SANDRA SMITH meets lipreading tutor Judy Perry and discovers how those with hearing loss can still appreciate everything from birdsong to laughs with friends and family.
HALF an hour into our conversation, I start to wonder whether Judy Perry became a lipreading tutor out of interest or altruism rather than any personal gain. After all, she hasn’t asked me to repeat a question or misunderstood a comment. In fact, we’re talking so seamlessly it’s tempting to assume her hearing is at least as sound, if not better, than that of most people over 60.
I’m surprised, therefore, when this gently spoken woman reveals she has severe hearing loss in her right ear, while being profoundly deaf in her left.
“The categories range from mild to moderate, severe and profound,” she smiles. “As a child I suffered repeated middle ear infections. I can remember in my Twenties not hearing properly, but I didn’t like to admit I had a problem. We moved to Buckinghamshire 17 years ago, just as Boots started to offer hearing tests. At my appointment the audiologist told me she didn’t have a hearing aid powerful enough. I went home in floods of tears.”
Despite such distressing news, seeking help provided the nudge which rebuilt Judy’s self belief and reinvented her career.
“I hadn’t heard birds singing for years until I wore hearing aids prescribed by my doctor. When I drove onto our gravel drive I wondered what the noise was and the rustle of crisp packets or running taps hurt my ears to begin with. Even flushing the loo sounded like Niagara Falls! You have a sort of startle reflex while your brain retrains itself.”
Buoyed by a new sense of freedom, Judy tried lipreading classes before deciding to take advantage of her deafness by training as a teacher. The year long course included lipreading techniques, knowledge of equipment designed to help those with hearing impairment and a physiological understanding of how the ear works.
This story is from the May 2017 edition of Buckinghamshire Life.
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This story is from the May 2017 edition of Buckinghamshire Life.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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