The other day I have stumbled upon some researches and watched some videos of a laboratories company named Starkey Hearing Foundation that have not just angered me but angered several individuals in the Deaf community. Starkey is a company that make hearing technology for any individuals that have a problem with hearing and Starkey have led several people to think that Starkey is the hero as it is what Starkey would want you to see them as but they are not really the hero that you thought. There are several articles or videos that have shown where there are public figures individuals such as some of United States of American former presidents like George W. Bush, Bill Clinton and our running for president Hillary Clinton gives the hearing aids to some of the people who are either Deaf or Hard of Hearing. Even the Starkey have said that their hearing technology is the treatment or the solution for anyone who is Deaf or Hard of Hearing just upsets the Deaf community even more because it is misleading as there is several Deaf or Hard of Hearing individuals have said that they limits their freedom more than they have. Why does it limit Deaf or Hard of Hearing individuals freedom more? Because with these technology they cannot do some activities such as swimming, play some contact sports such as football, basketball, baseball and even hockey.
Starkey or even any company that manufacture hearing technologies have often misled millions of people into thinking that they are truly the treatment or the solution to help them to be able to hear. The answer to that is none of it is true at all.
Starkey And Others
How come you may ask? These hearing technology such as cochlear implant or even hearing aids does not help Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals to have the ability in hearing the way that many of the people who is lead into thinking that. These hearing technology manufactured by some company like Starkey or others advertise that way to try to get someone to fall for the trap when they say that their hearing technology gives the person an ability to hear when it is not even the case, because with these hearing technology does not give the Deaf or Hard of Hearing individuals a way to hear enough to understand what somebody is saying in voice as and the only thing that the hearing technology from any company that manufacture these technologies is the ability to hear high pitch sounds such as alarm, horn, close by birds tweeting and little of other things.
So that doesn’t sounds like a solution or treatment to you isn’t it? No. Starkey Hearing Foundation is on the rise and the only reason for their growth is because they have successfully misled public figures to endorse Starkey Hearing Foundation such as two former presidents of the United States like Bill Clinton, George W. Bush; our running for president Hillary Clinton and even one person from Deaf community such as Marlee Matlin. Starkey or any of other hearing technology company does not truly care about any Deaf or Hard of Hearing individuals as they care about exploiting us for money because the market in that area are very large. In other words Starkey and other company are greedy. How are they greed especially Starkey as in some videos it showed that Starkey gave hundreds of Deaf or Hard of Hearing individuals some technology that they manufactured? Because Starkey did NOT donate these as they were paid by these public figures shown in several videos after they successful misled them into thinking that their technology is the ultimate solution to hearing-loss as the Starkey were just there in these videos so to misled millions viewers into thinking that Starkey were the one who gave their own technology to these individuals.
Only thing I can say one good thing about Starkey is that they sure know how to successfully misled people by telling them something that doesn’t even true. Due to the greed of Starkey, you can thank Starkey Hearing Foundation for causing a lot of Deaf institution or Deaf schools to shut down and this means no education for any Deaf or Hard of Hearing children. Starkey Hearing Foundation is not alone in this though as there are others but Starkey is the one that take a huge part in causing several schools to shut down and do nothing to help them so that is number two reasons in why Starkey is greedy. Interest in know how many and what schools are we talking about Starkey causing to close? Glad to share it with you right here.
- Cleary School for the Deaf in New York.
- Kansas School for the Deaf in Kansas.
- Lexington School for the Deaf in New York.
- Mill Neck Manor School for the Deaf in New York.
- New York School for the Deaf in Fanwood, New York.
- Oklahoma School for the Deaf in Sulphur, Oklahoma.
- Rochester School for the Deaf in New York.
- St. Francis De Sales School for the Deaf in New York.
- St. Joseph’s School for the Deaf in New York.
- St. Mary’s School for the Deaf in New York.
- Texas School for the Deaf in Texas.
What, you think that is it? No there is more and you would like for me to continue? Fine, two more so to not make it too long list.
- South Dakota School for the Deaf.
- Utah School for the Deaf.
These two Deaf schools above survives though but they are struggling to fight their way from being closed that all hearing technologies company are causing especially Starkey as Starkey is the one who takes a big part of it than the rest of other companies. Saddening isn’t it? Still thinking that Starkey Hearing Foundation is the hero now don’t you? Starting to doubt and that is about the time now that you start to see what Starkey misleading all of you to think. That is just two reasons that Starkey is the enemy in the perspective of Deaf community and to add one more to the countless list of reasons Starkey is hurting a beautiful culture in the Deaf community but Starkey does not care about that a bit as all they care about getting some sizable amounts of money in their pockets by exploiting the Deaf community while giving nothing back in return.
