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You know how when you go to a large conference and someone in the back of the room asks a question, but you only hear the answer given by the speaker? This is frustrating and a way of life for people with hearing loss.

Teachers can help by getting in the habit of repeating or paraphrasing the question they are about to answer before they answer it - this way, your DHH student is getting full access to everyone's thoughts and questions!

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https://metro.co.uk/2021/03/05/hawkeye-deaf-young-people-on-impact-of-hearing-loss-representation-14191141/

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Following on from WandaVision, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and Loki, one of the most highly-anticipated upcoming releases from the MCU ( Marvel Cinematic Universe) is TV series Hawkeye, which is currently in production.

Starring Jeremy Renner as Clint Barton, aka Hawkeye, and Hailee Steinfeld as his new bow-and-arrow-wielding protégé Kate Bishop, the series will pick up after the events of Avengers: Endgame, introducing Alaqua Cox as Maya Lopez, a deaf superhero also known as Echo.

In December, pictures emerged from the Hawkeye set, with fans quickly spotting that Jeremy appeared to be wearing a hearing aid, although this hasn't officially been confirmed.

In the Marvel comic books, Hawkeye has been written in the past as having hearing loss and wearing hearing aids, but this has never been shown through Jeremy's incarnation of the character on screen.

While there are some fans who believe a deaf actor should have been cast as Hawkeye, there are others who have said that they are still excited to see the character potentially depicted as having hearing loss in the Marvel release, despite being played by a hearing actor.

The National Deaf Children's Society put Metro.co.uk in touch with six young deaf people, who shared their views on the portrayal of hearing loss in Hawkeye and the immeasurable impact deaf representation can have for TV viewers across the globe.

Holly Parker

Holly, a 19-year-old student living in London, grew up as a big fan of superheroes in films, TV shows and comic books, having been encouraged to read the comics by her dad - a passion that they share together.

While she was aware that Hawkeye was a deaf superhero in the comics, 'because he was never shown with hearing loss in the films, it didn't have the impact that it should have', she said.

'The character in the comics resonates with me, but when it comes to the films and the main portrayal of Hawkeye, the relation to the character or the excitability to know that the character has hearing loss isn't there,' Holly stated.

The student is brimming with excitement to 'finally watch a Marvel show with hearing loss representation' with the introduction of Echo, saying that she thinks 'it would make such a huge impact to watch something where I both love it, and feel like I am represented and so do belong in society in a weird way'.

'I also think that those deaf kids who are just starting to discover superheroes like I once did will feel the same and be able to take comfort in that some of their favourite characters have hearing loss,' she said.

'It's something I didn't have when I discovered superheroes and I truly believe it could make all the difference in making those kids feel happier with the challenges of hearing loss because it will then be portrayed in such a positive light.'

Holly added that she would have 'absolutely loved for Hawkeye to have initially been deaf in the Avengers films', saying that in her view, it would be best for a deaf actor to be cast in the role, as this would provide deaf children with a 'role model to look up to who represents them'.

Liam O'Dell

Liam is a 23-year-old mildly deaf journalist and campaigner from Bedfordshire, whose interest in the superhero genre has grown in recent years, with the release of films such as Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, Deadpool and TV show The Boys.

He previously wrote for Metro.co.uk about the 'fantastic' casting of deaf actor Lauren Ridloff as superhero Makkari in Marvel's The Eternals.

Liam admitted that he's 'always a little apprehensive whenever there's new representations of deafness in the TV and film industries, as while things are slowly improving, there are still some inaccurate and harmful portrayals which slip through the net from time to time'.

While he said that it's a 'relief' to see a deaf superhero, he is also fearful that it could 'tap into the whole "superhuman" perception of disability which is incredibly harmful'.

'It would have been incredible to have seen Hawkeye depicted as deaf in the recent Avengers films. While I have no doubt there will be a fair amount of people watching this new TV series, it doesn't quite compare to the audience which turned up to watch Infinity War and Endgame,' he stated.

'If all of those people were watching those films and seeing a deaf superhero, then the impact would have been immense.'

Liam also warned that when hearing actors play deaf characters, 'despite their best intentions', they can sometimes perpetuate 'harmful stereotypes'.

'I would absolutely love to see deaf people represented in more TV shows and films going forward. More importantly, I'd want to see portrayals which show the rich diversity of our deaf community,' Liam stated.

Holly SR

Holly, 17, from Nottinghamshire, has been a fan of superhero tales since she was around six to seven years old.

She said that while she felt happy to have representation for deaf people with the portrayal of Hawkeye in the comic books, when the Avengers film came out and Hawkeye wasn't shown to have hearing loss, 'it was horrible because finally young deaf people had someone to look up to and Marvel took that away'.

