My story
Ijeoma Ifediora
LagosNigeria
About me
My name is Ijeoma Ifediora. I had always known from the time I was little that I had some kind of hearing problem because people look exasperated when they call me and I know they must have been calling me for some time. I also wondered how people could hear themselves when they were in different rooms. I did not know lip-reading was not quite a normal way of communicating or understanding speech.
My parents might have known but my mother particularly, was always covering up for me by letting me know when visitors were speaking to me or telling them I don’t understand Igbo language (which was spoken most of the time). Till date, I have a reputation for not understanding, or at least not speaking Igbo, which is not quite true!
My parents might have known but my mother particularly, was always covering up for me by letting me know when visitors were speaking to me or telling them I don’t understand Igbo language (which was spoken most of the time). Till date, I have a reputation for not understanding, or at least not speaking Igbo, which is not quite true!
My Story
I went to schools for normal hearing people, I have no memories of kindergarten but my reports showed that I was a slow in learning (which I am not!). They just didn’t know my problem. Primary school was uneventful. I loved reading, and usually read ahead of the class work and this helped a lot. I however had problems with subjects that needed a lot of listening like French and Yoruba languages. I did not do so well in them.
I went to secondary school from primary five, and that was where my hearing impairment manifested most. This was partly because notes were dictated, not written on the blackboard like in primary school and also because I had to interact more with my classmate. I sat in front, but I could not always combine lip-reading with writing at the same time, unless the teacher was slowly dictating. I was known for not answering when called. I was the butt of some jokes. This disturbed me then, but didn’t let it interfere with my studies. I was very good at English and chemistry and classmates usually asked for my help in these subjects sometimes. My physics however was very poor; this was worsened by our sitting arrangement at the physics lab. Students were seated according to their performances in a test we did and I sat near the back and I could not hear or lip-read. I was not open about my problem. I did not like discussing it so I suffered in silence. Only God knows how I passed physics at the WAEC examination i.e. SSCE. I made an A3 in physics, also had A’s in other subjects except mathematics, where I had C5.
I was not so lucky in JAMB; I wanted to read medicine but could not make the cut-off mark in the first tow attempts. I eventually made it at the third attempt and got admission to read medicine surgery in Unilag. I did not mention that I have a younger sister who is deaf. She used hearing aids but they got spoilt and were kept somewhere. A visitor volunteered to repair them and managed to repair one. My mother gave it to me to use and I discovered it improved my hearing a lot. So I started using them at the university. I still had to lip-read though the hearing aid worked on and off and this gave me problems. In 200 levels, it stopped working altogether – I really suffered then. I had to sit near someone to copy notes when the lecturer dictated. I was lucky, in that overhead projectors were used most of the time, so I just copied from the screen.
I became even more introverted and avoided people so I would not have to communicate; I got a reputation for being odd. My parents were eventually able to buy me a new hearing aid, which I have been using till date.
Note that the hearing aid could help me to a limit, I still have to lip-read, so in my clinical years of study. I had some problems in surgery, facemasks are used and this prevents lip-reading. I have learnt to be more open in discussing my hearing impairment with my lecturers. They help in anyway they can, by facing me when lecturing and making sure I understand procedures, dining ward-rounds and clinics. I am now in 500 level and graduate next year.
Most of all, it is God that has seen my through life with a hearing impairment. I feel He has something fantastic in store for me and I feel special because of it.
I went to secondary school from primary five, and that was where my hearing impairment manifested most. This was partly because notes were dictated, not written on the blackboard like in primary school and also because I had to interact more with my classmate. I sat in front, but I could not always combine lip-reading with writing at the same time, unless the teacher was slowly dictating. I was known for not answering when called. I was the butt of some jokes. This disturbed me then, but didn’t let it interfere with my studies. I was very good at English and chemistry and classmates usually asked for my help in these subjects sometimes. My physics however was very poor; this was worsened by our sitting arrangement at the physics lab. Students were seated according to their performances in a test we did and I sat near the back and I could not hear or lip-read. I was not open about my problem. I did not like discussing it so I suffered in silence. Only God knows how I passed physics at the WAEC examination i.e. SSCE. I made an A3 in physics, also had A’s in other subjects except mathematics, where I had C5.
I was not so lucky in JAMB; I wanted to read medicine but could not make the cut-off mark in the first tow attempts. I eventually made it at the third attempt and got admission to read medicine surgery in Unilag. I did not mention that I have a younger sister who is deaf. She used hearing aids but they got spoilt and were kept somewhere. A visitor volunteered to repair them and managed to repair one. My mother gave it to me to use and I discovered it improved my hearing a lot. So I started using them at the university. I still had to lip-read though the hearing aid worked on and off and this gave me problems. In 200 levels, it stopped working altogether – I really suffered then. I had to sit near someone to copy notes when the lecturer dictated. I was lucky, in that overhead projectors were used most of the time, so I just copied from the screen.
I became even more introverted and avoided people so I would not have to communicate; I got a reputation for being odd. My parents were eventually able to buy me a new hearing aid, which I have been using till date.
Note that the hearing aid could help me to a limit, I still have to lip-read, so in my clinical years of study. I had some problems in surgery, facemasks are used and this prevents lip-reading. I have learnt to be more open in discussing my hearing impairment with my lecturers. They help in anyway they can, by facing me when lecturing and making sure I understand procedures, dining ward-rounds and clinics. I am now in 500 level and graduate next year.
Most of all, it is God that has seen my through life with a hearing impairment. I feel He has something fantastic in store for me and I feel special because of it.
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