Better Hearing Consumer

It should not amaze me that people hesitate or neglect to admit their hearing loss, or ask for something to be repeated – because there was a time when I was that person. (On a rare occasion, I still am.) Why don’t we want people to know we’re struggling? Do we worry they will think we’re not bright, or not

 Congratulations to the CODA crew on its amazing wins at the Academy Awards on March 27th. As a person with hearing loss, I’m always gratified to see the attention garnered by deaf and hearing loss issues. But, as a person who uses the spoken language to communicate, my communication needs are different than someone who uses a signed language. Here

It’s some journey, this life with hearing loss. And for most of us, it’s a journey with a vanishing horizon. An open-ended spiral. To be clear, my hearing is not taking a downward spiral – that ship sailed some time ago. Unaided and unamplified, my natural hearing levels are low on the ‘usable’ scale. No, I’m talking about another type

Today is March 8th – International Women’s Day (IWD). It’s also my birthday and it doesn’t matter how old I am. OK I’ll tell you – I’m 68. A 68-year-old woman with profound hearing loss: there are some who might consider such a person as to be elderly and disabled. And there was a time in my distant past when

“Listen to your inner voice.” How often are we encouraged to heed those voices that supposedly guide us through life? But as people with hearing loss (who are always listening in our attempts to hear and understand), we should also pay attention to what our assistive technology is trying to tell us. It sends us clues that, far too often, we

“Were you born with ‘it’?” I get this question a lot when I, and my hearing loss, meet someone for the first time. Sometimes they ask hesitantly, not sure what to call ‘the problem’, which they indicate with little finger jabs at their own ear. Hearing loss is my favourite topic and I’m drawn like a moth to the flame

As a person living with hearing loss, and as an advocate who has dedicated an enormous percentage of my waking hours to its issues – there are a few things that I have come to believe, passionately. These form my credo, Latin for ‘I believe’. This gospel, which for me is absolutely true, gives me strength to survive the bad

It’s hard to get away from ‘advice’ these days. We live in a world of advice on how to do anything  better. Sleep better, eat better, dress better, get rid of wrinkles better. How to live with hearing loss better. There’s a lot of great information available on how to live well with hearing loss and tinnitus, much of it

“I couldn’t hear my friends very well during that talk – I should have told them I was struggling. But I hate interrupting the convo-flow all the time. They’re usually so good about making sure I’m hearing OK, so I don’t want to bug them with everything I miss. Why do I always do that to myself?” Does this sound

A miracle, in my books, is an unexpected occurrence that causes a wonderful, however small, change in your life. Forever, for a day or even just for a moment. The hearing of sounds can be that kind of miracle. Lately I’ve been too focused on the roadblocks on the typical hearing loss journey. You know the ones I mean, like