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Is Sam's deafness really that bad?

KayteJKayteJ Posts: 157
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in Big Brother #1
Can anyone tell me how deaf Sam is meant to be?

I was wondering how he hears BB in the Diary room? I know he lip reads...but obviously, that's not possible at times.

Also, i've been trying to find out via Google, but i'm getting conflicting stories. For example, on his BB profile, it says

''Sam was born with 70-80% hearing loss, which his parents discovered when he was 3 years old.''
http://www.bbspy.co.uk/bb14/housemates/sam-evans

However, i also read he was on Deal or No Deal last year, and after checking the DOND fansite, found this post

''Sam talks about his hearing disability and how it wasn't discovered until he was 7. He says he was very fortunate to be able to recover to have 70% of his hearing. ''
http://www.dond.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=23983&st=0&sk=t&sd=a

So, does anyone know for sure?
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    owl61ukowl61uk Posts: 3,008
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    #2
    I am not deaf thank god but would assume that having 70% deafness would make living in BB house very difficult. particularly at the start when there were some many peopl all talking at once

    he does wear hearing aids which are quite noticeable so yes his deafness is quite bad.

    I am sure I noticed last night when big brother was telling them about the twist that he was reading from a piece of paper, which I assume BB gave him explaining the situation
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    wotnotwotnot Posts: 9,565
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    #3
    The equivalent of what Sam would experience would be akin to no hearing at all because what he could hear would be muffled or distorted in some other way. You can tell that Sam was born deaf by the way that he speaks. People who have learnt to speak and then become deaf often have perfect speech. Wearing a hearing aud in an environment with lots of different sounds, like lots of different voices, would be confusing. Certain sounds are amplified by the aid and some sounds would be muted out, this is highly likely to be the reason that Sam keeps out of group conversations.
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    Nesta RobbinsNesta Robbins Posts: 30,889
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    #4
    I've not read anything, but think Sam must have fairly profound deafness, and there have been some hidden challenges for him. As well as not always catching things said unless he's looking directly at someone, he has the added challenge of not picking up on the subtleties, such as tone and pitch of voice.

    He's had some misunderstandings, when someone's been ironic or sarcastic for example and has to go on clues like facial expressions. He sometimes takes things far too literally and reads way too much into words said, and becomes confrontational which gets him in trouble.
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    InMyArmsInMyArms Posts: 50,794
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    #5
    He easily understood the conversation in the bedroom well enough to determine that Dexter is full of "bullshit", even though he only heard it in passing
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    wotnotwotnot Posts: 9,565
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    #6
    I think that's just a rounded opinion of Dexter.
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    SegaGamerSegaGamer Posts: 29,074
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    #7
    InMyArms wrote: »
    He easily understood the conversation in the bedroom well enough to determine that Dexter is full of "bullshit", even though he only heard it in passing

    Well Dexter was speaking loud and clearly so it's hardly surprising.
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    What name??What name?? Posts: 26,623
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    #8
    He is obviously so profoundly deaf it has effected his speech.
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    haphashhaphash Posts: 21,448
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    #9
    What name?? wrote: »
    He is obviously so profoundly deaf it has effected his speech.

    This. Nitpicking over the extent of his deafness is rather distasteful and petty in my view.
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    haphashhaphash Posts: 21,448
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    #10
    What name?? wrote: »
    He is obviously so profoundly deaf it has effected his speech.

    This. Nitpicking over the extent of his deafness is rather distasteful and petty in my view.
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    Nesta RobbinsNesta Robbins Posts: 30,889
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    #11
    InMyArms wrote: »
    He easily understood the conversation in the bedroom well enough to determine that Dexter is full of "bullshit", even though he only heard it in passing

    Well he's had a whole 9 weeks to work that out! ;) but there have been ample times, most recently in the highlights the other night, when he said to BB - I haven't a clue what everyone's singing about, but I'll just join in anyway.
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    JayUK69JayUK69 Posts: 1,643
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    #12
    Personally I think he plays on it and hears a lot more than he lets on.
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    molo flapianmolo flapian Posts: 662
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    #13
    Check out Sam's BB VT.
    He tells us there.

