I love the theater. I even dabbled in performing in college. But as my hearing loss progressed, enjoying a show got harder. The hush before the curtain and the energy in the room came with an asterisk. Will the assistive listening system work tonight? Will I have to track down an usher to replace a Continue reading
Disability
Why Is Hearing Loss Still a Punchline?
Progress is being made. People walk around with all sorts of things hanging out of their ears these days, and nobody bats an eye. Apple and other consumer brands have entered the hearing technology space. Captions are everywhere. It’s a better time to have hearing loss than ever before. And yet, the stigma remains. The Continue reading
What I Told a Room Full of Hearing Scientists
Last month I stood in front of a room full of PhD-level hearing scientists and told them what hearing loss actually feels like from the inside — something they spend their careers studying but that many of them may never fully experience. These are the people studying the hair cells, synapses, and biological machinery of Continue reading
Why I Spent a Class Period Talking to Future Audiologists
I recently returned from the World Congress of Audiology in Seoul, where I presented on the importance and impact of including the voices of people living with hearing loss in audiologist training. I also shared two posters, one on the skills it takes to live well with hearing loss and another on what person-centered care Continue reading
Reflections on My Day without Hearing Devices
I love sound. The wind whistling in the leaves, the ocean crashing on the beach, the birds singing in the trees, or even the buzz of New York City traffic. At the right time and in reasonable amounts, each murmur, hum, or note provides a soothing backdrop to my life. The soundtrack orients me. It Continue reading
