I recently finished teaching a lip reading class in the Kansas City area. One of the questions I asked attendees was, “When it comes to lip reading, what is the most visible speech sound?” Several hands were raised. “The /M/ sound,” said a gentleman who lost some hearing in the military. “I think it’s the … Continue reading
The past month has been filled with holiday and birthday celebrations, time off from work, snow, and special memories with family. We were excited to have my parents come for Christmas. After hugging each other for dear life Christmas morning, we said our goodbyes to mom and dad who left to visit other family members. … Continue reading
This past weekend, I joined more than 100 people with hearing loss or deafness at Kansas City’s first-ever Hearing Loss Summit. The crowd included fellow lipreading moms, individuals who were born with hearing loss, those who are culturally Deaf, and adults who are late-deafened. I saw several young children wearing cochlear implants or hearing aids. Sign … Continue reading
My first experience with hearing loss occurred in kindergarten. When the teacher asked the class to listen to and respond to questions through headphones, all I heard through them was garbled speech. The audiologist later told my parents that I could hear normally, but that I just needed to pay attention. From the age … Continue reading
The Blood David’s eyes were focused on his friend walking beside him on the sidewalk. In order to “hear” the conversation, David looked right at his friend who spoke. The act of lip reading required David’s eyes to do the listening. Neither one of them saw the low-hanging tree limb until after it smacked … Continue reading
The Limping Chicken, a blog that focuses on deafness and hearing loss, posted an article titled “Why I No Longer Mention Being Deaf in Job Interviews.” The writer, who has progressive hearing loss such as myself, related her experiences with discrimination when she disclosed her hearing loss during certain job interviews. Her decision, as the … Continue reading
The first time I told a stranger I had hearing loss was in a Bible study 13 years ago. As a first-time attendee with a new set of behind-the-ear hearing aids, I mostly kept quiet and tried not to draw attention to myself. My hair was long, and I covered my ears (and hearing aids) … Continue reading
This week, I read an email from a well-known author about a realization that her days of making a living as an author and speaker may be coming to an end. Her honesty and insight struck me. For over a year, I have felt the nudging that my days as an author and speaker may … Continue reading
Today is my 14th Mother’s Day as a mom and 41st as a daughter. It is an opportunity to acknowledge the role mom has played in my life. Yet it is difficult to select a Mother’s Day card. Every pre-printed message exudes a sentiment that may not sincerely reflect how I feel about this day. … Continue reading
On April 19, 1995, I piled into the back of an old Chevy along with four other small-town newspaper reporters and made the 45-minute drive into Oklahoma City. It was dark when we arrived at the city’s downtown. The first thing I noticed was the enormous gaping hole of a federal building illuminated by floodlights. … Continue reading
