Gael Hannan

Gael Hannan is an author, speaker and advocate on hearing loss issues. In addition to her weekly blog at the Better Hearing Consumer, which has a passionate international following, Gael has written two acclaimed books, “The Way I Hear It: A Life with Hearing Loss”and “Hear & Beyond: Live Skillfully with Hearing Loss”, written with Shari Eberts. She is regularly invited to present her uniquely humorous and insightful work to appreciative audiences around the world. Gael has received many awards for her work that advocates for individuals to become more knowledgeable and successful at dealing with their hearing loss and a more inclusive society for them to live in.

Featured image for “Trivial questions About Hearing Loss”

Trivial questions About Hearing Loss

Don’t you just hate the “entertaining” clickbait that exists solely to gather our personal information and sell questionable products? You won’t believe what this big star looks like now! Drink this every day for a week and you’ll have the flattest belly in town! And there’s the hearing loss and tinnitus clickbait: One pill a day will stop that

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How I Learned to Hear a Whale

With hearing loss, a person may perceive sounds as distorted or too soft to make sense of, and of course they may not hear them at all. ‘Hearing’ people may have difficulty grasping this because when a sound happens, they hear it. They can’t help it – it’s a human superpower they take for granted. And get this: not only

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Auditus Damnum! New Descriptions for Hearing Loss Emotions

Have you ever felt emotions about ‘something’, but you can’t find quite the right word to describe them? Often when we can’t find the right word for an emotion, it’s because it doesn’t exist! I’ve been reading a fascinating book called The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows by John Koenig, which is infinitely more enjoyable than the title suggests. It’s a

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When My Ears Go Dark

It’s that time of the day. My hearing devices have done their duty – and I’m done with them. They need a break to recharge from their job of amplifying the world, of trying to make sense of words, of trying to identify the multiple swishhh-sounds that could be anything from a fan to the dishwasher or a passing car.

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Why You Should Meet Other HoHs!

I just returned from the first live convention of the Hearing Loss Association of America since 2019, pre-pandemic days. It was just as awesome, fun, and inspiring as ever. Also hot and steamy – Tampa in June is not the coolest place on earth. But that’s a minor quibble. The following is why I believe that every person with hearing

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I’m Just Going To Rest My Ears …

Both of my parents used to say I’m just going to rest my eyes for a bit. As kids, we knew that we were about to be tuned out. Nothing in the world requiring their attention at this minute was going to get it. We had to find someone else to bother, because mom and dad were closing their lids

Featured image for “The Hearing Loss Puzzle Pieces – That Don’t Always Fit”

The Hearing Loss Puzzle Pieces – That Don’t Always Fit

Today was one of those “off” days. Lots of things going wrong, nothing major, but just enough, including a hearing-related thing, to make you a bit grumpy. For days like these, I’ve developed some signposts that help me along the hearing loss journey. These sayings inspire me (when I stop and think about them) to live better with my issue.

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Hearing Aid Batteries – They Keep Me Charged!

I am a battery-operated person, and nothing can drive me to panic faster than the realization I’m out of batteries for my hearing devices. A million years ago, I used to smoke cigarettes and I would never leave home without making sure I had enough smokes in my bag. I broke that addiction a long time ago, and now I’m

Featured image for “Is A Hearing Dog Right For You?: Guest Editor, Denise Portis”

Is A Hearing Dog Right For You?: Guest Editor, Denise Portis

Note from Gael: This week, I am pleased to welcome Denise Portis as my guest author to write about life with hearing dogs. I have many friends with hearing dogs and I’ve always been fascinated by their accessible way of life. I have asked Denise to share her experiences, rather than to write about her and Chloe – because my objectivity

Featured image for “Checking In: Hotels and Hearing Loss”

Checking In: Hotels and Hearing Loss

It was 6 am and several people were waiting to check out of the hotel and get to the airport for flights home. We were all weary, slightly hunched and dreaming of the Tim Hortons coffee we would grab as soon as we paid our bill. The 30th anniversary conference of the Canadian Hard of Hearing Association (CHHA) had ended the