One question that we get asked from time to time is how women with hearing aids and cochlear implants manage to wear head scarves. Does it affect the device’s functionality? How about volume level? Will the sound be muffled? Enter Wrapunzel fangroup member Mia, who ever so graciously made us this informative video on the ins and outs of wrapping with hearing equipment! She uses Wrapunzel head scarves and wrapping accessories to show you how it’s done and shares some incredibly useful tips and tricks, as well. Thank you, Mia!!!
Do you wrap your head with hearing equipment? What works for you? We’d LOVE to hear about it in the comments below!
The Wrapunzel Blog 
Excellent job Mia!!
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Thank you, Mia. You did a great job. The video is very well done. I had wondered about how the scarf over the ears would muffle sounds, but it actually might help to keep out extraneous noises that I’ve heard can occur with hearing aids by muffling them. I don’t need hearing aids now, but as I get older (I’m 64 now) I just might eventually.
My problem, though, is that with my glasses I haven’t been able to cover my ears. I’m constantly removing and/or adjusting my glasses throughout the day. But, then the glasses get stretched and don’t fit well.
So, I might just try it the way Mia shows with the scarf being looser over the ears. This way, I’ll try it by having my glasses on after putting on the shaper, but before I wrap, and with the scarf looser over the ears like with the hearing aides. I’ve been afraid to cover my ears so I don’t have my hair pull out every time I remove or adjust my glasses. And, the idea of muffling the sound might work to my benefit as I have fibromyalgia and ADD both of which make me extra sensitive to noise.
And, my fibromyalgia makes my ears and neck more sensitive so adjusting the shaper as well as the scarf to be looser around the ears and neck is a great idea.
Mia, I will try your ideas now with my glasses. Thank you.
Diane
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I hope it works out! Basically anytime you have hard plastic behind the ears, whether hearing aids or glasses, it generally is good to try having the velvet and the scarf be a bit looser so that they don’t get squished as much.
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For me I prefer to have the sounds a bit muffled because otherwise it can get overwhelming and I work alone so not hearing other people isn’t a problem. Plus if there’s nonsense noise or talking going on I don’t have to hear that either lol .
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I’m hard of hearing and I just wrap my tichels with my ears out all the time. If I have them in, I can’t hear a thing, especially with background noise. I don’t have an implant, but it’s only a matter of time before I need a hearing aide. When that happens, I imagine nothing will change, I’ll just continue to always have my ears out.
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So pleased as someone active in the D/deaf community that this video has been made; also that you had the foresight to make the video with subtitles. I will be spreading the word:-)
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This is genuinely my favorite video here so far
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Thanks for this video! I want wear scarves but I wear a BTE hearing aid and reading glasses. Your video shows me how I can do it. Now I have to learn some styles!
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Thank you Mia for sharing wonderful video regarding about wearing scarves and I am grateful that you made the effort to include captions as well for extra understanding. I am profound deaf since I was born and for the first 33yrs I wore hearing aids but because I was an atheist I did not wear any head coverings. Until I embraced Islam and became a Muslim myself 3 yrs ago, I made the decision to wear hijab only when I’m out in public or in front of male strangers/non family male members. So I wear hijab full coverage no ears are exposed at all, the problem is hearing aids giving a lot of annoying feedbacks no matter whether it’s loose or tight with or without headbands underneath the scarf. Headbands are important for me because it keeps my hair intact under the scarf. I’ve tried to adjust volume/position to avoid feedbacks but none worked so I have not wore hearing aids since then. My husband would tell me that my hearing aids are making a lot of noise since I could not tell whether it’s the feedback or ringing in the ear (tinnitus). I hope there is other better solution or is there any hearing aids that are suitable for full coverage hijab. Without hearing aids I have no problem out in public as I can lip-read, speak and communicate well I don’t use sign language but is currently learning ASL at the school because I want to become an interpreter for the deaf in the future and help deaf communities. Therefore it is very important for me to have hearing aids because I need to hear a lot of things required for the job I’m studying. I would be grateful if anyone out there have similar experience/problem and found better solution to share with me? Thanks.
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Hi Risa.
If your hearing aids are whistling/giving feedback noises, they have not been set up properly by the audiology department. Sometimes this isn’t always obvious at the time and only afterwards. I urge you to contact the department and ask for an appointment for them to be re-setup. You should never feel you should have to ‘just get by’ and it is your right to have a good service as best as possible.Your hijab should not be an issue as when you bring it over your head and around to pin under your chin, you can just make it a little looser to allow for your aids.
Regarding becoming an interpreter: Although I am in England and our sign language is BSL, I am sure the pathway will be similar. I cannot say it is going to be a quick path. To be fully qualified here you are looking at around 8 years; if you find you are a natural a little quicker. Over here it is also expensive and most ‘terps’ have had to take loans out to cover the costs. At one time our Government would pay for those on certain benefits up to level 3. Now if you are lucky it is only level 1. The reason it takes so long is that you are not just learning a straightforward language as ASL/BSL is not universal. There are regional variations. It can be very funny when you watch Deaf folk arguing about which sign is right. I remember being corrected on something and another Deaf person interrupted saying, ‘No, that is not right, you are teaching her wrong. It is like this.’ Next thing is I was completely forgotten as the 2 of them were arguing away as to which was correct. Of course both versions were correct:-). If you still want to go ahead you will also need to learn about Deaf culture. For example starting at the beginning between Deaf or deaf? The best way is to totally immerse yourself in the Deaf community and there is no better time to start than now:-).
