Better Hearing Consumer

Sep. 13, 2011

11 Good Reasons to Wear Hearing Aids

Gael Hannan
I love my hearing aids, to the moon and back.  They even have names, Billy and Bob. But it hasn’t always been a love affair; a succession of hearing aids have been glared at, sworn at, and ignored.  I have pondered how much they would pull in on eBay.  But now, if I have to give them up for more
Sep. 05, 2011

The Power of Captioning, by Lauren E. Storck, Ph.D.

Gael Hannan
Gael Hannan has invited me to talk about captioning – which is my passion and my pleasure. I may not make you laugh, but  I hope to illustrate how extremely important captioning inclusion is for millions of people. Communication is crucial to relationships; it’s darn hard to have meaningful relations at home, at work, and in society without effective communications.  All
Aug. 30, 2011

Be Prepared: A Motto for Persons with Hearing Loss

Gael Hannan
Do you think bad guys know about the ADA?  I mean, if I asked, do you think they would remove the mask, so I could read their lips? Notice to boy scouts of the world: I have ripped off your ‘rule to live by’ and it’s now part of my manifesto for living successfully with hearing loss. Be prepared! The recent
Aug. 23, 2011

Enjoying Music, The Hard of Hearing Way

Gael Hannan
“What sound would you miss most if you couldn’t hear it anymore?” I ask this to elementary students receiving Sound Sense, a presentation on hearing loss prevention. “Music!” they yell.  They are smart kids, because people with acquired hearing loss often mourn for the ability to enjoy music as they once did. Music is in my blood, and  it’s a
Aug. 15, 2011

The Learning Curve of My Own Hearing Loss

Gael Hannan
The more I understand about hearing loss – its causes and how it affects communication – the easier it is to face my personal hearing challenges, and the better I communicate.    Sounds simple, but it has taken a lifetime to learn this. If I’m asked when I first become aware of my hearing loss, I answer, when my mommy told me.  I
Aug. 11, 2011

Gael Hannan @ The Better Hearing Consumer

Gael Hannan
Welcome to The Better Hearing Consumer.  You may ask, does ‘better hearing’ mean better than no hearing at all, or better than missing out on only half of what’s being said?   Better than WHAT!? This is a blog that discusses our holy grail – the pursuit of living successfully with  hearing loss,  and that means aiming for good communication in every