Audiologists
I finally got into the university I applied to, and will start working on completing my degree in Public Administration this winter.
But as all we deaf know, when you get into a college or university, you have to provide an audiogram to prove that you are deaf so you can get accommodations. My audiogram was at least ten years old, so I went off to see an audiologist to get a new one.
The technology has definitely changed – it is far more high tech than what I remember. Instead of headphones, they had those ear inserts. Which is better, because there’s less chance a person will give a false signal due to misunderstanding between hearing it or feeling the vibration of the sound.
What struck me the most during the appointment was not the technological change, but how the audiologists dealt with me. Now, I’ve known this audiologist for a long time, but it had been so many years since I saw her, and this was the first appointment I had with her that I didn’t have an interpreter present. I didn’t have an interpreter because the appointment was a very last minute thing.
The audiologist was like, ‘Oh, we don’t have an interpreter? Shoot. We’ll have to write!’ I told her that we did, but since it was such a last minute appointment, not having an interpreter didn’t bother me. She turned me over to another audiologist who was going to give me the audiogram.
After the test was done, the first audiologist asked me about what I was doing now and I explained about being accepted at an university this winter. She then inquired, ‘You’ll have interpreters there, right?’
I told her that I was, and she was like, ‘Good!’ And that kinda took me aback. I hadn’t seen her for so long, and we’ve never really have had conversations like this. I’ve also known so many audiologists who look down at the deaf who use ASL, etc. But my audiologist wasn’t one of them. She was glad that I was going to have interpreters, because she knew I needed them, and that hearing aids and cochlear implants weren’t going to help.
With the audiologist that gave me the audiogram, we discussed my broken hearing aid (yes, I used to wear a hearing aid – but only to listen to music) she didn’t even try to convince me to get a digital hearing aid. She actually tried to convince me to fix the hearing aid. Then after I explained it was broken and over a decade old, she then said, ‘Ok. We can get you a very similar hearing aid then.’ No sales pitch or any form of spiel about how great this or that hearing aid was.
It’s nice to know that there are audiologists out there who are ethical, see the value of American Sign Language and aren’t looking to sell hearing aids/CIs to all of their clients!
9 Comments
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Will said,
November 10, 2007 at 1:27 am
I’m curious to know why most audiologists don’t know ASL? Why would they look down on it? Aren’t a lot of the people they see deaf or hard of hearing? It strikes me as odd?
Perhaps I’m just naive? I’ve only been learning ASL for about a year now…but it didn’t take me longer than one class to be able to hold simple conversation. I would expect at least that from a doctor who performs audiograms.
Anyway, I enjoyed your post. Keep blogging! Ciao.
Tom said,
November 10, 2007 at 3:35 am
Wow. She did not push you to get different hearing aids or CI? She must be good one. Again, wow.
gnarlydorkette said,
November 10, 2007 at 9:59 am
Will>
Deaf people who use ASL are not the only one that go to the audiologist. There are hearing tests often screened at middle school, or senior citizens who are losing their hearings, et cetera. Why should they learn a language of a minority?
If you believe audiologists should know ASL then it means all doctors in southwestern states oughta learn how to speak Spanish to work with their patients!!!
There are very few audiologists who have met Deaf/ASL-users. Most of them went through their careers not even knowing about ASL because they never have a patient going through.
So it will be a bit silly for audiologists to be required to know ASL unless this audiologist wants to have a bailiwick of working with Deaf ASL-users.
A Deaf Pundit said,
November 10, 2007 at 10:49 am
Will, a lot of audiologists think CIs or hearing aids are superior to ASL. They’ve been trained to view deafness as a medical disorder therefore, medicine is the answer to it.
And quite honestly, what you said indicates you have a very high aptitude for language, and most people don’t. Congrats on being able to have simple conversations in ASL after one class. Most can’t do that.
ocean1025 said,
November 10, 2007 at 12:00 pm
I’ve been fortunate that I have had good experiences with several of the audiologists I have used over the years… although I have known some not-so-great ones also. Over the past 25 years or so, I have actually had four audiologists who knew sign language well enough to carry on a decent conversation. I agree, this isn’t the norm.
While certainly the majority of audiologists are in the business of trying to “fix your hearing” I think there are those who truly do want to work on finding the best solution for the individual, and recognize that for some, that solution is in fact ASL and sign language interpreters. These folks are to be commended.
Glad you found one of those, Deaf Pundit. And congratulations on getting back into school!
Bill said,
November 10, 2007 at 7:39 pm
Will-I sure can’t hold a sign conversation at more than the level of a 2 year old, as I near the end of my first ASL segment. I hope I improve soon!
gnarlydorkette> I would think that a SW audioligist should learn Spanish. It probably depends on clients, but communication is the responsibility of two parties, imho.
DP>Glad you had a good Deaf experience in town. Our town is becoming a more open place, as far as I can see. I want a Diverse-City.
Barb DiGi said,
November 11, 2007 at 4:02 am
Well, audiologists work with whom? Obviously with a variety of DEAF people ranging from mild to severe hearing loss. Not all know ASL as we know it but what is wrong about the idea for them to at least to learn ASL or at least basic introduction to ASL?
The analogy for doctors from SW using Spanish to audiologists using ASL is interesting as they both should know their patient/client’s common language anyway. It is like when you volunteer in a Peace Corps to teach at a foreign area, you would make the effort to at least to know their language as much as possible.
JJ, good luck with your studies!
Shanna said,
November 17, 2007 at 7:27 pm
Wow, your audi sounds cool. mine…she’s okay…but she still keeps the hearing mentality. For example, I went in to the office a few weeks ago to get new earmolds for my hearing aids, and I wanted sparkly purple ones (I absolutely LOVE the color purple)
and she was like… “well…they’re going to be noticeable…you do realize that?” hehe…I was like, yeah, that’s kind of the point 
Also, we were talking about how the insurance companies don’t really cover anything hearing related, and why that is. We got on the topic of how it’s the same as driving without glasses….I was sort of taken aback. I told her…’but you don’t need to be able to hear to drive’. (I myself, don’t always wear my HA’s when driving, especially if i’m in the car with other Deaf friends and won’t have the music playing…we all sign, so why would i need to ‘hear’ anything?)
She was like… “oh, but it’s a hazard…how would you be able to hear a fire truck coming?” I simply answered, “i’d see the lights/see it coming”
*sigh* she just kind of nodded slowly. ah well. At least I didn’t have to listen to her sales pitch about these all-new, super-tiny hearing aids this time. personally, I want a behind the ear model that people can see…and i want them to be bright purple
savias has some gorgeous ones! 
Anyway, enough of my rambling.
Marianna said,
July 11, 2008 at 11:30 pm
Great article! You just gotta educate your audiologist. If you don’t tell them what is an appropriate reaction to a situation, then how will they learn?