When discussing hearing loss representation in Hawkeye and the potential that the Avenger will be portrayed as deaf, Holly said: 'It's about time, but it would be nice if they replace Jeremy Renner with a deaf actor who can characterise Hawkeye in a way that hearing actors cannot.'

Adding that she would have 'definitely' like to have seen Clint depicted as being deaf in the Avengers films, Holly said that it makes her feel 'happy' thinking about the influence a deaf superhero in a Marvel Studios release will have on its young audience.

'It makes me happy because future young deaf people will be able to have a role model to look up to and not feel strange for not being able to hear,' she remarked.

'It shows that deaf people can save the world just like hearing people. Why shouldn't we be able to be told we can save the world too?'

Oliver Pritchard

Oliver, 24, who lives in West Sussex, is a huge superhero fan, having re-watched all of the Marvel movies in chronological order during the recent lockdowns.

Oliver said that he was aware of the superhero Echo when he was growing up, but felt 'disappointed' not to 'see much of the character during my upbringing'.

Saying that he's going to be like a 'little kid bursting with excitement' when Hawkeye comes out and Echo finally appears on his screen, he said: 'I was so happy to hear that the "hidden" disability is going to be shown on the Marvel TV show. I can relate to her in the sense of lip-reading and the difficulties she would face due to hearing loss.'

Oliver added that Hawkeye has always been his 'favourite character out of all the Marvel characters.

'I am a strong believer that when showing some kind of disability (such as hearing loss or blindness), I would prefer that the actor had the disability to really link between acting and real life,' he said.

'But then Jeremy is a great actor and it's a great character, so I believe he will be able to pull it off. Either way, I would be extremely happy if he shows signs that he's got hearing loss and I can relate to him.'

Miriam

Miriam, 14, lives in North Wales. While she doesn't think she's ever come across a deaf superhero before, she said that 'knowing that people are interested in representing someone like me makes me feel heard'.

Looking ahead to the depiction of hearing loss in Hawkeye, Miriam said: 'I'm so excited, I think after people watch this show they will be more deaf aware and not be so quick to judge seeing one of their favourite characters being deaf.'

She added that she believes it would be preferable for a deaf actor to play a deaf character, as 'having a person who's had that experience and knowing what it's like would make the acting more believable'.

Miriam said that in her view, it's 'important' for audiences to see deaf superheroes on TV 'because hearing people just assume that everyone can hear perfectly and having that representation is really important to make people think twice and be more deaf aware'.

'Normalising having a disability, not only deafness but other disabilities too, could make young people with disabilities feel more confident,' she said.

Daniel Jillings

Daniel, 14, from Lowestoft, has loved watching Marvel films his whole life, saying that he feels 'really happy' that 'there will be more representation of strong deaf people' in Hawkeye.

He expressed his hope that the titular character will be 'fully deaf' to 'show that deaf people are strong and just like hearing people'.

When it comes to whether or not a deaf actor should have been cast to play Hawkeye, if the superhero develops hearing loss in the upcoming series, Daniel said that his opinion will 'depend on how the character will be portrayed', such as if Hawkeye is shown using sign language.

Daniel added that the depiction of deaf people in the recently-released PlayStation game Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales is 'really positive', explaining that there is a character who uses sign language to communicate with Spider-Man.

'I know that originally, Hawkeye was deaf. The current films don't portray that,' he stated.

'I had played the new Spider-Man: Miles Morales on PS4 and the game contains a full deaf character (full sign user of ASL [American Sign Language]). She is not a superhero, but she is still a big part of the game.'
Hawkeye is due to be released on Disney Plus later this year. Got a story?
If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page - we'd love to hear from you.

MORE : WandaVision season 2: Will there be a second series on Disney Plus after finale?

MORE : Emily VanCamp returns as Sharon Carter in new The Falcon and The Winter Soldier trailer

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Deaf young people on what hearing loss representation in Hawkeye means to them

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Following on from WandaVision, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and Loki, one of the most highly-anticipated upcoming releases from the MCU ( Marvel Cinematic Universe) is TV series Hawkeye, which is currently in production.

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The terms you use to describe d/Deaf students matter!

