More fiddling than I can manage

Hearing loss and door entry phones

Hello, Who’s There?
Push button – BUZZZZ.

Voice – “Hello”.

Me – “I’ve got an appointment for 1.”

Voice – “Sorry, couldn’t hear, that bus drowned you out.”

Me – “Pardon, I couldn’t hear because of that bus stopped out here.”

Voice – “Couldn’t hear,”

“That’s right.”

“What?”

“Yes, couldn’t hear,”

“that’s what I said.”

“I missed what you said.”

“I didn’t hear you”.

“Neither did I.”

“It’s the noise in the street. What did you want?”

“I’ve got an appointment for 1,”

“for?”

“Not 4, 1,”

“we need at least 24 hours to change the time of an appointment.”

“I’m sorry, some people are making a racket, I couldn’t make out what you said,”

“it’s too late to change an appointment today.”

“I don’t want to change my appointment,

“(Huffy tone)When is it?”

“In 5 minutes.”

“(Increased level of huffiness) It’ll take a lot more than 5 minutes.”

“Yes, I know.”

“If you go you still be charged for the appointment you’ve made.”

“No. That’s not what I‘m saying – I’ve got an appointment for 1.”

“Number 41 is on the other side of the road, we’re 38.”

“No, this is where I have an appointment.”

“So you do have an appointment, what time?”

“I’ve already told you – 1!”

“You’re late, what is it for?”

“I’ve got a sexually transmitted disease.”

“We’re solicitors, not Doctors!”

Then what the hell are you asking pointless questions for? Open the damn door.”

Buzz, door clunks open and a small voice crackles through the speaker, “Well, there’s no need to be rude!”

Yup, I made that up. But entry door phones can be that frustrating when there is background noise on the caller’s end – which, because it is by necessity outside of a building, there inevitably is plenty of – and anyway, the person answering doesn’t always speak clearly or loudly. I don’t like standing outside a building, stooping to a small grille trying to make out what someone is saying.

I’m fortunate to have very good hearing, for a deaf person the problems start as soon as they see a locked door with a row of buttons and numbers. I won’t waste your time by listing the problems faced by a deaf person, on their own, when faced by an intercom. I guess they have to hope someone is there on the other end and they A:- actually heard the buzz, B:- answered and is waiting for a response, C:- not ignoring the intercom because the office is shut for lunch. What helpful guidelines are printed in big letters to help the deaf caller – none that I saw last week – and that was at an ‘official agency’, where they should know better. Isn’t that discrimination?

I held back uploading this, was I overreacting? No, I decided whilst stood outside the Police station. I’d driven over to report a real crime (not like when my imagination ran riot a while back) and found the station is unmanned. The station may be unmanned but the town is busy, and the roads even busier. I couldn’t understand what was coming through the tiny group of holes that made up the speaker part of the intercom. Wouldn’t that be an intercom used by people needing help from the police?After a while I gave up, went back to my car and used my mobile.

How is a deaf person supposed to cope, how do they cope? Or do those in charge think deaf people shouldn’t be out on their own?