Anne Greatbatch with a device that helps alert someone with a hearing impairment when their smoke alarm goes off. Photo / Leanne Warr
Anne Greatbatch with a device that helps alert someone with a hearing impairment when their smoke alarm goes off. Photo / Leanne Warr
Anne Greatbatch didn’t set out to find a role working in the hearing sector, but was drawn by the prospect of gifting the hearing impaired “a voice”.
The Dannevirke hearing therapist is now retiring after 33 years of working with people with hearing difficulties.
She was in her early 30sand a mum to four children when she saw the role with the Hearing Association advertised, and decided to go for it because it was part time during school hours.
“It wasn’t so easy for women to work. Childcare was sort of available, but it wasn’t a realistic option.”
Her only experience with hearing problems was through family, particularly her grandfather, who had hearing loss.
“I can remember seeing him struggling with hearing my parents talking to him.”
She said she could remember seeing him sitting in the corner of his lounge and people yelling at him.
Now with the knowledge and experience she has gained over the past three decades, Greatbatch said if she had known then what she knew now, she might have been able to have a good conversation with him.
The role started off under the Hearing Association but after funding was restructured, the contract was held by the National Foundation for the Deaf.
About three years later, Life Unlimited took it over where it has remained since, although the organisation has since had a name change to Your Way/Kia Roha.
Anne Greatbatch has enjoyed her time working as a hearing therapist in Dannevirke. Photo / Leanne Warr
When Greatbatch applied for the job, she wanted something that would give her a career pathway but allow her to work within the Dannevirke community.
At first, she had to do some training, leaving her husband behind to run his business, run the household and look after the children “and do all the things they needed to do to get out the door”.
“My husband — I couldn’t have made it in many ways without his support.”
Through the role, Greatbatch forged relationships with the local high schools and got involved with local iwi-based groups that provided hearing screening tests for young people and had a lot of initiatives over the years.
Anne with Weller Hauraki during a campaign last year for free hearing checks for apprentices. Photo / Leanne Warr
She said she enjoyed the holistic part of the job, working with people of all age groups and helping to get funding assistance for people.
One of the important aspects of her role was in increasing awareness for people with hearing impairments.
“Giving them a voice, encouraging them to take their voice so that they can live the lives that they choose.”
Greatbatch said for many with any kind of hearing impairment, there could be a lot of barriers, such as getting employment.
While many people had difficulty getting interviews, it was a struggle for someone with a disability.
She said some of those barriers were in prospective employers not understanding that someone with a hearing impairment was still capable of doing a job.
Greatbatch would often hold presentations, asking someone with a hearing impairment to share their story, and it was often eye-opening for those attending.
“They make the biggest impact.”
She was grateful to people in the Dannevirke community for always supporting her initiatives.
Even though she would no longer be working as a hearing therapist, she would be doing some assessing work to help out.
“It’s time for me to do other things.
“I don’t think I will miss it. It’s in a great place, a good place and it’s an opportunity for somebody else to provide some service to this community.”
She said it had been a rewarding career.
“I’m very privileged to have worked with people and their families.”
