Hearing aids are as “Tiara” for me.
Hello, I’m Sakura from Japan. Currently, I’m a university student. I love reading, visiting cafes, handicraft and computer games. I do everything thoroughly, and feel happy doing what I like along with doing what the society needs.
I was born as a normal child in a deaf family. So, my hearing is said to be inherited. When I was born, my parents were told by the doctor that I might also lose hearing someday. So no wonder, my hearing gradually declined since I was about one and a half years old. By the time I became aware of it, I’m known as a hard of hearing person with an average hearing of 87 DB in both ears. I communicate in sign language with my family and I speak in Japanese with others. Along with this, I am also studying English.
Hearing aids are always by my side. I never hesitate to put them on or feel embarrassed when others see them. In fact, hearing aid ear-molds have many colors. I choose its color according to the latest fashion matching it with the color of my clothes. One day some of my friends noticed it and said, “That color is cute! It looks good!” Also, my teacher once said, “Hearing aids are not embarrassing. It’s only for you.” In that word, I thought, “Surely hearing aids are something special that only special people like me can wear. It’s like a tiara that only princesses can wear.” So, I want many people to look at my tiara and I would be saying with a positive vibe, “Please come and let’s see more. Look at these!”
In addition, when I was in the third year of high school, my teacher also said, “The reason why you can’t hear is that you can do something that only you can do.” Wow! That was really impressive which inspired me to set up a blog to share information related to hearing loss and spread awareness regarding it.
As I also like handicrafts, like making earrings as my hobby. One day, I noticed that a girl with hearing loss was hiding her hearing aid with her hair. When asked why, she said, “It’s embarrassing and not as cute as an accessory.” Then I suddenly remembered that there are also decoration parts overseas. As the name implies, it’s like an accessory that decorates your hearing aids. Taking advantage of my experience of handmade products, I decided to make it myself. Since I also use hearing aids, I quickly came up with how to make something that is easy to put on and take off, does not get in the way, and is cute. When I posted what I actually made on Twitter, there were lots of responses. Taking this opportunity, we are now selling “decoration parts” using Mercari’s service under the concept of “Hearing aids are not embarrassing, let’s color your life with hearing aids!” I would like more people to know about the existence of decorative parts and feel that “hearing aids are also cute. They are like tiaras that can only be worn by special people.”
Message to the people with hearing loss:
Don’t hide your hearing aids or cochlear implants, because it can only be attached to you. I rather think showing them is good for you and others because it can provide an opportunity for the other person to understand you and it will be easier for you to give explanation and get support. And just because you’re deaf or HOH, don’t assume everything is meaningless or don’t give up before you even try. I want you to take on many challenges that appear in life because you can do everything else besides hearing well. And even if you can’t achieve what you tried, don’t forget that it will be an unforgettable experience that will color your life. Thank you!
Important Sakura’s links:
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