Shari Eberts

Shari Eberts is a passionate hearing health advocate and internationally recognized author and speaker on hearing loss issues. She is the founder of Living with Hearing Loss, a popular blog and online community for people with hearing loss, and an executive producer of We Hear You, an award-winning documentary about the hearing loss experience. Her book, Hear & Beyond: Live Skillfully with Hearing Loss, (co-authored with Gael Hannan) is the ultimate survival guide to living well with hearing loss.

Featured image for “Swim Plugs to the Rescue”

Swim Plugs to the Rescue

My family and I love to snorkel. The brightly colored fish glittering in the sun are always a treat for the senses. Sometimes we spot something larger like a turtle or even a barracuda. My husband and son like to dive down to search for octopi and other hidden gems. This rapid change in pressure brings water into their ears

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A Master Class in Self-Advocacy

After each performance of All the Devils are Here, the actor Patrick Page hosts a 20-minute talkback with the audience. He is one of my favorite actors, so I was excited to stay after the show to see what he had to say. I hadn’t expected a master class in self-advocacy as well. “I am hard of hearing and wear

Featured image for “Holiday Air Travel Tips for People with Hearing Loss”

Holiday Air Travel Tips for People with Hearing Loss

It’s that time of year again, and everyone I know is heading somewhere for the holidays. No matter the destination, the holiday season is a busy time for travel, and that often means spending time at the airport. Traveling can try anyone’s patience, but with hearing loss, there are additional challenges. How will I know if my flight is delayed?

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How to Create Your Own Accessibility at a Conference

I’ve gotten spoiled over the years of my hearing loss advocacy, especially at consumer-related conventions where accommodations are plentiful. Thank you HLAA for always supporting our hearing loss needs with both hearing loops and CART in every session! But sometimes I speak at other types of conferences in hopes of sharing a hearing loss advocacy message with more mainstream audiences.

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Can you Buy Hearing Aids One Place and Service Them in Another?

Post-pandemic I have been wearing glasses more often, but in the warm days of summer, I needed sun protection. It was time for a pair of prescription sunglasses. A hearing loss friend told me about glasses with interchangeable tops—and one of the top options was sunglasses! Sold! Ordering the glasses online was easy. The company contacted my doctor to verify

Featured image for “The Power of Visual Cues for People with Hearing Loss”

The Power of Visual Cues for People with Hearing Loss

It was a dimly lit restaurant and our over-50 crowd struggled to read the menu. One friend turned on her flashlight, another put on reading glasses, and a third used the magnifier app on her phone. Easily accessed workarounds helped each of us to get the information we needed from the menu. But then the waiter arrived to tell us

Featured image for “Greater Hearing Loss Awareness Creates Options”

Greater Hearing Loss Awareness Creates Options

We were in triangle pose—a challenging posture where you bend the body sideways over straight legs. One arm extends upwards towards the sky while the other reaches down for the floor. Reaches is the key word, because depending on your flexibility, the hand aiming for the floor may not get there. Or even close. And that is ok. “If your

Featured image for “New Dialogue Boost Tool in Prime Video Helps Improve Hearing Accessibility”

New Dialogue Boost Tool in Prime Video Helps Improve Hearing Accessibility

How many times have you tried to watch an action movie at home, but it was hard to hear the dialogue because of all the background noise? For me, this happens a lot! My family loves action flicks, but I found them hard to enjoy until I discovered a unique work-around—noise-cancelling headphones. The noise-cancelling helps block the gunfire and car

Featured image for “Making Person-Centered Care a Reality in Clinical Care”

Making Person-Centered Care a Reality in Clinical Care

How can we work together as an industry to make person-centered care a reality for each appointment? That was the topic of my talk at the Eleventh International Adult Aural Rehabilitation Conference in Woburn, MA. With a focus on aural rehabilitation, this gathering was already singing from the hymn book of person-centered care and a more-than-just-a-hearing-aid approach to audiology. Rather

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Helping Decision Makers Understand Disability as Part of DEI

Increased awareness of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) has had positive impact on the workplace and society at large, but despite advancements like the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in the 1990s, disability is often overlooked. Advocacy and education are needed to help existing and burgeoning leaders to better understand the impact of disability on their organizations, clients, stakeholders, and