Annette

I am Annet, 29 years old and became deaf due to a nervous disorder. From the age of 21 I slowly lost my hearing. So I've had the chance to adapt to it more and more. At home I have a wake-up and warning system. There are a number of flashing lights scattered around my house that alert me when, for example, the doorbell or fire alarm rings.

It is also possible to connect a baby monitor or alarm clock to it. The latter works with a vibrating disc under the mattress. I found that waking up rather intense, so I came up with a different solution as an alarm clock. I now use my sports watch for that. It vibrates around my arm and I like that better than the vibrating disc. Ideal, because I wake up quietly, on time and my hearing friend can sleep through my alarm clock if I have to get up early. I also use my sports watch as a kitchen timer or if I need a timer for something else. I also had a flash lamp installed at work that is connected to the fire alarm.

To be able to communicate, it is important for me to have enough light in the house so that I can read lips or refrain from gestures. In addition, my friend often uses a light switch to flicker a lamp. With this he gets my attention so I know he wants to say something. Handy for when I'm upstairs and he's downstairs!

I also use an app that converts speech to text. I don't really make phone calls anymore. I use whatsapp a lot and to contact companies I use their chat or social media. Suppose it is really necessary to call, for example in an emergency, I use the Tolkcontact app. This allows me to call via an interpreter who translates the conversation for me. You probably understand that I always make sure that I have my phone with me and that it is sufficiently charged. Even if, for example, I have a miscommunication or lip reading is not going well (think of face masks), I can communicate with my phone everywhere!