I can muddle along. Sometimes, I catch myself "eavesdropping" when I see people signing in a restaurant. Hard not to eavesdrop. Yes, more and more people are suffering hearing loss. My SIL was a 911 dispatcher for 30 years. Blew out her hearing. Too many years of sirens, screaming yelling people in her ears. She now has hearing aids in both ears.
My daughter was a nanny in college. The little girl she took care of was deaf at birth. When she was around 5 years old the parents did cochlear implants on the child. My daughter said it was just miraculous to watch the child's face as the specialists turned up the volume slowly and the little girl heard her mama's voice for the first time.
And, yes, Cheryl, it never hurts to learn too many languages. When I have a signer that is hard of hearing, I just always try to make sure they can see my lips. Don't necessarily need to speak louder....just clearly and distinctly....slowly.
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