Adam spent much of his 20s unsure why conversations felt so difficult. It wasn’t until he came across information about hearing loss at work that he realised something bigger might be going on. That moment set him on a journey that would change how he experiences sound – and how he now supports others. Adam shares his story…
When the penny dropped
For a lot of people, hearing loss comes on gradually. That was the case for me. I was kind of umming and aahhing my way through conversations for a lot of my 20s and then, in my work as a writer and editor, I was updating an article on deafness and hearing loss. It was a big article on the symptoms, causes and treatment.
As I was going through the list of symptoms, I noticed that I had most of them. I realised that I couldn’t ignore it anymore and needed to get my hearing checked out.
Life with hearing aids
That was when I was 27, and I first had my hearing aids when I was 28. But I’d probably been living with hearing loss for four or five years before that. I’d come up with all sorts of coping mechanisms and had a stock library of general responses to questions, which I still use from time to time when I’m not totally clear on what someone has said.
Getting a diagnosis of hearing loss can feel really scary and frustrating. But, for me, it felt like a lot of things coming together. I realised there was actually a cause behind what I was going through, and that it might be addressable.
Realising what I was missing
I was missing all sorts of sounds before getting my hearing aids. The ticking of the oven timer, the ‘beep’ when I turned on a PlayStation controller, the crackle of our speakers when they are switched on but the TV isn’t (something my wife would find infuriating!). Birdsong was also a big one for me – it’s so three-dimensional and layered, and I was missing most of it.
Some are tiny things, but they add up to a really frustrating and muted daily life. The biggest thing I noticed, though, was that I was struggling a lot with female voices in particular. I’ve lost my higher register of sounds and realised that I was lost in those conversations.
A new range of sounds
When I first got my hearing aids, it was pretty overwhelming. We lived on the fifth floor of a block of flats and I could hear the wheels of prams moving at the bottom of the building. It was wonderful.
Hearing aids changed my life. They gave me access to conversations and social experiences that I thought were out of range for me.
This had a deeper impact, too: my relationships with others improved and I felt more involved with my personal and professional lives.
Getting used to the change
It did take a lot of getting used to. I found I’d gravitated towards louder people (like my wife, who is very loud!) so my hearing aids would feed back. The sound was so piercing, it felt like a barrier to using them.
I don’t think you ever 100% get used to it, but now I’ve got my routine. I do sometimes spend days without my hearing aids, though, and I’m glad to have that choice. I can choose how I connect with the world and I think that makes it empowering rather than feeling like I am dependent on these devices.
I don’t need hearing aids if I’m just listening to music at home or if I’m just reading. My relationship with them has definitely built over time.
Making new music
Music has always been a big part of my life. I’ve recently started to get more involved with the deaf music community and last year played in an event called Deaf Jam. It brings together deaf DJs and MCs and it was amazing. I had a British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter sign along to one of my tracks and it was the best experience. I’ve written a song about my hearing loss experience which I’m releasing later this year.
Why I volunteer
As a freelancer, I’ve carved a life where I have more free time, and I wanted to use it to make the world a little better for people. My wife found an advert for RNID Near You and I thought it would be amazing to volunteer.
From the moment I applied, I was just itching for a response. I knew it was something that was really important to me.
Hearing check hero
I run the hearing checks now for RNID Near You at a local session, so I’m helping people start that conversation with their GP.
Some people don’t realise they have hearing loss and they’ve developed unconscious coping mechanisms like I did, but usually someone in their life has told them that they don’t seem to be hearing everything or perhaps have the TV turned up really loud.
I always try to explain that the hearing check was developed with universities and is accurate. If someone shows signs of hearing loss, I try to be very reassuring when they first get the result. I keep things positive and connect with them in that moment so they know there is support.
My job is to be there and to provide conversation – to help people talk about their hearing loss and work through their next steps.
Immediate impact
I spent my first four or five months with RNID Near You shadowing other people and learning the ropes, but I saw the impact immediately. People turn up to have tubes cleaned or domes changed on their hearing aids – stuff that’s really fiddly, especially if you have arthritis – and you can see the look of relief on their faces. Providing conversation, as well as that practical support – it was really eye-opening.
I’ve been a fully-fledged volunteer doing the hearing checks now for about 7 months. I generally work at home on my own for 8-12 hours a day, just typing, and so this is something completely different for me. It’s providing moments of connection that really make a difference for someone. It’s immediately useful to people – the moment they walk out of that room, their day is better. It’s not always that simple but, for the majority of people who come in, there are options that we can talk about.
I wish I’d known about this service when I was getting used to hearing aids. I’d get so annoyed calling the hospital for new tubes and waiting five days for them. It’s a 90-minute bus journey, so going to get new tubes is a mission.
I look at how my life was without RNID Near You, and I look at the lives of people I’ve seen interact with it, and I can just measure the difference.
Taking on a challenge for change
Fundraising for RNID happened a bit by accident. A friend asked if I’d join them for the Thames Path Challenge, which is a 100km race.
I’d been volunteering for RNID then for a couple of months and saw both the difference it made for people and how much resource it takes in terms of equipment and parts. So I decided to tie the two things together.
I’m a big believer in forcing myself out of my comfort zone and I’ve always wanted to do a fitness challenge. But to do that to help make other people more comfortable is a really special dynamic for me.
Beyond the comfort zone
The training was gruelling, and I did a half and full marathon, as well as a hiking challenge, to prepare. In the end, I completed 78 kilometres of the challenge, which is just shy of two marathons. So I started running at seven in the morning and finished at nine in the evening.
After the race, my toenails were black, my knees were swollen, my body was just not ready for it, but I think I put in a solid effort.
Why fundraising mattered to me
I’m proud of myself and would encourage everyone to do a fundraising challenge. I loved getting up and doing something that is unquestionably good for me, but that’s also meaningful. We raised £1,500 in the end and it was amazing to see different fundraisers emerge as part of my race.
My wife ran a quiz night with one of our friends who is very good at BSL. They raised £500 of the final total and it raised a huge amount of awareness which was so important to me.
I didn’t have access to RNID’s support services when I was starting out on my hearing loss journey and, now that I can see the difference, I hope I’ve contributed in some small way. It makes a huge difference to how people with hearing loss can live, and that matters to me.
