To futher the usage of RED which is a term I coined refering to the experiences of those with a total loss of hearing on one side, either right or left, known as Profound Unilateral Hearing Loss (PUHL). It is descriptive of the experiences both of the person with PUHL (Profound Unilateral Hearing Loss) and those with whom he/she might need to communicate. By experience, I mean the practicalities of achieving meaningful communication between the hearing person and the deaf person with PUHL It should be noted that these practical difficulties are unique to PUHL They stand separate and in addition to those experienced by someone with a hearing loss resulting in partial or reduced hearing for whatever reason such as, for example, age related hearing loss (please see the faq’s – Frequently Asked Questions section). PUHL shares all the difficulties of lesser forms of hearing loss but, importantly, it means also that an actual functional loss of the hearing faculty manifets itself which cannot be substitued for/helped by simple amplification. Please read on as we try to further illuminate the implications of Random Deafness.
What is it like to be deaf on one side is a question I am frequently asked so I designed this website to help answer that question because it is by no means a straightforward question. What’s the taste of coffee like to somebody who has never tried it? The sensible thing would be to say, “try it and see”! Please play the video above and you will see what it is like only to be able to hear intermittently and randomly
Profound Unilateral Hearing Loss (PUHL) carries real safety implications. For example, lacking the ability to localise sounds, one would be foolish to try to navigate busy roads or work as part of a team carrying out dangerous work – or some other activity or sport depending on team members organising themselves by spoken/shouted command. To illustrate the danger, please consider that If we have silent electric cars in the future then even those with normal hearing shall become more aware of the need to depend on sight as well as hearing and simply not assume that because one cannot hear a car that there isn’t one nearby: this is one of the many reasons I have a hearing dog – it helps me navigate in such situations but the dog also acts as a visible cue to others/motorists/cyclists that they should please not assume I can hear them and leap out of the way to safety, as I could have done when I had a normal hearing function. Sadly, on occasion even this has not been enough and I have still been knocked over by cyclists on pavements more than once. One is always anxious and fearful of this kind of thing happening and it is made worse by the suppression of the the fight or flee instinct brougth about by the loss of the function of localising sounds meaning that one never knows where the danger is coming from in order to avoid it – or to know in what direction to flee.