    Warning for the easily offended.
    He does mention his willy expanding
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    BunionsBunions Posts: 15,042
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    #14
    JayUK69 wrote: »
    Personally I think he plays on it and hears a lot more than he lets on.
    Plays on being deaf? That has to be the most offensive and cretinous statement I've read in a long while
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    molo flapianmolo flapian Posts: 662
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    #15
    JayUK69 wrote: »
    Personally I think he plays on it and hears a lot more than he lets on.

    No, he hears a lot less than he let's on.

    Talked to Gina about that one he has.
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    keeping_it_realkeeping_it_real Posts: 3,091
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    #16
    He's obviously profoundly deaf for it to have affected his speech.

    My dad is deaf but with a hearing aid he'd have been able to make out what Dexter was saying in a room with nobody else talking. In a group discussion or with background noise he'd struggle, even with a hearing aid.
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    Seanieb1983Seanieb1983 Posts: 1,127
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    #17
    Some of you will pick at anything to discredit a housemate won't you.
    JayUK69 wrote: »
    Personally I think he plays on it and hears a lot more than he lets on.
    Are you for real?

    I mean really, come on. He clearly has problems hearing, so much so that its affected his speech. But you're saying he's faked it to the point where he can't pronounce his words clearly.

    Idiot.
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    [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 12,003
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    #18
    Bunions wrote: »
    Plays on being deaf? That has to be the most offensive and cretinous statement I've read in a long while
    Oh trust me, it's been going on and on and on for weeks, in endless threads like this that don't ask any new questions or make any new points and sadly populated by people without any thought or sensibilities to others.
    *sighs* (and believe me, I don't do that lightly)
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    JayUK69JayUK69 Posts: 1,643
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    #19
    Seanieb1983 wrote: »
    Some of you will pick at anything to discredit a housemate won't you.


    Are you for real?

    I mean really, come on. He clearly has problems hearing, so much so that its affected his speech. But you're saying he's faked it to the point where he can't pronounce his words clearly.

    Idiot.

    I never said he faked it, dumb ****. I said he probably hears more than he lets on. As in, he complained that he couldn't join in as he struggled to hear multiple conversations, which in recent weeks he hasn't seemed to have a problem with.
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    MACTOWINMACTOWIN Posts: 34,978
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    #20
    On last nights h/l's he heard what Dexter said despite the fact that he was about 10 feet away with his back to him I could not believe it in fact I rewound it to double check.
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    fischfisch Posts: 9,684
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    #21
    haphash wrote: »
    This. Nitpicking over the extent of his deafness is rather distasteful and petty in my view.

    I totally agree and find this thread appalling is that what this forum has come down to questioning somebodies level of disability?:mad:
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    fischfisch Posts: 9,684
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    #22
    JayUK69 wrote: »
    I never said he faked it, dumb ****. I said he probably hears more than he lets on. As in, he complained that he couldn't join in as he struggled to hear multiple conversations, which in recent weeks he hasn't seemed to have a problem with.

    For the obvious reason there are less people in there all talking at once.
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    [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 12,003
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    #23
    JayUK69 wrote: »
    dumb ****.

    Nope, not funny, not friendly. :(:(:(
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    Kopite1763Kopite1763 Posts: 6,835
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    #24
    JayUK69 wrote: »
    I never said he faked it, dumb ****. I said he probably hears more than he lets on. As in, he complained that he couldn't join in as he struggled to hear multiple conversations, which in recent weeks he hasn't seemed to have a problem with.

    Perhaps he hasnt struggled so much, as you put it, because there are less people in the house, and therefore less people speaking all at once!
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    JayUK69JayUK69 Posts: 1,643
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    #25
    fisch wrote: »
    For the obvious reason there are less people in there all talking at once.

    Yet, as someone already pointed out, he heard Dexter perfectly well even having his back towards him.

    He has played on his deafness all series as a way of keeping low as he supposedly couldn't understand anything, only to try and get involved at the last minute to try and win.
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    Wildrover06Wildrover06 Posts: 4,227
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    #26
    Sam has already stated that they use an audio induction loop system which enables him to hear more clearly in the diary room.

    I can't figure out why the OP is questioning Sam's hearing difficulties, or what 'percentage' hearing loss they think it is. It's not all about percentages. Little things like distinguishing between backround noise & other sounds obviously come into play.

    Anyone who has had ear infections & has had to have their ears packed with gauze soaked in antibiotic would have some small idea of what people with hearing loss have to deal with 24\7, & that isn't even a good enough comparison.
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