Our purpose is seeking people who are Advocates or others that are seeking ways to become enlightened so that they may learn how to reach out to others that live in the World of being Hearing Impaired. We must recognize the uniqueness of each of our own personal needs. In seeking social, educational and leadership roles that others have achieved, it is the goal of this group that leads us to provide development of personal advocacy skills in their desires to grow and be a very important part of our community.
Define your hearing loss..........
"I have had 2 CI surgeries, so am totally deaf in both ears without the CIs. I wear a Clarion CII Bionic Ear in the left ear, and with that, my loss is in the mild to moderate range. I don't wear the processor in the other ear because I don't hear well with it. What I hear is distorted. My loss started at age 15, slow progressive bilateral. By the time I was in my early 40s it was profound in both ears."
Do you remember the first time you felt you wanted to be an advocate for the HOH/Deaf?......
"Probably when I was working as a medical social worker for the county health deptartment, visiting people in their homes who were ill and dying. My hearing loss was getting worse and worse, and nobody understood what a hard time I was having. Nobody was there to advocate for me, and I had difficulty advocating for myself in this area, although I was very good at advocating for my patients/clients."
What was it that got you started in being a voice for the HOH community?.......
"One of my clients during that time (working as a social worker for county health dept) was quadriplegic, and she was dealing with depression over her home care services. She needed and still needs many hours of care per day just to get her up and going, and ready for bed at night. She is very active in advocacy and single-handedly founded our local independence center. I advocated for her with our department to get things changed so that she would be able to direct her own care. This experience, my helping her with this, bonded us for life. She strongly encouraged me to become involved with community advocacy, and to focus on my own disability (hearing loss), and to become involved with her agency, which is now called 'Access to Independence.'"
How did you first approach this, in order to begin? ......
"In the fall of 2002 I was asked by my friend if I'd be willing to become a member of the Board of Directors of Access to Independence. I said yes, I would. Then I got a call from a board member, was invited to a meeting, was voted onto the board, and I've been on it ever since. In fact, I am now on the executive board as an officer (secretary). As a board member with a disability, I am often asked to speak at the college and to local groups about what it's like to live successfully with hearing loss."
What does being an Advocate for the HOH mean to you? ......
"Well, I am actually an advocate for all people with disabilities, not just people with hearing loss. To me it means just that, advocating for all people who are at a disadvantage because of disability, whether visible or invisible. To be an advocate for the hard of hearing, to me, means that I need to educate! I try to educate both the hard of hearing/deaf *and* the hearing, about what hearing loss is like, how hearing losses vary so what works for one person won't necessarily work for another (i.e sign language, captioning, CART, notetaking, oral interpretation, etc), and what we/they can do to help ourselves/us comprehend what's going on around us better. I try to encourage other hard of hearing/deaf to know what's out there in assistive devices that can help us enjoy life more and communicate better. I try to empower other hard of hearing individuals, so that they can have the best possible quality of life."
What advice would you give others that want to be a voice in their community? .....
"Be willing to be interviewed for the newspaper. I've been the subject of a couple of feature articles over the years. Find out where your local independence center is, or if you perhaps are fortunate enough to have a deaf/hard of hearing agency associated with your state. New York State doesn't have one. Look around, ask, find out where you can fit in. It's going to be different for everyone depending on where you live."
What was the hardest thing for you and what did you find out in the beginning when you wanted your views and voice heard, that you learned and has helped you through the hard times......?
"The most difficult thing for me was the fact that New York State has no state agency for the deaf/hard of hearing. Nothing. Until a few years ago, we had no bona-fide "independence center." My friend was working out of a borrowed cubby on her own time. When I tried to reach out to find other deaf/hard of hearing in my locality, I found there weren't many, and those that are here don't want to come out and be heard/seen. Hearing loss is a problem that often "stays in the closet." People are ashamed of it. What has helped me thru the hard times was probably my faith in God and a certain stubbornness in me that never goes away. I have a "never give up" mentality. I keep plugging somehow. It all works out eventually."
What is it that defines what you do today? ...
