I first noticed my hearing loss in 1990, when I was 44 years old. I was staying the night at a friend’s house, and was irritated by the ticking of the alarm clock. However, when I rolled over in the bed, I couldn’t hear the clock at all. Around the same time, I attended a CNIB workshopand was blindfolded so I could get some idea of what it would be liketo be blind. Once the blindfold went on, I became not only blind, but extremely hard of hearing! I hadn’t realized how much I depended on visual clues to compensate for my hearing loss. Three years passed before I actually had my hearing checked.

Although the findings indicated I did indeed have a hearing loss in my right ear, I chose not to get a hearing aid. Over the years, I have learned some tricks to aid my hearing loss. I always try to walk and/ or sit so people are on my left side. Because my loss is mostly in the lower tones, I have the most difficulty hearing my husband. He also has a hearing loss, so we have some house rules. For example, don’t talk to me if you can’t see me, and call my name to get my attention before you talk to me. Also, because my hearing loss is only in one ear, and I have trouble locating where sound is coming from, tell me where you are! Crowds are difficult. When I am talking to a person in a noisy environment, I try to position myself so they talk into my good ear. Unfortunately, because people like to make eye contact, we end up turning in circles.

Because I don’t wear a hearing aid, I have to inform people of my hearing loss. I am always pleasantly surprised at how accommodating people are. Everyone always knows someone who is also hard of hearing. Actually, most people my age (63) seem to be hard of hearing!

One parent commented that she found it easier to discuss things with other parents who also had children with hearing loss that she could not or would not ask medical professionals. Another parent commented, “There are so many children – I thought mine was the only one.” It was the discovery of a new community that could figure importantly in the days to come.It was a scorching hot Sunday afternoon, so the air-conditionedrooms were crowded as nobody ventured out into the blazing parking lot. Parents were everywhere with their little ones; young mothers pushing strollers of wide-eyed babies and affectionate dads rocking their toddlers. A parent witnessed “two dads [who] were just talking so intensely.” Late in the afternoon, I espied one father tenderly watching over his sleeping son.

Overall, it was a fun, enjoyable day for the children with family sketches, nametags with colourful stickers, face painting — and lots and lots of food! Therewas so much food leftover that the cleanup crew wrapped up bundles of bread, cheese, and hams for some families to take home. Parents also deemed the day a success, a day of fun as well as a unique opportunity to connect with other parents of young children with hearing loss. One attendee summed up the whole day in a short statement: “You could tell everybody was just there to takein everything they could and to have fun.”