Here is a great video on Starkey Hearing Foundation created by a Deaf person in attempt to get people to understand what Starkey is doing or what Starkey is all about and in this video shows you how Starkey Hearing Foundation perceives Deaf community. Somewhat a poke at Starkey Hearing Foundation for what they doing to the Deaf community. The video was created by well-known Deaf person named Alex Abenchuchan.
Source: Facebook Video.
Personal
Two decades ago when I was at a very age, a child at that time I was sent to audiologist to get a confirmation for my mother for if I am Deaf or Hard of Hearing and the audiologist confirmed that I am hard of hearing. I was suggested to get a hearing aid and a possibility a cochlear implant so we went on to get myself a hearing aid to try it out. When I received the hearing aid that has one hearing aid on the right side with a metal bar which it looks like a headphone but with one speaker, the bar that puts on the top of my head hurts a lot because they can easily scratch off the skins on my head and it was hooked into this one green box that looks almost like an old-fashioned beeper (any of you remember a beeper?!) where I can adjust the volume with on/off switch. After giving it a try, within’ a few days I ditched the hearing aids and ever since then I refuse to wear the hearing aid because it did not work at all for me as all I could hear was a very loud feedback screeching/very high pitch combined which that gives me a major headache every time I try to use it. As for the possibility of cochlear implant, my mother decided that she did not want me to have cochlear implant due to my doctor’s recommending that I NOT to get cochlear implant because the doctor said that it would do more than harms to my nerves in my face and said it is very likely that it would cause paralyze in my face to where I would have no movement in my face whatsoever including my mouth. At the age of child I had no control in decision so I am very thankful that it was decided that I would not get cochlear implant because if it was decided that I do then at this age I would be very upset about it as any other Deaf or Hard of Hearing children would when they becomes an adult.
Which this is why I highly recommend that any parents who have Deaf or Hard of Hearing children that they should NOT get their children cochlear implant because it’s not right if they do so especially at the child’s age as they wouldn’t know how to make a decision and wait until they become older to where they can make a decision independently then ask them if they would like to have cochlear implant or not. Because there are several Deaf or Hard of Hearing individuals had gone and got cochlear implant without their permission then they grew up being very upset at the fact that their parents decided that they gets cochlear implant without their permission as they may not even want the cochlear implant in the first place as I would not which that is something that I am very thankful for. Several audiologists will be coming at you at full force trying to convince you to decide to have your children to have cochlear implant while they are children, I beg you to please do not allow the audiologists to even try to talk you into getting your children in getting cochlear implant because many audiologists are paid by hearing technologies company like Starkey to try to mislead the parents into thinking that their children would be more successful when becomes adult if they go to get cochlear implant without you realizing that giving your children cochlear implant mean that your children will never be playing in sports or doing any activities such as swimming as it would harm your children’s brain because of cochlear implant — They have been proven which you can find some of these researches online.
Support
How can you support Deaf community against audism and the greedy Starkey Hearing Foundation from doing more than harms to the Deaf community? There is a couple of things that you can do to help the Deaf community. Share this article by using the social buttons above or spread the words with everybody you know that what Starkey is doing more than harms to the Deaf community by closing several Deaf schools, hurting Deaf culture and a culture is something that cannot be taken very lightly as its integrated within’ human beings just like other cultures that other people has. If you would like to take more of a direct offensive at Starkey you would help Deaf community in a very big way by sending letters or email to Starkey telling them that they are harming Deaf Culture, causing several Deaf schools to close so that no Deaf and Hard of Hearing children can receive their education from because these are two of many exactly things what Starkey is doing. Deaf community would greatly appreciate you all for your support in any way you can give them!
Over To You
As like a saying goes that nothing can go on forever so this is it as I am running out of the words to say or running out of some sources/researches that I have used in writing which I have always do for most of the articles. To summarize everything into one small piece of a message is that whatever your perspective of Starkey isn’t true as it is something that Starkey Hearing Foundation is good at doing which is to mislead thousands if not millions people. It is shame really. But nonetheless I have read a few of posts in some forums where Deaf or Hard of Hearing individuals share their story about the horrible experiences they have with cochlear implants or hearing aids and the experience of being heavily pressured by audiologists so if you are Deaf or Hard of Hearing I would love to hear your story in the comment section below. If you have success with these hearing technologies I would love to hear them and if you do not have any success with these hearing technologies I would love to hear them too so please share your story by leaving a comment below. If you prefer to share your story privately, you can do so and you are more than welcome to share your story private with me by visiting the contact page under “contact” tab at the top of the weblog here which is a e-mail form so if you would like a response from me then please be sure to put your e-mail address there too.
Joshua “Joshie” Sullivan.
Follow me on Twitter @JoshiesWorld or on other social media! Also be sure to subscribe here and you will be notified when there is a new article posted via your e-mail! Please help spreading the words about JoshiesWorld.com by sharing the website or every new articles to your social profiles such as Facebook, Twitter or Tumblr by using the social buttons at the top of the website or every articles.