Going back to wrapping: Mia’s video is really good, and I would encourage you to not lose faith (excuse the pun, not deliberate). Do get your HA’s checked out and recalibrated. I don’t know if they are analogue or digital but the digital ones have really come on well now, and if possible opt for those if you haven’t already. Soon you will be wearing them along with your hijab with confidence again I hope. Any other questions please ask and I will be happy to help.
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Hello Pauline,
Thank you for your advice and sharing your experience/knowledge I am very much appreciated for your kindness 😊.
It was Canadian audiologist I was seeing at that time while I was working in Canada then I moved to USA in the last 10yrs. USA system are terrible when it comes to audiologist n too expensive. Both audiologists are not doing a good job like I had in NZ. I was born in Japan with deafness in both ears and living in Japan was very harsh especially when people with disabilities wanting to have a normal life, they were given little or no opportunities. I learn to speak and hear and have not learn any signlanguage while I was growing up.
For that reason why my family immigrated to NZ for better opportunities for me, I was referred to attend Van Asch deaf school because I had no knowledge of English language and was recommended to attend there. At the same time I’ve learnt NZ sign language (NZSL) as well something I had no idea that’s how deaf communicates with and that’s a first I saw with my own eyes. I’ve learnt both English and NZSL fast but I decided to leave deaf school because their environment was something I’m not comfortable with (deaf told me to stop talking and start using signlanguage full time and stop talking to hearing people). So I went to all hearing schools because I hear and speak very well with ease. I’ve been working in horse business for 18yrs in NZ, Australia, Canada n USA until I quit horse business 2yrs ago when I became a Muslim. So I want to focus on helping deaf communities.
NZSL are very similar to yours so I already know, as for ASL it’s completely different to ours that’s why I am studying to become an interpreter to help deaf communities. Some ASL are similar but their grammar are completely different in which are confusing and not adjust/used to. Unlike NZ we communicate full correct grammar no skipping or shorten sentences, I don’t know about BSL but ASL it’s mixed up and confusing and are easily fall into bad habits of incorrect grammar or translate their ASL grammar into their writing in which are big concern. I’ve been attending Katzenbach school for the deaf in New Jersey, now into 3rd semester, to learn ASL and talking to teachers there asking around and to have a better understanding why they are using that grammar, they all knows that’s why they have programs for each individuals etc.
Thank you again for your kindness and sharing.
Cheers from Risa
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Risa, I am extremely impressed with you and your goals. I believe that it is great that you can hear/speak as well as communicate with different sign languages, and moving to where you can learn what you need to know. You haven’t let your deafness stop you nor have you done like the others you mention who isolate themselves. You are to be commended for making yourself not only into better person as but also now you are preparing to share your knowledge help others in your situation.
I know from my husband being a retired US Marine, how he and so many others have lost hearing thanks to being in wars. Even the Veterans Administration has a year to wait to get hearing aides. So, it’s not only in the private sector in the United States.
I admire your tenacity and resilience in fighting for yourself. What a great role model you are! You are definitely an inspiration.
Thanks for sharing your story. And may you get the auditory help you need.
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Hello Diane,
Thank you for your kind support and encouragement. I will try my best to help other deaf and hard hearing in need of assistance, and it’s time for me to help them to gain more confidence outside their comfort zone by sharing my experiences with them. Being deaf or hard hearing are not that difficult if they were given opportunity to prove themselves, but there are many families with deaf/hard hearing could not provide support or education because of either financial or environment factors that prevents them from achieving their goal. They are often looked down or treated like dumb and I know how they are feeling because I’ve been there myself before especially people who doesn’t know me or have the chance to find out (they freak out as soon as they hear the “deaf” word even after having normal conversation).
Like my boss I first worked with here in USA, his advice was “What destroys you makes you stronger” and he is right, he made me who I am today by leaving me in charge of doing all the horse business alone. He helped me face my fears and challenges that no other boss done for me in the past. I am thankful for the opportunities I have given and in return I will help them face the real world out there to prove them wrong.
I pray for all the Marines/Veterans to get all the help they need and I know how important to have hearing especially losing their hearing during/after their deployment. It’s not easy living without hearing, same for me I need hearing aids even I am deaf.
Kind regards, Risa
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Risa, because we have drifted away from wrapping maybe you would like to stay in touch then we can discuss D/deaf matters further? If you would like that then feel free to email me. Initially at cryptobrit AT gmail DOT com if you get the drift. Done like that it stops any possible ‘Spybots’ from picking up the email address. With respect to Andrea’s blog it is probably best to do this. Hope that is okay with you.
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