, it was absolute hell as people’s mouths were covered making lipreading impossible. It was a nightmare, an absolute nightmare.
“The surgery I had was only a few years ago because the technology was not available when I first lost my ability to hear.”
She described losing her job because of her lack of hearing. “Employers are generally not interested in assisting those with disabilities, especially ones that are invisible. Companies are unwilling to make accommodations for people who navigate the world differently.”
Mendes managed to start her own successful company which thankfully ‘has left me secure financially but many are not so privileged’.
“There is not enough awareness about deafness, and I worry about the youth. They listen to such loud music, especially with these powerful headphones which will damage their ears and possibly leave them with hearing problems later in life.”
Related Article:
Opinions of locals on the announcement of Sign Language being made official in the country
