So, you want an acoustic.
Makes like Tanglewood or Yamaha are generally pretty reliable, but there are plenty of others that are also good.
The main problem with cheaper guitars is that they leave the factory not "set up". That is to say that they are not adjusted for optimum playing perfection. They leave the factory ok to play (usually!) but not perfect. Rather like a lower cost bicycle leaves the factory with all the correct bits attached, but it probably needs a bit of "fettling" to make it perfect.
So some shops include a set up of a guitar as part of the purchase package. Others just sell you the guitar and leave you to find a technician/repairer to do the set up for you at a cost of maybe £40.
As regards right versus left handed playing, I believe Mark Knopfler is left handed but plays right handed guitar and he seems to get on alright with it! But Jimi Hendrix was left handed and played left handed. Whatever works for you, although it's always a bit difficult to find left handed guitars in shops. They may have a few, but nowhere near as many as right handed ones.
Other things to mention:
Buy a tuner. You can get mobile phone apps but I prefer "clip on" tuners that attach to the guitar by a little bulldog clip type fastener, and tell if each string is correctly tuned or not. And to start with, it will be or not, because new guitars often take a while to settle, and will likely go out of tune in different temperature or humidity. That's perfectly normal. Just learn to use the tuner, and to quickly get the instrument ready to play.
It's better to play for a few minutes every day, rather than, say, to play for an hour just once a week. In any case, holding down the strings will hurt your fingers to start with. So just playing for a few minutes at a time might be all you can manage to begin with. That's perfectly ok.
As has already been mentioned, there is tons of stuff on YouTube but, of course, it can't help you if you are going wrong, or just can't "get" something that the youtuber is demonstrating. It may be better to have at least a few face to face lessons at first, until you have mastered the absolute basics.
As regards hearing impairment, one of the members of a band I am in is 80+ and his hearing is pretty bad, but he still enjoys playing and can hear enough to get by. It's the chatting between songs that he can't make out a word of.......
I hope this has been helpful, and not just confused you even more!
The more I think about it, the more buying your first guitar is like going into a shop to buy a first ever bike. There are loads to choose from, in all shapes and sizes, at vastly different prices. Whichever one you buy may, in hindsight, not be a 100% wise choice, but it will get you started. Just as long as it's not such a pile of poo that you immediately become disheartened and give up......
Best wishes, and don't be afraid to ask questions.