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The deaf and hard of hearing community is diverse. There are variations in how a person becomes deaf or hard of hearing, level of hearing, age of onset, educational background, communication methods, and cultural identity. How people "label" or identify themselves is personal and may reflect identification with the deaf and hard of hearing community, the degree to which they can hear, or the relative age of onset. For example, some people identify themselves as "late-deafened," indicating that they became deaf later in life. Other people identify themselves as "deaf-blind," which usually indicates that they are deaf or hard of hearing and also have some degree of vision loss. Some people believe that the term "people with hearing loss" is inclusive and efficient. However, some people who were born deaf or hard of hearing do not think of themselves as having lost their hearing. Over the years, the most commonly accepted terms have come to be "deaf," "Deaf," and "hard of hearing."
"Deaf" and "deaf"
According to Carol Padden and Tom Humphries, in Deaf in America: Voices from a Culture (1988):

We use the lowercase deaf when referring to the audiological condition of not hearing, and the uppercase Deaf when referring to a particular group of deaf people who share a language - American Sign Language (ASL) - and a culture. The members of this group have inherited their sign language, use it as a primary means of communication among themselves, and hold a set of beliefs about themselves and their connection to the larger society. We distinguish them from, for example, those who find themselves losing their hearing because of illness, trauma or age; although these people share the condition of not hearing, they do not have access to the knowledge, beliefs, and practices that make up the culture of Deaf people.

Padden and Humphries comment, "this knowledge of Deaf people is not simply a camaraderie with others who have a similar physical condition, but is, like many other cultures in the traditional sense of the term, historically created and actively transmitted across generations." The authors also add that Deaf people "have found ways to define and express themselves through their rituals, tales, performances, and everyday social encounters. The richness of their sign language affords them the possibilities of insight, invention, and irony." The relationship Deaf people have with their sign language is a strong one, and "the mistaken belief that ASL is a set of simple gestures with no internal structure has led to the tragic misconception that the relationship of Deaf people to their sign language is a casual one that can be easily severed and replaced." (Padden & Humphries)
"Hard of Hearing"

"Hard-of-hearing" can denote a person with a mild-to-moderate hearing loss. Or it can denote a deaf person who doesn't have/want any cultural affiliation with the Deaf community. Or both. The HOH dilemma: in some ways hearing, in some ways deaf, in others, neither.

Can one be hard-of-hearing and ASL-Deaf? That's possible, too. Can one be hard-of-hearing and function as hearing? Of course. What about being hard-of-hearing and functioning as a member of both the hearing and Deaf communities? That's a delicate tightrope-balancing act, but it too is possible.

As for the political dimension: HOH people can be allies of the Deaf community. They can choose to join or to ignore it. They can participate in the social, cultural, political, and legal life of the community along with culturally-Deaf or live their lives completely within the parameters of the "Hearing world." But they may have a more difficult time establishing a satisfying cultural/social identity.

Deaf Life, "For Hearing People Only" (October 1997).

Individuals can choose an audiological or cultural perspective. It's all about choices, comfort level, mode of communication, and acceptance. Whatever the decision, the NAD welcomes all Deaf, deaf, hard of hearing, late-deafened, and deaf-blind Americans, and the advocacy work that the NAD does is available to and intended to benefit everyone.
Question - What is wrong with the use of these terms "deaf-mute," "deaf and dumb," or "hearing-impaired"?
Deaf and hard of hearing people have the right to choose what they wish to be called, either as a group or on an individual basis. Overwhelmingly, deaf and hard of hearing people prefer to be called "deaf" or "hard of hearing." Nearly all organizations of the deaf use the term "deaf and hard of hearing," and the NAD is no exception.

Yet there are many people who persist in using terms other than "deaf" and "hard of hearing." The alternative terms are often seen in print, heard on radio and television, and picked up in casual conversations all over. Let's take a look at the three most-used alternative terms.

Deaf and Dumb - A relic from the medieval English era, this is the granddaddy of all negative labels pinned on deaf and hard of hearing people. The Greek philosopher, Aristotle, pronounced us "deaf and dumb," because he felt that deaf people were incapable of being taught, of learning, and of reasoned thinking. To his way of thinking, if a person could not use his/her voice in the same way as hearing people, then there was no way that this person could develop cognitive abilities. (Source: Deaf Heritage, by Jack Gannon, 1980)

In later years, "dumb" came to mean "silent." This definition still persists, because that is how people see deaf people. The term is offensive to deaf and hard of hearing people for a number of reasons. One, deaf and hard of hearing people are by no means "silent" at all. They use sign language, lip-reading, vocalizations, and so on to communicate. Communication is not reserved for hearing people alone, and using one's voice is not the only way to communicate. Two, "dumb" also has a second meaning: stupid. Deaf and hard of hearing people have encountered plenty of people who subscribe to the philosophy that if you cannot use your voice well, you don't have much else "upstairs," and have nothing going for you. Obviously, this is incorrect, ill-informed, and false. Deaf and hard of hearing people have repeatedly proved that they have much to contribute to the society at large.

