Young and Deaf: Lessons for All Ages

Boomers and millennials living with hearing loss experience similar and different challenges. — Shutterstock At 33, Anna Pulley has already gone through a lifetime of what she wryly calls "adventures in deafness," a litany of funny, frustrating, painful experiences that those of any age with hearing loss can appreciate. Pulley recently wrote an essay about … Continue reading Young and Deaf: Lessons for All Ages

Deaf? Hard of Hearing? Hearing Impaired? Be Careful What You Call Us

The debate over how to refer to those with hearing loss. —Illustration by Scott Davis/AARP Recently, my editors used the term "the hearing impaired" in a headline, to refer to people with hearing loss. As soon as I saw it, I knew there would be protests. The debate over what exactly to call people with … Continue reading Deaf? Hard of Hearing? Hearing Impaired? Be Careful What You Call Us

Relief from the High Cost of Hearing Aids?

Last month the prestigious National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine issued a report with a series of recommendations that, if adopted, could revolutionize the way consumers receive and pay for hearing health care in the United States. Unfortunately, this report was not widely covered in the mainstream press, and although I wrote about this at the time, … Continue reading Relief from the High Cost of Hearing Aids?

It’s Summertime and the Livin’ Is Noisy

Monday is the 4th of July and possibly one of the worst days of the year for your ears. The 4th is a day of parades and picnics — but also fireworks, which are at the top of my list for damaging sources of summer noise exposure. Read here: HuffPost. First posted last year on AARP … Continue reading It’s Summertime and the Livin’ Is Noisy

A Weekend With “My People”

I’ve just spent six days in Washington DC with “my people” – the deaf and hard of hearing members of the Hearing Loss Association of America. It was our annual convention, held this year in Washington DC at the Washington Hilton, a short walk from the Dupont Circle Metro stop. Lots of restaurants and shops … Continue reading A Weekend With “My People”

New Report Pushes for Cheaper, Easier Hearing Aids

New report could revolutionize the way consumers receive and pay for hearing health care — Getty Images Last week the prestigious National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine issued a report with a series of recommendations that, if adopted, could revolutionize the way consumers receive and pay for hearing health care in the United States. … Continue reading New Report Pushes for Cheaper, Easier Hearing Aids

Not Just a Genius

This is from Arlene Romoff, to whom we all owe gratitude for her efforts on theater captioning.  The tweet is great. Lin-Manuel Miranda is not only a genius but a genuinely decent human being. "I posted this on Facebook - that Lin-Manuel tweeted about the great audience for the captioned performance of Hamilton.  Amazing!  They … Continue reading Not Just a Genius

Hearing ‘Hamilton’

Friday  night, I and 100 or so other people with hearing loss got to see Broadway’s hottest show, Hamilton – with captions! Thank you to the Theater Development Fund’s Theater Accessibility Program! The Richard Rodgers theater also has an induction loop. Thank you Nederlander theaters! Looping is wonderful technology for many people. Here's a list of looped spaces … Continue reading Hearing ‘Hamilton’

Would You Ask for Help With Hearing Problems at Work?

Dealing with the stigma of both hearing loss and aging at work can keep some employees from asking for accommodations — Thomas Barwick/Getty Images Older workers with hearing problems face a double whammy: They're dealing with the stigma not only of hearing loss but also of age. If they ask for accommodations on the job for … Continue reading Would You Ask for Help With Hearing Problems at Work?

Good News for People With Hearing Loss

A long-awaited report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine today issued its recommendations, which included sweeping changes in the way older Americans get hearing health care. The Committee on Accessible and Affordable Hearing Health Care for Adults made 12 specific recommendations. You can read a summary of the report here. The full report -- "Hearing Health Care … Continue reading Good News for People With Hearing Loss