Hearing loss does not discriminate. It impacts people of all ages, races, creeds, and phases of life. It can be caused genetically, or from excess noise, or from ototoxic drugs. Sometimes it happens suddenly. Other times it sneaks up gradually as part of the aging process. But one thing is true for all — hearing Continue reading
Break the Stigma
Erasing My Hearing Loss Mistakes
I grew up thinking hearing loss was shameful, something to be hidden and never discussed. I learned this from my father, who had hearing loss. So did his mother. It was genetic, and he passed it onto me, along with the stigma. I needed to accept my hearing loss to break the cycle for my Continue reading
But, You Don’t Look Deaf
Have you ever noted your hearing loss for an airline and had them show up with a wheelchair? Or requested a transcript of an audio guide at a museum and gotten something in braille? When I hear stories like this, I always shake my head in amazement at how uninformed people are about hearing loss Continue reading
Does My Hearing Loss Make Me Disabled?
I sometimes write about my experiences with hearing loss for other reputable blogs or magazines to help build awareness of hearing loss issues and advocate for people with hearing loss. You can find several of those pieces here. A few weeks ago, one of my favorite sites sent out a series of writing prompts including Continue reading
Hearing Loss: Stand Up And Be Counted
It is exciting to see hearing loss getting more attention. I recently wrote about the groundbreaking report from the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) which declared hearing loss “a significant public health concern” and made a series of recommendations for “institutional, technological and regulatory change to enable consumers to find and fully use the appropriate, affordable, and high-quality services, technologies, Continue reading
