Being Able to Hear is Awesome

By Jill Beretta, work-study student, Office of EDID

I was born with a profound hearing loss. When I was two or three my parents realized I could not hear. One summer day we were at our neighbours’ home going for a splash in their pool. My dad was shouting to me as I was frolicking around the perimeter of their pool. When I wasn’t responding to him, our neighbour was alarmed. The neighbour (who, perhaps coincidentally has a deaf son) said that my parents should consider getting my hearing tested. This was years before newborn baby hearing screening existed in Ontario.

My parents are incredible and wasted no time setting me up with an audiologist and specialist ear doctor care. Before getting outfitted with my first pair of hearing aids, I had multiple ear surgeries to get tubes in my ears. I have fond memories of walking up the old concrete steps of Saint Joseph’s Hospital in London with my dad – he was my surgery buddy. After tube surgeries, I got my first pair of hearing aids.

My parents always helped me feel like I could do anything regardless of my hearing challenges. This was so empowering and a pivotal part of my journey. It set me up for success in my life. When you have a foundation for smashing barriers, it makes your goals in life feel like they are more attainable.

In school, I need to make sure I sit near the front so I can hear my teachers. When I was in elementary school I had fantastic hearing itinerant teachers – they were like little wizards with magical hearing dust they sprinkled all over the place. They set me up with hearing FM systems and made sure they were running smoothly.

In grade six I had issues with my ears so I couldn’t wear my hearing aids at one point. My teacher was amazing and let all the students write me little notes. When I was able to wear my hearing aids again, my teacher joked that my hearing aid molds looked like bubble gum in my ears because they were white and pink.

Fast forward to my university experience: King’s has been supportive of my hearing needs on campus. I had a professor at King’s ask if I was previously a student at Fanshawe College. I said yes! She told me she had a student when she was teaching at Fanshawe who had hearing challenges, and that this informed an important modification to her teaching style. She now stands at the front of the class when teaching. She told me that this is a pivotal part of her teaching philosophy; a document all professors are required to produce in their academic teaching career.

I am thankful for the support I have received on campus. Growing up, my family never made me feel “weird” or “different” for being deaf. I never learned sign language, but I think it would be cool to learn it eventually. Sometimes I don’t like wearing my hearing aids – after all these years they can feel weird inside my ear and hearing is still a strain for me.

Here are some great resources if you need assistance with your hearing journey:

Canadian Hearing Services - https://www.chs.ca/

King’s ACSD Office - https://www.kings.uwo.ca/current-students/student-affairs/acsd-student-supports/

Jill is a work-study student in the Office of EDID. She has a passion for helping people and fighting to remove barriers for those with disabilities.