Over the last year or so, AccessATE and DeafTEC have published a few pieces on accommodating deaf and hard-of-hearing (HH) employees. These have largely been broad overviews of topics like safety, communication, equipment, etc. However, there is much more information to consider, and many instances and stories to learn from if one wants to fully understand how to make deaf/HH people feel truly welcome in classrooms, labs, workplaces, and more. Of course, these stories are best told by deaf/HH people themselves. Here, we offer a few ‘recommended reading’ blogs about deafness and hearing loss, written by people who are deaf/HH.
Hearing Like Me
Hearing Like Me is an award-winning, Phonak-sponsored website that publishes articles by and for people with hearing loss, family members of people with hearing loss, and hearing loss experts. Their articles cover a wide variety of subjects, including news, entertainment, lifestyle, technology, and more. They also have a rich community platform and social media presence, enabling more people affected by hearing loss to connect with one another. They also have a section, Hearing Loss 101, with information and guidance about hearing loss, aids and implants, insurance, and more. Hearing Like Me is available in English, Spanish, French, Swedish, Norwegian, and Danish.
Smart Hearing
Smart Hearing is written by author and journalist Katherine Bouton, who lives with hearing loss, and has published two books on the subject. Her blog keeps close track of any and all technologies and devices for deaf and hard-of-hearing people, including hearing aids, implants, and assistive devices. The blog covers topics like advocacy, hearing and aging, common and lesser-known struggles with deafness and hearing loss, news, recommended books, shows, and movies about deafness and hearing loss, and more. Bouton has also written a few posts about the award-winning film CODA, discussing how meaningful the film was to her and others in the deaf/HH community.
Living with Hearing Loss
Living with Hearing Loss is a blog and online community written by Shari Eberts, a deaf/HH advocate, author, and speaker, who has been living with progressive hearing loss since her mid-twenties. Eberts’s blog is particularly interested in person-centered care for people with hearing loss, about which she published an e-book, which is available on the website. Living with Hearing Loss contains Eberts’s personal blog, where she documents her experiences and opinions, as well as facts and tips about hearing loss. The website also provides links to Eberts’s upcoming book, Hear & Beyond: Live Skillfully with Hearing Loss, and the award-winning documentary We Hear You.
Each of these blogs provides valuable insight into life as a deaf/HH person, and there are many more great blogs to choose from. Also, be sure to check out AccessATE’s related tip sheets and blogs: Workplace Accommodations & Safety for Deaf/HH Employees, Workplace Communication for Deaf/HH, Safety Equipment for Deaf/HH Employees, and Reducing Disruptive Noise in the Workplace.
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