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.
Esta historia es de la edición May 2017 de Buckinghamshire Life.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición May 2017 de Buckinghamshire Life.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
Now Domestic Goddess Mary Shares Secrets
Karen comes clean: she’s never sure whether it’s a job for disinfectant or bleach… but knows lemons go in gin and tonic.
Let Battle Commence
If you suspect people are using our countryside for illegal hare coursing, make sure they are reported to police.
Are You Sitting Comfortably?
Yes or no, we’ll begin… with the tale of a chair which relies on the skills of people across our counties including Wycombe furniture experts.
Christmas In...Newbury
Lanterns, late night shopping and tracking down the reindeer: it’s all happening in the West Berkshire destination for seasonal days out.
Take a Staycation in Our Beautiful Counties
Days out and breaks along The Ridgeway or beside our rivers and canals support rural tourism – and, best of all, it’s on our doorsteps
Shall We Dance?
It’s never too late to learn, as NICOLA SWANBOROUGH discovered when she joined one of NOCTURN’s adult contemporary dance classes for beginners
The Botanist, Marlow
Prepare for hidden treasures and that a gorgeous décor is somehow outshone by dishes arriving at the table,
When Your Name's in the Frame
‘What do you know about a man called Scaramanga, 007?’ M asks James Bond. We know perhaps a little more, courtesy of Sunningdale School
Chiltern Rollercoaster
Follow Steve Davison as he heads to Stokenchurch for a longer walk – with shorter option – through some picturesque rolling Chiltern countryside.
The Winning Wedding Formula
Berkshire and Buckinghamshire couples are invited to attend the 2018 edition of Bride: The Wedding Show at Ascot Racecourse from March 10-11.
