Live out loud & wear YOUR badge of pride

HOT TAKE: most hearing aids designs are ableist.

THERE. I SAID IT.

As a hard of hearing/deaf person who has used hearing aids since age 17, assistive technology has certainly been assistive. But hearing aids for adults are designed to be “subtle.” They are skin-toned and hair-colored to blend in and go unnoticed, undetected. DON’T WORRY, you can fly under the radar. Follow the ye olde decorum that one shalt not show they are different or have unique needs. I’ve worn over-the-ear hearing aids as they were designed and went undetected by many for 12 years.

At 29, after much internal work and realizing that I had been trying to hide my deafness for so many years, I decided that I would decorate my hearing aids and post pictures on Instagram. It felt like I was coming out of the disability closet. The one I was conditioned to believe I would have to stay in forever if I didn’t want to be doomed by people’s ableist judgment of me for being deaf.

In recent years, I’ve dug deeper into my relationship with my disabilities (I also have ADHD, which I will delve into another time). I started taking American Sign Language classes, learned more about deaf culture, and followed other deaf entrepreneurs on social media. It’s all given me a huge change of heart. I realized that it didn’t matter what other people thought of my disability. This is a part of me that won’t change. And it’s part of what makes me a cool human. It’s one of my superpowers because it gives me a perspective that many people don’t. Keeping myself subtle or discreet about it was an act out of SELF-JUDGEMENT. Internalized ableism, in fact.

Now, I WANT people to know that I am deaf ( Note: lowercase “d” in deaf = hard of hearing. Uppercase “D” in Deaf = integrated into Deaf culture and community where ASL is the first language).

When people started wearing masks in public and I couldn’t read lips or see full facial expressions, I wore a button (image above) to let people know that I was partially deaf/hard of hearing. I want to wear my hearings aids as fluorescent, blinking, bedazzled badges of honor. And I want hearing people to understand that communicating with me is going to be a little different in person. I want people to ask questions and be more aware.

Owning it - whatever IT is for you - can be a relief and help other people open their minds. And it can give permission to others to be themselves too. And it allows us to live in a way that challenges the unkind, which in this case is traditional ableism.

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Back to hearing aid designs. Think about eye glasses. Those are a form of assistive technology that has now become a major fashion accessory. People make statements by what they wear on their faces and heads all the time.

For real though: Who wants to start a fashion hearing aid company with me?? Let’s do it!

I hope hearing aid manufacturers offer more options for those people who are proud to be deaf and don't want to hide it. Until then, I will continue to decorate my hearing aids with colorful tube spirals (from DHH Design Studio) and wear big earrings (by Marissa Nasiatka) to call attention to my ears. Other HA wearers use stick-on decals and custom-made moldings in different colors. I love it ALL!

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My hope for all the Kindfinders out there: I invite you to LIVE OUT LOUD. I'm not saying you need to be sharing everything you are always thinking all the time, be obnoxiously loud, or be overly outgoing. What I mean is I want you to turn up the volume on your YOU-NESS. Wear your you-ness like a badge of honor.

What does your voice REALLY want to say? What clothes do you REALLY want to wear? What job do you REALLY want to try out? How do you REALLY want to run your business? And not by what or how you think everyone else thinks you should… That’s just exhausting and it won’t feed your soul.

You be you. Own it. Rock it. Don't apologize for it.

And caption your videos while you are at it 🤟🙏

🦻🦻🦻

**I recognize that some people don’t have the privilege to live out loud and be themselves because their physical safety may be threatened. Please know that I see you. Know that you are adored for existing, that includes what you need to keep quiet to survive. I will continue to challenge the unkind so that this world becomes more welcoming to all.

I’m Lauren Goldberg and I’m a Career Strategist. I help kindhearted professionals break free of Toxic Careerism and shift to ✨Kind Careerism✨ Let’s make career moves that align with our values and energy. Sign up for the Kindred Kindfinder email list for more kindness in your inbox >>> HERE