Government has an opportunity to make workplaces more disability-inclusive. In my home state of Kansas, there is proposed state legislation that will have a public hearing this week. It would require government agencies to provide employment preference to their state-funded employment positions, while giving access to reasonable accommodations essential to making the positions equitable. Let … Continue reading
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
I recently was interviewed for Hearing Loss LIVE!, a website dedicated to hearing loss awareness. Created by Chelle Wyatt, Julia Stepp, and Michele Linder (all of whom live with hearing loss), the HLL site’s philosophy is two-fold: “We help you help yourself” and “We’re changing the status quo of hearing loss help. One size does … Continue reading
Alistair and Anita Campbell wanted to do something to help their young daughter, Charlotte, adjust to having two cochlear implants. So Alistair received a matching cochlear implant tattoo placed above and behind his left ear. “Charlotte was diagnosed with a hearing loss at the age of 15 months and fitted with hearing aids,” writes Anita and Alistair … 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
With 2014 coming to an end and a new year ahead, Lipreading Mom wants to take a moment to celebrate your ears. It is too easy to hide our hearing aids, BAHAs (bone-anchored hearing aids) or cochlear implants behind hair. I did that for two years. But something encouraged me in 2014 to show off … Continue reading
Blog friends, it has been several weeks since I last posted—and with good reason. Need a hint? It begins with a ‘J’ and ends with a ‘B.’ My J-O-B keeps me busier than I have been in 12 years. For the past decade, I paused my work life to become a stay-at-home mom. While that … Continue reading
Friends – Many of you have supported the Lipreading Mom blog since the beginning in 2011. Some of you have more recently come along for the ride. For all of you, I am grateful. Therefore, I wanted you to be the first to learn that I will be returning back to school very soon. I will be … Continue reading
Lipreading Mom 