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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A Hard of Hearing Line Dancer (Does Austin)

My foot is tapping impatiently as I wait for June and the Hearing Loss Association of America’s annual Convention in Austin, one of America’s top music cities. Makes you want to let rip with a whoo-hoo or hee-haw or whatever it is they yell in Texas when they get excited and feel like singin’ and dancin’! HLAA’s annual convention draws hundreds

Sitting Here, Deaf (Waiting for My Hearing Aids)

The hearing care professionals laugh at us. We’re the people who put off doing anything about our hearing loss for years. Yet, once we have our hearing aids or cochlear implants, we can’t go without them for even a moment. Last week, I spent three interminable hours while my hearing aids were ‘being looked at’. Sitting Here, Deaf

My CI and Me: A Work in Progress

By Lynne Kinsey I got a cochlear implant in October 2013. Remarkably, I am hearing things I haven’t heard in almost 25 years: birds, leaves crunching beneath my feet, leaf blowers, traffic noises, the furnace, dishwasher and refrigerator noises, children playing and babies cooing, some music and instruments – even my computer keys as I’m typing this. Many of

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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

Featured image for “The Golden Thread: Connecting People with Hearing Loss”

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,” online pharmacy lariam with best prices today in the USA barked my great-grandmother Bonnie. “I can’t hear you