Deaf-Mute - Another offensive term from the 18th-19th century, "mute" also means silent and without voice. This label is technically inaccurate, since deaf and hard of hearing people generally have functioning vocal chords. The challenge lies with the fact that to successfully modulate your voice, you generally need to be able to hear your own voice. Again, because deaf and hard of hearing people use various methods of communication other than or in addition to using their voices, they are not truly mute. True communication occurs when one's message is understood by others, and they can respond in kind.

Hearing-impaired - This term is no longer accepted by most in the community but was at one time preferred, largely because it was viewed as politically correct. To declare oneself or another person as deaf or blind, for example, was considered somewhat bold, rude, or impolite. At that time, it was thought better to use the word "impaired" along with "visually," "hearing," "mobility," and so on. "Hearing-impaired" was a well-meaning term that is not accepted or used by many deaf and hard of hearing people.

For many people, the words "deaf" and "hard of hearing" are not negative. Instead, the term "hearing-impaired" is viewed as negative. The term focuses on what people can't do. It establishes the standard as "hearing" and anything different as "impaired," or substandard, hindered, or damaged. It implies that something is not as it should be and ought to be fixed if possible. To be fair, this is probably not what people intended to convey by the term "hearing impaired."

Every individual is unique, but there is one thing we all have in common: we all want to be treated with respect. To the best of our own unique abilities, we have families, friends, communities, and lives that are just as fulfilling as anyone else. We may be different, but we are not less.

What's in a name? Plenty! Words and labels can have a profound effect on people. Show your respect for people by refusing to use outdated or offensive terms. When in doubt, ask the individual how they identify themselves.

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The deaf and hard of hearing community is diverse. There are variations in how a person becomes deaf or hard of hearing, level of hearing, age of onset, educational background, communication methods, and cultural identity.

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HAT (Hearing Assistive Technology) BEST PRACTICES!

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HAT (Hearing Assistive Technology) BEST PRACTICES!

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Simple tips to make the transition to using HAT systems in your teaching!

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How do hearing aids work? & Troubleshooting!

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How do hearing aids work? & Troubleshooting!

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Very short video overview of basic hearing aid support!

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Hearing Aids - Boys Town National Research Hospital

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Your student will do best if they can see you clearly. If you move about the room a lot, keep this in mind when you help your DHH student choose their seat.

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Follow the sounds as it moves through the parts of the ear to the brain :)

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What does hearing loss SOUND like for your student?

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What does hearing loss SOUND like for your student?

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Hearing Loss Simulator - Find Out What Hearing Loss is Like

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The Starkey hearing loss simulator lets you experience sound as if you had a hearing loss. Gain an understanding of what it's like to have hearing problems.

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More hearing loss simulations - different types!

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More hearing loss simulations - different types!

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Better understand hearing loss & how it is impacted by different technology (cochlear implants, hearing aids, etc.)

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Supporting Success For Children With Hearing Loss |

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Listening with Hearing Loss Listening with FM Systems Listening with Cochlear Implants Listening with Auditory Neuropathy Spectrum Disorder Demonstrations of the challenges of speechreading can be found HERE
Listening is hard work when you aren't able to hear all of the speech sounds! Children with hearing loss are usually more fatigued than their typically hearing friends or siblings. For a brief article on this topic from Britain, download Tiredness in Deaf Children

Welcoming the Child with Hearing Loss into Child Care Not a simulation but good information to share with the parent and/or child care provider along with your suggestion to listen to a hearing loss simulation.
Thanks to all of the researchers who made these resources available! Simulating unilateral or mild hearing loss with families? Visual Simulations of the IMPACT of Hearing Loss Purchase a pack of 15-pair from Supporting Success. Experiencing the listening challenges is a valuable strategy for facilitating understanding of the importance of 'little hearing losses.'
Simulations like the yellow story shown can be very effective in getting across the concept of being able to 'hear' but not fully understand or the time lag needed to integrate all of the pieces before comprehension occurs. ready-made handout

Another approach is to provide a visual representation of a student's estimated access to verbal instruction as identified with the Functional Listening Evaluation. This story is based on The Country Mouse and the City Mouse
Simulation of Listening in Varying Classroom Acoustic Conditions
which which is well known by many teachers. Here are more visual analogies.
Simulation of Listening with a Hearing Loss - via entering individual audiogram
A ready made-handout showing classroom directions imposed over 100 puzzle pieces is a very effective way of visually showing the impact of hearing loss. Here is a handout with puzzle pieces that can be used to effectively report results of a Functional Listening Evaluation.

