It is an honor to announce that I have been selected as a finalist in the 2022 Oticon Focus on People Awards, a national competition that recognizes individuals who are helping to change perceptions of what it means to live with hearing loss. I am one of three finalists in the Advocacy category, a category … Continue reading
“My wish for you is that you continue. Continue to be who and how you are, to astonish a mean world with your acts of kindness.” -Maya Angelou Lipreading Mom focuses on two things: living with hearing loss and being a parent. Today I would like to focus on parenting my children who are all … Continue reading
The Foo Fighters is possibly the greatest rock band since The Rolling Stones and The Beatles (at least Lipreading Mom thinks so). I am currently reading through band leader Dave Grohl’s memoir, The Storyteller, and one thing I can tell you about Dave’s life is this: It’s been a LOUD ride. Being at the top … Continue reading
I did not grow up as a CODA or Child of a Deaf Adult. This is a hearing child who has one or both parents identify as culturally Deaf. The new Apple TV+ film ‘CODA’ highlights the experience of a teen girl who lives with her parents and an older brother, all of whom are … Continue reading
One of the most challenging aspects of my teaching job is lip-reading multiple speakers’ voices during group meetings. When hands go up for Q & A at the end of staff meetings, I try hard to decipher what is being spoken from multiple mouths scattered across the room. Of course, it helps when the meeting … Continue reading
I serve on my school district’s Inclusion and Diversity Committee. The focus is making our schools friendly and welcoming to all students, staff, and families. Conversations in the room range from better supporting the diversity of our students to promoting more inclusive hiring practices. Each committee member brings a different story. Here is how my … Continue reading
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
Read my lips: Lipreading is tough. A while back, a producer with the Wanda Sykes Show emailed me, asking for help in understanding a news video clip. The idea sounded enticing: Come to California and watch a video blurb that had the speaker’s moving lips but no audio feed. The truth is, many words look … Continue reading
By Heather Jensen / LipreadingMom.com Guest Blogger One of the best ways someone can help a person in their life who is deaf or hard of hearing is to take measures to improve everyday communication. For some people who don’t speak much (or any) sign language, the fear of offending, confusing, or generally failing to … Continue reading
Five years ago this month, my first book debuted. A book tour followed, with stops in Nashville, Tennessee; Kansas City; Oklahoma City; and the small town that inspired the book—Chickasha, Oklahoma. Lip Reader is a work of fiction, but the story has some true elements. The main character, Sapphie, is a reflection of me as … Continue reading
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