7 Holiday Gifts Perfect for People with Hearing Loss
December 6, 2017
How I felt when my baby heard me for the first time
December 8, 2017Watch: Can deaf people drive?
A question that is frequently asked is, can deaf people drive? Phonak hEARo and YouTuber Jessica Flores shows us that yes of course they can!
Have you ever heard the myth that deaf people can’t drive?
Phonak hEARo and YouTuber Jessica Flores made a video, proving that myth wrong.
“Many people assume that since deaf people can’t hear, that must mean that they can’t drive,” says Jessica.
So Jessica decided to go for a ride in the car with her sister, Monica. For the video, she takes her hearing aids out of her ears, so she can’t hear anything.
Driving is a visual task
As she is driving, Jessica shows how she relies on her mirrors and pays very close attention to her surroundings.
“…and my eyes are constantly bouncing, between all three mirrors and what’s in front of me. I feel like a hawk, scoutin’ for my prey,” she says.
Jessica brings up one of the most common reasons hearing people think deaf people can’t drive, which is because they wouldn’t be able to hear emergency vehicle sirens.
Jessica explains, “And if you think about it, you don’t really need to hear the sirens because the lights are bright enough, you can see them.”
Read more: 4 Tips for Driving with Hearing Loss
After Jessica proves that she can drive, she goes on to talk about how driving is a visual task making it a task deaf people can do. Also, there is no hearing test at the DMV, which proves that vision is critical and hearing is not when driving.
Yes, deaf people CAN drive
This raises the question ,what other myths people may believe about deaf and hard of hearing people that aren’t true?
Read more: 10 misconceptions about hearing loss
Talking about these myths and busting them like Jessica did is a great way to spread awareness and break down stigmas around hearing loss!
Check out Jessica’s YouTube channel here!
