Hadlee Hoffman

I interviewed someone I know who has unilateral profound sensorineural hearing loss, learning how it has impacted his daily life. Initially diagnosed with WNL to severe SNHL in 2018, his hearing declined to severe to profound SNHL by 2022 due to an acoustic neuroma. After removing the tumor, his hearing has not and cannot improve. He relies on residual hearing, functioning best in quiet, one-on-one situations, but struggles in noisy environments, group settings, and when someone speaks from his left side. Although a candidate for a cochlear implant, he has chosen not to pursue it due to concerns about the surgical process and mixed feedback from others. He stays connected through a SNHL support group, verbal communication with adjustments, texting, and seeking quieter spaces during social gatherings. This experience emphasized his resilience and resourcefulness in maintaining meaningful communication and relationships despite hearing loss.

I went to the "Winter Wonderland" event that was held at the Waterford Community Pool House. While there, I helped clean up the event. I enjoyed being in a relaxed environment and watching the kids finish up their crafts. It was nice to see their caregivers and even siblings participate with them while they worked on winter crafts, did activities, and had snacks. I am glad I got the chance to attend another Hands and Voices event this semester and think it is so neat to have an organization that lets the deaf/hard-of-hearing community participate. Although I got there towards the end when it was time to clean up, I got to see the crafts the children made and their enthusiasm made it all the more special.

I took the online ASL courses 1 and 2 through Oklahoma School for the Deaf. Throughout these lessons, I’ve learned a lot, but some of my favorite and most important takeaways are the basics that form the foundation of ASL. I gained a solid understanding of the manual alphabet, basic vocabulary, sentence structure, and the significance of facial expressions and body language. For example, I found it interesting how subject pronouns are often repeated at the end of sentences for clarity and how names are signed manually, since not everyone has a sign name. Learning the importance of headshakes to make signs negative, such as shaking my head while signing "I understand this movie" to mean "I don't understand," was another highlight. I also enjoyed learning the handshapes used to classify objects, like the CL:F for small, flat, round items or the L-Bent handshape for things like pancakes. The lessons progressed to more complex topics, but these foundational concepts felt the most crucial, as they not only helped me understand ASL grammar but also gave me the skills to practice and build on later lessons.