{"id":595,"date":"2025-08-12T01:51:00","date_gmt":"2025-08-11T23:51:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/silentcourageauthor.com\/silent-scribbles\/?p=595"},"modified":"2025-08-06T14:44:53","modified_gmt":"2025-08-06T12:44:53","slug":"drivers-licence-with-hearing-loss","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/silentcourageauthor.com\/silent-scribbles\/drivers-licence-with-hearing-loss\/","title":{"rendered":"My Worst Hearing Loss Experience Ever"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>\u201cThe only disability in life is a bad attitude.\u201d Scott Hamilton, American figure skater.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Renewing a driver\u2019s licence with hearing loss should be simple\u2014but in reality, it often exposes the cracks in how public services handle accessibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Last night, just before I drifted off to sleep, I had a sudden thought: <em>Isn\u2019t it nearly time to renew my driver\u2019s licence?<\/em> I last did it during COVID in 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Oh no.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">My stomach tightened at the memory because I can still remember exactly how it went the last time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In South Africa, we renew our driver\u2019s licences every five years. It sounds simple enough: fill out a form, do an eye test, pay the fee, and wait six weeks to collect. Yet every South African dreads it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Why?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Because the licensing departments are notoriously unpleasant. Staff are often dismissive, rude, and anything but service-oriented.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And during the COVID-19 pandemic, things were even worse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>I thought renewing my driver\u2019s licence with hearing loss would just be uncomfortable. I didn\u2019t expect it to become traumatic.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_89 ez-toc-wrap-center counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title ez-toc-toggle\" style=\"cursor:pointer\">Post Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 eztoc-toggle-hide-by-default' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/silentcourageauthor.com\/silent-scribbles\/drivers-licence-with-hearing-loss\/#A_Routine_Task_That_Turned_Into_Trauma\" >A Routine Task That Turned Into Trauma<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/silentcourageauthor.com\/silent-scribbles\/drivers-licence-with-hearing-loss\/#The_Real_Disability_Isnt_Always_Visible\" >The Real Disability Isn\u2019t Always Visible<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/silentcourageauthor.com\/silent-scribbles\/drivers-licence-with-hearing-loss\/#Quiet_Words_that_Linger\" >Quiet Words that Linger.<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"A_Routine_Task_That_Turned_Into_Trauma\"><\/span>A Routine Task That Turned Into Trauma<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I had to book an appointment due to the limited number of people allowed per area. The only available slot was in Vereeniging\u2014almost an hour from Alberton.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">My husband came with me, mainly for safety. These offices are often in isolated industrial areas, and walking in alone didn\u2019t feel safe. But I never imagined that day would become my most traumatic hearing loss experience ever\u2014<strong>and that my husband would become my lifeline.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When we arrived, they initially refused to let him in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Luckily, after we explained that I have hearing loss and need his help to communicate, they allowed it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We joined the line outside, queuing in the full South African summer sun\u2014it was December, and the heat was brutal. My husband offered to stand in line while I waited in the shade. Not just to prevent sunburn, but because we\u2019d learned during the COVID vaccine queue that standing too long makes my blood pressure drop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Eventually, we made it inside. But the building was hot, crowded, and loud. There were no signs. No visual guidance. No clue what to do next.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When I finally reached the front, I handed over my completed form\u2014hoping that would speed things up. But I couldn\u2019t hear a word. The staff were masked, the speech was muffled, and the background noise was overwhelming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Even my husband struggled to understand.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We asked them to repeat what they said, but that was met with eye rolls and irritation. Eventually, we worked out that we had to leave the building again and wait at another door.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We were being shuffled around like cattle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>No guidance. No communication. No care.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>For anyone renewing a driver\u2019s licence with hearing loss, clear communication is essential\u2014but often completely missing.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I somehow managed to complete the eye test and hand over my documentation, but then I panicked. I didn\u2019t know what was happening. I didn\u2019t know where to go. And my documents were no longer with me. I was terrified that I\u2019d have to come back and go through it all again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Eventually, they called my name and told me to go and pay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It had taken three hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Whether you live with hearing loss or another disability, renewing your driver\u2019s licence can be a painful reminder that inclusion is still optional.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>By then, we were exhausted. <\/strong>My husband stopped at a nearby garage just so we could use a bathroom, because the facilities at the licensing office were filthy. I honestly can\u2019t imagine the last time they\u2019d been cleaned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And the worst part? I still had to go back six weeks later to collect the card.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Real_Disability_Isnt_Always_Visible\"><\/span>The Real Disability Isn\u2019t Always Visible<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I grew up with hearing loss in a hearing world. I attended mainstream schools and colleges. I worked in construction for 17 years, without special accommodations. <a href=\"https:\/\/silentcourageauthor.com\/silent-scribbles\/introverts-with-hearing-loss-book\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"317\">I\u2019ve learned to cope.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But that day, I felt <em>degraded<\/em>. <em>Helpless<\/em>. <em>Totally out of control<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If my husband hadn\u2019t been there, I would\u2019ve walked out without finishing the process. Because there were <strong>no<\/strong> <strong>accommodations<\/strong> for hearing loss. None.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Who, then, had the disability that day?<\/em><br>Me\u2014doing my best to cope and communicate in a chaotic, unwelcoming space?<br>Or the staff, whose bad attitudes made human connection impossible?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Unfortunately, this is normal at licensing departments in South Africa. It\u2019s why so many of us dread having to renew anything. You\u2019re made to feel like a problem just for needing clarity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Maybe, just maybe, the real disability that day wasn\u2019t mine at all.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This morning, the first thing I did was check my licence expiry date\u2014and sighed with relief.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I had forgotten that I only renewed it in 2021.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So, I still have a year\u2019s grace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But I\u2019m already dreading the next round.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br>Do you have a traumatic hearing loss experience to share?<br>Or a moment where you were left completely alone in a system that didn\u2019t even try to see you?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I\u2019d love to hear it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide\"\/>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-c020569f wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Quiet_Words_that_Linger\"><\/span>Quiet Words that Linger.<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If this reflection resonated, you\u2019re warmly invited to explore my <em>Silent Courage<\/em> course collection, offering practical and reflective support for introverts and people with hearing loss navigating life, communication, and connection at their own pace. <a href=\"https:\/\/store.silentcourageauthor.com\/collection\/empowered-and-heard-course\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Browse the available courses here.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u201cThe only disability in life is a bad attitude.\u201d Scott Hamilton, American figure skater. Renewing a driver\u2019s licence with hearing loss should be simple\u2014but in reality, it often exposes the cracks in how public services handle accessibility. Last night, just before I drifted off to sleep, I had a sudden thought: Isn\u2019t it nearly time [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[206,207,209,14,211,208,210],"class_list":["post-595","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-hearing-loss","tag-accessibility","tag-communication","tag-disability-rights","tag-hearing-loss","tag-inclusion","tag-public-services","tag-traumatic-experiences"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/silentcourageauthor.com\/silent-scribbles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/595","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/silentcourageauthor.com\/silent-scribbles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/silentcourageauthor.com\/silent-scribbles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/silentcourageauthor.com\/silent-scribbles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/silentcourageauthor.com\/silent-scribbles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=595"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/silentcourageauthor.com\/silent-scribbles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/595\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":607,"href":"https:\/\/silentcourageauthor.com\/silent-scribbles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/595\/revisions\/607"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/silentcourageauthor.com\/silent-scribbles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=595"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/silentcourageauthor.com\/silent-scribbles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=595"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/silentcourageauthor.com\/silent-scribbles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=595"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}