As a person with hearing loss, I’ve been called ‘stupid,’ ‘horse-headed,’ and a person living in ‘La-La Land.’ I just want to be called by my name: Shanna. Or Lipreading Mom will do. And I am so not alone. Stop Hearing Loss Bullying and its video were created this year by me and 10 other … Continue reading
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Five Ways to Improve Your Lipreading Skills – The Lipreading Mom Way
It’s true. Those of us with hearing loss rely more on our vision and mental processing skills than our auditory function. As a lipreading/speechreading instructor for late-deafened adults, I have researched this subject a great deal. Our brains and eyes require more muscle power than our ears in the communication process. Listening with our ears … Continue reading
What to Do If You Suspect Your Spouse Has Hearing Loss
Every week, I write a column for Deaf-Insight.com called Ask Lipreading Mom. Readers submit questions related to hearing loss or deafness, and I seek out the answers. Then I share the information in my column. This week’s column concerned how to talk to a loved one if you suspect he has hearing loss. Dear Lipreading … Continue reading
Five Survival Tips for Summertime Gatherings with a Hearing Loss
It’s summer, oh glorious summer! But for the 1 in 10 people with hearing loss, it’s also the most challenging time for communication. Lipreading Mom should know. I’ve had 12 years of hearing loss experience. The whole family is packed around the picnic table, busily chatting about their good fortune and laying food onto their … Continue reading
The Ultimate Bullying Target: Deaf in Prison
David Greenberg was the film editor for the Stop Hearing Loss Bullying Video. He also created one of the most compelling blogs Lipreading Mom has ever read—Deaf In Prison. It follows the stories of various inmates—deaf, culturally Deaf, or hard of hearing—serving time in American prisons. The link between bullying, crime, and imprisonment is at … Continue reading
Helpers with Paws: A Closer Look at Dogs for the Deaf
As an adult, all of my pets have been rescue dogs. They included long-haired chihuahua ‘Shorty’ (1996-2000), Japanese Chin ‘Sammy’ (1998-2008), and cocker spaniel ‘Jake’ (2005-and still going strong). Although not specially trained, they have helped alert me to these noises around my house that I couldn’t hear because of my progressive hearing loss: knocking … Continue reading
New Insight About Bullying That Everyone Should Read
When a member of my extended family dropped out of high school, the reason broke my heart. The teen was mercilessly bullied by classmates because his parents, both of whom are Deaf, use sign language with him in the home (he is hearing). This is shocking and unbelievable, and it has to stop. I started … Continue reading
When Dad is Deaf: A Father’s Day Breakfast Story
My Cousin Ronnie speaks with his hands. He has a unique relationship with his two sons, whom he cannot hear—and it is beautiful to watch Ronnie, who is Deaf, communicate with sign language. When I learned about the film project, Father’s Day Breakfast, I immediately thought of Cousin Ronnie and his boys. The short film … Continue reading
Watch the World Premiere of the Stop Hearing Loss Bullying Video
It is Stop Hearing Loss Bullying Awareness Week. Help me promote the worldwide premiere of the Stop Hearing Loss Bullying Campaign Video. Watch it now by clicking here. What is the Stop Hearing Loss Bullying Campaign and Video? This spring, a group of 12 people, including Lipreading Mom, got together to brainstorm how to stop … Continue reading
Do Hearing Aids Help in Noisy Places? An Interview with Phonak
Do you struggle to hear in lots of noise? Lipreading Mom has a confession to make: I do. Restaurants, group socials, my children’s school events, windy outdoor venues. Even with my hearing aids, these places are a challenge for my ears. I recently interviewed a representative with Phonak, a large manufacturer of hearing technology based … Continue reading
