Marga Butterworth 19 years old, Music Student

"It has always been my view that disabilities should not negatively impact on your quality of life, so not surprisingly, music has always played an important part in my life..."

I have had a number of achievements despite of the fact that I am totally deaf in my right ear and only have 15 % hearing in my left ear. I was diagnosed with this severe hearing loss at the late age of almost three years. I received my first hearing aid almost immediately, which was analogue (which only amplifies sound) and then started attending classes at the Carel du Toit Centre for hearing impaired children in Cape Town. In conjunction with this, I started using the AVR fm system in grade one. I have only attended main stream schools ever since pre-primary school and have always been in the top-5 of my grade.

In 1998, when I was in grade 4, I received my first digital hearing aid, the Senso model by Widex...

This hearing aid opened up worlds for me, although it was initially a struggle to get used to the quality of the sound. Suddenly sound was purer, more defined and closer to the sound that normal hearing people experience. Great features included the reduction of background noise and being able to hear while using a telephone.In grade 7, another fantastic aid came to me in the form of the Widex MicroLink system, which I still use today. It consists of two parts – the sender, which the sound source (e.g. lecturer, teacher, television, etc) uses, and the receiver, which I clip onto my hearing aid. With this system, it is as if someone speaks directly onto my ear, which has helped me especially in classroom situations – I don't have to concentrate so hard on what is being said, and classroom noises are eliminated a great deal.

In March 2007, I got the Widex Inteo on recommendation by my audiologist...

The Widex Inteo takes hearing aid technology to a whole new level. It actually has a selection of 4 programs, including one for background noises, and one for music/motion pictures. What sets it apart is the fact that the hearing aid has the ability to “pick up” the sound environment I am in, and change the program accordingly! I am also able to hear on a cell phone without signal interference for the first time.

Music has always played an important part in my life...

I have taken music ever since grade one (starting with the recorder and moving on to piano in grade three and singing in grade four). I have also been singing in school choirs since grade 4. In grade eight I started taking music as a subject, my instruments being piano and voice. I have also passed a number of examinations at Unisa and other institutions and have won singing competitions. One competition I have taken a part in a few times is the VSA (Very Special Awards) competition, which is open worldwide to people with any disability. I have also performed at concerts for them. In Matric I passed with 6 distinctions, as well as being 54th in the Eastern Cape.

I am currently a second year B.Mus student at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, with voice as my first instrument. In my first year I passed six of my eight subjects with distinctions every semester. My Widex Inteo hearing aid and Widex MicroLink FM system have certainly been a great aid to me. It made my studies as a scholar and as a student so much easier by giving me optimum sound quality and clarity.

My motto is to not focus on my hearing loss, but to rather utilise the hearing I have 100 per cent with all the aid I can get.