"I just want to do what I can to help others who are deaf/hard of hearing so they don't have to go through what I went through, all those years that my hearing loss was progressive. Those were hard years!! If I can make life easier for just one person, I've accomplished something."
What are some of the things that you have found out that you would like to accomplish as part of one of your goals in life?....
"I have found out that it's easier to cope with being hard of hearing if you know others who are hard of hearing....our loss is one that isolates, and we really need support from others who have similar problems, so that we don't feel so "alone." This is why one of my main goals is to get a hard of hearing support group going in my area. I'm not sure how I'm going to do this. We've had 3 meetings. The group is small. There are *not* many hard of hearing people here coming out of their closets. I understand why. Meetings are not generally "fun" for people who have hearing loss and can't hear at meetings!"
Linda, in your work to reach out to helping others what would you say has been effective, and the things that haven't been effective?....
"Telling my personal story with sincerity and honesty is what works best. Not being at all defensive, and being humble. Not being at all angry. There was a time when I was so angry about my hearing loss, and that anger came out at the people I was trying to persuade to help me, and that did *NOT* work!"
Linda, you are a voice for the HOH community, what would you say is one of your proudest moments your voice has been for you?....
"The moments that I receive thank you notes from the Special Ed students at the college (they are in training to be students of special education), thanking me for speaking to them, and telling how much it helped them, I feel a sense of pride. Also, shock that I am able to do this, get in front of people like this!"
What do you feel was some of the most difficult reasons for you to reach some of your goals?....
"For so long, there was really no way to access this population in my neck of the woods, due to there being no support groups, no access centers, no statewide commission. It's very rural where I live."
I, personally as do many other members, know you have been a very important part of not just the SWC, but where else do you seek and help others?
"My work as a board member of Access to Independence (for my county) is my vehicle for trying to reach out and help others with hearing loss and other disabilities. Also, in my employment as an adult protective/long term care caseworker, I am able to help others."
How do you try and make it known to those that may need your guidance or help, that you are a voice in your community? Would your work speak for itself in different ways, or just by word of mouth that you become known?....
"Occasionally I agree to be the subject of a newspaper article. Otherwise, I just let the Access Center know that I'm available as needed, for 'whatever.' Also my work as founder and facilitator of the local hearing loss support group will continue to grow and eventually, the community will know that I'm trying to help 'my' population."
Where do you feel has been the best field for you, in being an advocate where you have helped people the most?....
"Probably I've done the most in my employment, advocating for people with various disabilities/deficits as well as for the elderly."
In being an Advocate in your community, it usually is a one person job rather than a team of people. This must get lonely at times, so what drives you to keep on going?....
"I am fortunate to have Access to Independence as a springboard, so to speak, for my activities. Even though I'm the only hard of hearing advocate, I don't feel alone. There are others out there with disabilities, some are invisible like mine, and I feel we're all equal, or should be. I know I'm making some progress, albeit slow, in making the community aware that hearing loss is an issue a lot of us have and that it needs to be addressed."
I've sure you must have had moments where being an advocate has been painful, extremely at times, especially when people didn't understand the goals you were trying to accomplish, or those close to you didn't share your passion, or didn't offer to help, what suggestions would you give others that may or will be going through the same thing in order to encourage them to keep up the good work?....
"I just tell people not to give up. To keep on plugging. It's what has worked for me. If the time isn't right today, if you don't get the response you want today, try next week, or next month, or next year. Or try a different approach. Just don't give UP!"
Finally when all things have been done and said, how would "LINDA STOCK" like to be thought of and remembered in our unique World of the Hearing Impaired?
"That's easy. I want to be remembered as 'ONE OF US'............"
As someone like myself, who knows a few things about advocating, I would like to add that in doing this interview with you, Linda you helped me grow at lengths that I can't describe in words...........You brought me an even greater passion and joy in working with the goals stated in our Mission Statement......The role you have presented and the examples you have shown, will without a doubt, make things a little easier for the rest of us in trying to accomplish our goals, as you have set a standard in which all of us can and hopefully achieve, and you have given us a place where we all belong........"One of Us."