According to the Kentucky Commission on the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, 700-thousand Kentuckians have some degree of hearing loss. One of those people is Anita Dowd, who’s worked for the commission for 25 years and has had profound hearing loss in both ears since childhood. She said an important part of the commission’s mission is reminding people that hearing loss can be prevented.
“The CDC says that noise induced hearing loss is the most common preventable work-related injury. We see a large percentage of hearing loss among those who work in manufacturing, construction, farming, first responders.”
Headphones or earplugs are recommended for those people – and hunters. Dowd says her hearing loss, which is profound in both ears, was first diagnosed when she was in fifth grade. However, with hearing aids and occasional help from closed-captioning, she can carry on a conversation with few problems. Part of the commission’s mission is to let people know what people with a hearing disability can do.
“The only thing people with hearing loss can't do is hear. Capable of doing everything else we can do it, we can think we can get married and have babies, we can be Oscar winners, we can win the coveted mirror ball on Dancing with the Stars.”
Dowd said studies show people with hearing loss are better drivers than those who can hear just fine.
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