When her husband first suggested she might have hearing loss, Sian, 47, from Clackmannanshire in Scotland, didn’t want to believe it. Here, Sian shares how taking the RNID hearing check helped her accept her hearing loss and go from hiding her hearing aids to proudly telling people she is deaf. Sian smiles on a sandy beach on a sunny day. Surrounded by noise I have always lived in a very busy household....
No actionable change — this is a patient narrative; however, it reinforces the value of accessible hearing screening tools in prompting help-seeking behaviour.
Personal stories of delayed help-seeking and stigma highlight the psychological barriers audiologists should be prepared to address in clinical encounters.
- 01Sian, 47, hid her hearing aids for years due to stigma before seeking further support.
- 02The RNID online hearing check was a catalyst for her accepting her hearing loss.
- 03Her story illustrates common emotional barriers to hearing aid uptake and use.
- 04No clinical data or new evidence is presented.
- 05Article functions as advocacy and awareness content for RNID.
The RNID hearing check helped Sian move from hiding her hearing aids to openly discussing her condition.
quotepartially supported