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.

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Hey, Mommy and Daddy, Can I Hear You?

Dear Mommy and Daddy, I’ve got a question. The first of about a million I’m gonna ask, but right now I’m only five months old and this first one is important. Do you know if I can hear you? If so – are you absolutely sure? Did somebody test my hearing before we all left the hospital –

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The Two Most Painful Words to Hard of Hearing People

My name is Lauren Sherwood. I’m pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Geography and Professional Writing at the University of Victoria in British Columbia. A few years ago, I participated in a talent contest. I was inspired by Gael Hannan, whom my parents had seen at a conference, to write a comedic monologue on living with hearing loss – and

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I’m Hard of Hearing and I Need a Communication Specialist

By Dr. Charles Laszlo I am a hard of hearing person who wears hearing aids. People think this solves all my communication problems – after all, that’s what the hearing aid advertisements say, don’t they? But I have many communication needs that require more than hearing aids can provide. There are many faces to the hard of hearing person.

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No(ah), No(ah) – It’s Too Loud!

In hindsight, we should have picked the movie about the spelling bee over the cute animals marching two by two into Russell Crowe’s ark. I mean, how loud can a spelling bee be, whereas Noah turned out to be a surprise candidate for the Loudest Movie I’ve Ever Seen award. But who knew? The other choices for a movie night

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Wanted: The Perfect Hearing Care Professional

For hearing aid and cochlear implant users, one of the most important people in our lives is our hearing care professional (HCP). This person has more influence on my peace of mind, bank account and quality of life than I would normally give to anyone not a husband, child, parent or BFF. I see my HCP more frequently than I

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What’s That Noise in My House?

Answer me this: in one house, why do three TVs have to be on at the same time? On the same station. With the sound on. Loudly. Right now, in our house, the answer would be that the race is on to the Stanley Cup hockey playoffs. My stepson plays for one of the teams, and, at this point, every

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The Golden Thread: Connecting People with Hearing Loss

“The healing power of even the most microscopic exchange with someone who knows in a flash precisely what you’re talking about because they experienced that thing too, cannot be overestimated.” ― Cheryl Strayed, Tiny Beautiful Things “Come and sit here by me,” barked my great-grandmother Bonnie. “I can’t hear you that far away.” Until I was much older, my Bonnie was

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Hearing What the Bad Guys Say

I have a recurring nightmare. Technically I suppose it’s not a nightmare because I fret about this while I’m awake, not when I’m sleeping. I worry about being caught in a bank robbery – not doing the robbery, but being in the bank just when Jesse James’ great-great-grandson decides to carry on the family trade. When I’m nervous or

Hearing Loss – It’s All in the Face

“I would not know how I am supposed to feel about many stories if not for the fact that the TV news personalities make sad faces for sad stories and happy faces for happy stories.” Dave Barry I am a reader of faces. Not a professional one, although there is such a profession, according to several websites. Chinese doctors

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The Poetry of Hearing Loss

This week, I’m doing something a little different. Hearing loss packs a powerful emotional punch, and many people use poetry to express its impact – rhyming verses, blank verse (which has rhythm but no rhyme), or a free-flowing collection of thoughts that don’t adhere to (or care about) any of the usual poetic rules. A few months ago, I received