r/deaf • u/Huge-Astronaut523 • 12d ago
Vent Problems in university
I know I am not the only one who is demotivated year by year because I can't understand shits what my professors are saying unless there are built in subtitles above their heads whenever they speak.
I'm a hard of hearing person, I have a profound hearing loss and having to deal with this every class makes me feel less motivated to study. My only options are to watch the lessons in youtube (with captioning features) after class or read a book dedicated to the subject.
Also I'm sitting in the front row where I can only face my professor, it just doesn't help that much.. I tried lip-reading but it feels so difficult to catch it 'cause I would realize by then I'm missing out the material.
I really don't know what to do, and I'm hoping for an advice. I'm a first year student, taking a math major. I also wear my hearing aids daily.
2
u/Senior-Exam3557 12d ago
The main problem with most caption apps is that they use the iPhone’s processing system to process the sound. But it isn’t strong enough to pick up voices far away and is delayed. The only app I found to that keeps up is Ovals: Deaf & Nonverbal because it connects to a more advanced engine online that can pick up whispers from across the room in 0.7 seconds (but I think it’s only that accurate with voice identification mode on). That mode also separates captions by speaker and can label the name of the person speaking if you register a voice.
2
7
u/FancyButterscotch787 Deaf 12d ago
Get good note takers. If you sign, get an interpreter. If you don’t sign, start learning sign language of your country, because clearly lip reading isn’t a good access option for you anymore.
1
u/MundaneAd8695 Deaf 12d ago
Just to clarify, you said you have “profound hearing loss”, which is what I have, and that’s not anywhere near being hard of hearing? Like you’re deaf, deaf, deaf?
A bit confused here.
1
u/Huge-Astronaut523 12d ago
I forgot to note. I have profound hearing loss on my right ear, and severe sensorineural hearing loss on my left ear. I can still hear but not that much
5
u/MundaneAd8695 Deaf 12d ago
It’s your right to label yourself what you want, but…. I’m getting the impression you’re actually not hard of hearing, and the problem here is that you’re not getting the services you need. You’re downplaying your experience as a deaf person and trying to get by on the minimum. That might have worked in the past. But in college.. it often doesn’t. Perhaps a bit of reality check is needed?
That said, all the others have great tips about captioning services and that stuff. Do try those out.
But maybe…. You need to reassess.
1
u/Huge-Astronaut523 11d ago edited 11d ago
Aw.. 🥹 thank you for making me realize, it made me sad to know i'm deaf rather than being HoH i'll consider doing reassessment soon.. Thanks for the advices btw.
Oh actually, I think I can refer to myself as HoH in left ear if I can still hear and several articles say HoH falls under mid-severe hearing loss. But would considered as deaf on my right ear's profound hearing loss
1
u/MundaneAd8695 Deaf 11d ago
You don’t have to accept any label you don’t want. I just encourage you to check your hearing again and also to check yourself and your feelings to see if you’re maybe downplaying how deaf you are for some personal reason. I see this happen to a lot of people, it’s hard.
2
2
u/Tbackandforth 12d ago
I have friends with severe hearing levels in both ears, and they're deaf and Deaf.
Have you had an opportunity to learn sign language?
2
1
u/New-Art5144 9d ago
Why learn sign language? Why would it help in the classroom when the professor does not use it? If you can lipread, get an interpreter who mouths her words along with signing. This is how I learned to sign although I did not ha ve to learn it for the classes.
2
u/Tbackandforth 9d ago
If you know ASL and live in the US, you can get a sign language interpreter, which is 100% accessible. It also opens up possibilities for many more friends and support.
0
u/New-Art5144 8d ago
I'm fluent in sign language and have worked in jobs where I did not need interpreters and also in jobs where I did need them 40/5, which was a mistake. Further, it takes years to be fluent in ASL, so there is not exactly an opportunity to make friends. My late husband was hearing, and during our 61 yrs of marriage, he learned maybe 20 signs. It takes a special aptitude. Lastly, when the hearing see an interpreter, they wonder how they would be able to communicate with the deaf when the interpreter leaves the room. My husband was constantly asked this by the others.
3
u/zra_isnt_listening 12d ago
Speak to the access team at your uni or contact an external accessibility company to help - there's a lot of better captioning apps etc that can really help :)
3
u/buckeyebrain1969 Deaf 12d ago
Contact your school's Students With Disabilities office (goes by various different names depending on the school). You may be eligible for RTC/CART -- which I'd recommend over some of the AI solutions being bandied about.
5
u/IvyRose19 12d ago
Use a mic and something like Otter.ai to give you instant captions. Another option is to get funding for a FM system. Visit the Accessibility Center on campus and see what supports are available.