JDA_Magazine_PaperTurn_Sept 2025 - Flipbook - Page 43
Sue Aarons writes:
I have had poor hearing
since my late 30s
but, after an accident
two years ago, I lost
most of the hearing
in my left ear and the
hearing in my right ear
deteriorated.
Speech is mu昀툀ed and music is now lost to me.
The notes all sound more or less identical.
I use hearing aids but still have di昀케culty in most
situations, especially when there is surrounding
noise, e.g. tra昀케c, other people talking or music.
The isolation is soul-destroying, making me avoid
company because I can’t participate as I used to.
I’ve been attending Gabbie's weekly Lipreading
classes at JDA for a year. They are not merely
lessons. The classes include time to share our
experiences and challenges. It’s extremely
helpful to discuss what seem to be di昀케culties
only I encounter — and then realise that
everyone in the group shares similar
di昀케culties.
Possible solutions are discussed, and it's
wonderful to know that when you enter JDA
every person there understands your issues
and is there to help.
Since attending the classes I’m now not
embarrassed to tell people I’m hard of hearing and
ask them to speak more slowly.
Gabbie makes the classes interesting and fun,
using a combination of de-voicing (speaking
without sound) and 昀椀nger spelling. Although the
process is very challenging, we are shown how to
‘hear’ people — using a combination of context,
facial expression, body language and of course lip
reading.
Gabbie is a wonderful teacher and always
empathetic and kind. The highlight of the lesson
for me is the joke she de-voices at the end!
Classes take place on Mondays
at JDA. There are still spaces in
the afternoon class from 2-4pm
starting in October.
To 昀椀nd out more, or observe a
class, please contact Gabrielle
Renée at JDA on 020 8446 0214 /
email gabrielle@jdeaf.org.uk
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