I Take It All Back!

  Well, not all of it. But some of what I said last week -- "Coronavirus Concerns for People with Hearing Loss. It’s not just the disease" -- is already out of date. This is a very fast-moving story.   Resist isolation. Get outside. Take a walk, I said. Wrong. A week later, it's clear that's … Continue reading I Take It All Back!

Coronavirus Concerns for People with Hearing Loss. It’s not just the disease.

[This is a repost that contains new information on surgical masks.] The new coronavirus COVID-19 is an equal opportunity infector, affecting rich and poor, young and old, healthy and sickly. Among the more prominent victims is an attendee at the annual Conservative Public Action Conference (CPAC), exposure to whom has led President Trump’s new chief of … Continue reading Coronavirus Concerns for People with Hearing Loss. It’s not just the disease.

Surgical Masks and Coronavirus – an Update

I heard from so many people today about my column on the extra-medical consequences of corona panic for people with hearing loss that I want to link to this excellent article from Johns Hopkins about see through surgical masks. "Transparent Surgical Mask to Improve Communication with Patients."  Maybe this is something #HLAA should get behind. … Continue reading Surgical Masks and Coronavirus – an Update

Coronavirus and People with Hearing Loss

The new coronavirus COVID-19 is an equal opportunity infector, affecting rich and poor, young and old, healthy and sickly. Among the more prominent victims is an attendee at the annual Conservative Public Action Conference (CPAC), exposure to whom has led President Trump’s new chief of staff to self-quarantine. The head of New York’s Port Authority … Continue reading Coronavirus and People with Hearing Loss

How Fit is Your Hearing?

Recently, a prominent researcher in the field of hearing loss suggested a simple change in the way we talk about hearing loss. Rather than frame it as a disability, said Dr. Justin Golub of Columbia University Irving Medical Center, “I like the idea of hearing fitness.” “Hearing loss” is a negative term. For people who … Continue reading How Fit is Your Hearing?

He Doesn’t Look Disabled.

How many times have those of us with hearing loss been told that we don't look deaf, whatever "looking" deaf means. It's hard enough to make people recognize invisible disabilities. but today's New York Times has an Op-Ed that suggests it's okay to question the disabled status even of someone with visible disabilities. In "The … Continue reading He Doesn’t Look Disabled.

“Volume Control” Entertains, Educates and Will Probably Make You Mad at the Big Six

One of the great things about being a writer is that it lets you pursue your passions and still call it work. Like many people who encounter hearing loss when they don’t expect it, David Owen, author of more than a dozen books, wanted to know what had happened to his hearing and why. So … Continue reading “Volume Control” Entertains, Educates and Will Probably Make You Mad at the Big Six

The Talkies

For the first time in as long as I can remember, I’ve actually seen – and heard – many of this year’s Oscar-nominated movies. Including the ones in English. What made this possible? The oft-deplored trend to streaming video. When the Oscar nominations came out earlier this week, the news media focused on the showdown … Continue reading The Talkies

Surfer Girl Wears Hearing Aid

One of the things that makes wearing hearing aids easier is having a good role model. This is especially true of children. This year American Girl, the hugely popular doll company, named as its 2020 doll of the year Joss Kendrick, who was born with hearing loss and wears a hearing aid in her right … Continue reading Surfer Girl Wears Hearing Aid

Medicare and Hearing Aids

Medicare doesn't cover hearing aids. This is the one thing about hearing loss that never fails to surprise people new to the field. The fact that Medicare doesn't cover hearing aids even for the most severe and disabling hearing loss is even more shocking. Despite universal agreement among health care practitioners that untreated hearing loss … Continue reading Medicare and Hearing Aids