Group of International Hard of Hearing Advocates in Attendance at IFHOHYP Conference
By Gemma Grego
Growing up with hearing loss was not the easiest of experiences. Always having a group of amazing friends and family around me was fantastic, but it was hard knowing that none of them could truly relate to the daily challenges of my world. For so long, a void had lingered in my life, born from the feeling that no one could truly relate to my experiences with hearing loss. This emptiness seemed unfillable—until, unexpectedly, it wasn’t. It took several years, but eventually, this void began to fill with immense love, connection, and joy. It took travelling eight hours on a plane, across continents and oceans, to find what I had been missing. It was my trip to France with The International Federation of Hard of Hearing Young People (IFHOHYP) that changed everything. On this trip, I met people from all corners of the globe, each of us different yet so profoundly connected by our shared experiences of living with hearing loss. For the first time, I felt truly understood.
The conference was held in the fairy tale city of Strasbourg, France. As soon as I arrived, I was welcomed into a community that spoke my language—not in words, but in experiences and accessibility. We shared stories, exchanged smiles that needed no translation, and understood the silence that spoke volumes.
Accessibility at the conference in Europe was something I had never seen before in North America. The entire room was equipped with microphones that could directly stream to my hearing aids, and sign language interpreters were on site and with us in all hours of the conference. My favourite part was the incredible palantypists who were typing away the live speech that was broadcasted on a giant screen where everyone could follow along similar to closed captioning on a television. This ease of movement and accessibility was empowering. As each day unfolded with a new sense of inclusion, the void I had felt my entire life was finally getting filled so fast. This thoughtful and accommodating setup allowed me and my hard of hearing international peers to engage fully in every session, topic and conversation without the usual fear of missing out on what was said. It was almost as if I walked into a world where the barriers I had faced my entire life had disappeared, allowing me to immerse my whole self completely in the learning and new networking opportunities.
Gemma Presenting at IFHOHYP Conference
One of the discussions focused on advocacy and inclusion in sports. Here, I shared my passion for soccer, discussing how all sports can be adapted to include athletes with hearing loss. We brainstormed ways to make auditory cues visual or tactile and how to foster communication and teamwork with hard of hearing individuals. This session not only broadened my understanding but also ignited a desire to advocate for these adaptations in Canada.
Perhaps what surprised me most was the universal nature of our struggles and triumphs. Despite the diversity in our backgrounds or the countries we lived in, the stories I heard echoed my own. This revelation was both comforting and motivating. It showed me that while our challenges are universal, so too is our resilience. The journey did not just fill that void with moments of connection but planted seeds of a lifelong mission within me. Today, I am more committed than ever to advocating for the hard of hearing community. My aspirations stretch beyond just making a difference; I aim to transform the landscape of accessibility and inclusion, ensuring that no one has to feel the isolation that myself or my international heard of hearing peers once felt. And I am forever thankful to this event and to IFHOHYP and CHHA for helping me realize that I too can positively contribute to filling this void in our world.
As I reflect on my journey, I look across my desk and see the blue string bracelet hanging on my Eiffel Tower replica – a reminder of where I started and the paths yet to explore. In my activity at IFHOHYP I knew I was a part of something bigger than myself. I took the scissors and cut a piece of the string to keep with me forever, crafting it into a bracelet that symbolizes the unbreakable bond and shared journey with those who understand my silence. The world is so vast, yet our shared experiences bridge distances, proving that in the realm of understanding and empathy, there are no borders. Only connections, waiting to be made.
A Web of String Activity Showing Our Connection to Each Other No Matter Where We Are.
I encourage everyone reading this to remember that you are never alone in your experiences. There are people, associations, mentors, and organizations—including CHHA and IFHOHYP—ready to support you. Unfortunately, not all of us are aware of these resources, as accessibility and awareness are ongoing challenges that we must tirelessly work to improve. Inspired by my time at the conference, I made a personal commitment: if there’s anything I can do to prevent another person from feeling isolated as a hard of hearing individual, I will act. This motivation inspired me to create the @gghearing Instagram account, a platform dedicated to promoting advocacy and improving accessibility for the hard of hearing and deaf communities. I am incredibly grateful to CHHA for introducing me to the IFHOHYP community, a connection that has not only filled a long-standing void but has profoundly enriched my life.
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