As one who inhabits the worlds of both hearing and deafness, I am amazed by what you likely take for granted—the gift of hearing. And I experience the benefits, the misfortunes, and the humor of not hearing.
The Silver Lining
Advice I’d Give My Younger Self
Looking back over each grade when I felt embarrassed, I wish I could have told myself that even when people ask questions about the FM, by the next day they have usually forgotten about it. Most of the time I cared more than other people did.
To Hear or Not
Cochlear implants were never on our radar, and the topic arose what felt like out of the blue while talking to his audiologist who said hearing aids could no longer improve his ability to better understand speech.
Music Can Be a Strategy for Managing Tinnitus—and Aging
There’s a lot of overlap between managing tinnitus and dealing with the challenges of aging. Socializing, paying active attention, learning new things, and physical activity are all things that can help with both.
Access Isn’t One Size Fits All
Even within the d/Deaf and hard of hearing umbrella, our access needs and identities vary widely. That in-between space can feel like nowhere—not “hearing enough” for the hearing world, not “Deaf enough” for Deaf spaces.
Megan Beers Wood: How I Got My Start With ERG
My focus is studying pathologies following noise overexposure. This includes noise-induced hearing loss and pain hyperacusis. I specifically look at how the immune system interacts with the neurons of the ear after noise.
What My Deaf Ear Heard on CI Activation Day
While the cochlear implant was mapped to set sound frequencies, I heard a soft, staticky noise. I later learned I was hearing a rain downpour and thunder coming from outside the clinic.
On Losing a Sense
For someone with a hidden disability, being held to standards of behavior that you cannot meet simply because someone cannot see your disability is a constant challenge.
The Waiting Room
It’s ironic and puzzling that when going to hearing clinics, patients who need help with their hearing have to somehow hear and respond to staff.