Quick 4-slide Demonstration Be sure to include this 4-slide PowerPoint show with embedded audio files as you inservice teachers. You must show it as a PowerPoint slide show to be able to hear the various simulations. It simulates the effects of distance, high and low frequency listening and reverberation. Classroom Acoustics 4 slides Our thanks to Phonak for the original materials.

Hearing Loss Simulator Source: NIOSH / Centers for Disease Control. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Hearing Loss Simulator (HLSim) displays a "control panel" for showing the effects of hearing loss visually on the frequency band control panel and sound level display screen while the user listens to the audio playback. For more information or to request a NIOSH Hearing Loss Simulator CD, contact NIOSH Mining at OMSHR@cdc.gov.

Simulations of Listening with a Hearing Loss (audio demonstrations with visuals)

Simulations of Listening with a Hearing Loss (audio recording demonstrations)

Video of a sample spelling test with a mild hearing loss

Simulations of Mild and Moderate Hearing Loss in quiet and various type of noise Source: HearingLikeMe

Simulations of Normal Hearing, Mild Hearing Loss, & Moderate Hearing Loss under various noise conditions Source: Phonak - Understanding Hearing Loss

Simulations of different degrees of hearing loss (showing audiograms) in quiet and in noise Source: Scott Bradley, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater

Simulations of normal hearing and moderate hearing loss in quiet and with background noise Source: Centers for Disease Control / National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

Simulations of Normal, Mild, Moderate, Severe hearing loss with different sound sources Source: Starkey

"Classic" recordings from recordings from the 1970s, including the Unfair Spelling Test (Unfair Hearing Test)Simulations of Listening with a Hearing Loss through a Hearing Aid Microphone Recordings Demonstrating Listening Benefit Provided by FM Use (audio demonstrations with visuals)Simulations of Listening with Auditory Neuropathy Spectrum Disorder Simulations of Listening with a Cochlear Implant
Note: people who are born deaf and then get implanted at a young age and those who had normal hearing that progressed into deafness do not "hear" the way that the simulations below suggest. Given time, intervention, motivation and encouragement, the experience of listening through a cochlear implant results in the brain of the person adapting to the electronic input of a cochlear implant which often results in "hearing" with clarity that has been described as being similar to persons typical hearing. Cochlear implants do not result in, nor are they equal replacements for normal hearing. People who use cochlear implants will perceive sound at a loudness that is quieter than typical hearing and they will be significantly at a disadvantage when listening in noisy situations and at a distance. Of course vocabulary deficits, attention issues, and any area of educational delay will impact how well a person performs with a cochlear implant, regardless of how well or how clearly they "hear."

Updated August 2016.

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Supporting Success For Children With Hearing Loss | Demonstrations: Simulated Listening with Hearing Loss & Devices

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Listening with Hearing Loss Listening with FM Systems Listening with Cochlear Implants Listening with Auditory Neuropathy Spectrum Disorder Demonstrations of the challenges of speechreading can be found HERE Listening is hard work when you aren't able to hear all of the speech sounds! Children with hearing loss are usually more fatigued than their typically hearing friends [...]

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Mild, moderate, severe, profound hearing loss simulations

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Mild, moderate, severe, profound hearing loss simulations

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Give it a listen!

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Basic auditory training game!

This can be done with any classroom toys or supplies; i.e. put the play food in the bucket when you hear the sound, put the animal in the barn when you hear the sound, etc.

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Hearing loss occurs when part of the ear is unable to function properly. This could be as a result of a problem or problems in the outer, middle, inner ear. If the issue lies in the outer or middle ear, we refer to the hearing loss as conductive. If the issue is in the inner ear it is called a sensorineural hearing loss. A hearing loss which involves an element of both conductive and sensorineural is called a mixed hearing loss.

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What does the world sound like with hearing loss?

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What does the world sound like with hearing loss?

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Obviously, every person with hearing loss will have a different experience - but the simulations on this site can give you an idea of how hard DHH students have to work to hear what is happening all around them - after you listen, are you tired? That is a daily reality for DHH students!

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Experience the loss of both volume as well as specific sounds to better understand the nature of hearing loss

Hearing loss simulation

Below you will find a set of sound samples divided into categories. Listen first to the "normal hearing" sample in every group, and then compare it with the two remaining samples ("mild hearing loss and "severe hearing loss"). These recordings will help you understand better how it feels to live with a hearing loss.

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Experience the loss of both volume as well as specific sounds to better understand the nature of hearing loss Below you will find a set of sound samples divided into categories. Listen first to the "normal hearing" sample in every group, and then compare it with the two remaining samples ("mild hearing loss and "severe hearing loss").