Living Without Hearing
- Spend an hour “observing” without using your ears — rely on sight, smell, touch (if appropriate). This can be accomplished by some earplugs. During the hour, try to do several different things (e.g., some students have attempted watching television, you can also try some of the activities used with the earlier Activity: Living Without Sight).
- After the observation time has elapsed, write down what you were able to notice. Don’t forget to talk about each of the other senses you were using. Were there any surprises? How was it trying to figure out what was going on without hearing? What information did you pick up on that you may have ignored if you were using your ears? Have your views about deafness changed now that you have gone for one hour without hearing?