Allison Yu
Rice University
Project
A World Chosen in Sound and Silence
South Africa, Norway, Australia, Japan
People with all degrees of hearing loss are often encouraged, even expected to blend into hearing worlds. Our understanding of diminished hearing is strongly influenced by available hearing technology, cultural perceptions of disability, and efforts from people with standard hearing. During my Watson year, I will explore approaches to hearing loss through educational methods, assistive listening devices, acoustic settings, athletic activities, and Deaf celebration. I hope to connect the support from people with standard hearing to the narratives of people with hearing loss. I will delve into ways that people with hearing loss value and understand their hearing experiences under various daily circumstances and personal choices.