The Way I Hear It: A Life with Hearing Loss

Realize that deafness is a disability. Inside suggestions with dealing with this. Also suggestion how others can understand while helping you.

I loved this book. I am gradually losing my hearing and it is hard to get people to understand "The Way I Hear It." Gael has hit the nail on the head for hearing impaired people to get hearing people to understand what we are going thru. It was a great book for me to understand that I do have a voice, that I forget to use, in order to stand up for my hearing loss. It has helped me to communicate better with my husband, family, grandchildren, co-workers and the general public. It has also helped me explain to them what they can do to help me understand what they are saying. It made me realize even more that I am not alone, I am not stupid, I have a purpose to educate people on hearing loss, and most importantly I have a voice. This is a definite read for anyone.

While I had heard Gael Hannen perform and speak at least four times this was the first writting of hers I have encountered. Gael has a delightful way of presenting. I President of a large Hard of Hearing Association and used this book in a virtual book club with other members . We did one chapter a week and it was very well recieved.

Ordered 12!!! more copies to give to my daughter's team of teachers for summer reading. Past teachers who read the book have said it gave them additional perspective with respect to the sometimes unexpected challenges that come from being a kid with hearing loss (with the help of bilateral cochlear implants) in a mainstream middle school classroom. As her hearing mom, I agree with her teachers' views of the book. This should be required reading for parents, family members, teachers and others who live or work with people with hearing loss. Many thanks to Gael for putting her experiences onto paper so that others can understand how to better support and have empathy for those who listen with assistive technology.

Thank goodness for this book. I'm overjoyed to read a book like this. It's like Gael knew me. I laughed so hard in places since I go through many of the frustrations and challenges she humorously describes.Gael also has a lot of helpful information. I think I will seek out an HL association again as I realize I've spent the last few years in a bit of denial and, I hate to admit, a great deal of bluffing. Big sigh. Thank you Gael! Blessings to you and the great work you're doing.

A wonderful accounting that anyone affected by or knows of someone with hearing loss can identify and learn. Gael Hannan's humor with which those of us with hearing loss can identify is spot on!

All of it true...I can really relate and understand all that Gael has written. Very funny lady. This book will give all readers a greater perspective of hearing loss no matter where they are at in their hearing loss journey.

A truthful and at times humorous way to describe the pitfalls of hearing loss, from the perspective and experience of a hard-of-hearing person.

The book I wish my audiologist gave with an audio-gram. Found almost 4 years into my first hearing aids and 5 years after my first hearing test, life goes on might as well go on with humor! So happy to find support and a path to follow--or not. Thank you Gael for writing about the reality, a survival guide for the hard of hearing and a communication map for those around us. Life as I hear it is better with this knowledge!

Excellent easy read - full of humour and positive approaches to living life to it's fullest regardless of one's limitations. Included are many tips to help one avoid the hazards of living in a Hearing WorldReaders (whether Hearing or Hard of Hearing) will find themselves identifying with the wide range of experiences included - all delightfully portrayed as Gael shares what has happened for her (her family and many friends) . All presented with her usual charming sense of humour and acceptance of the Real World.Once started reading, I was reluctant to put the book down.This is one book I think all who are Hard of Hearing - or who know someone who is HOH - should encounter. A must for professionals who work with people!

Die seit Geburt schwerhörige Schauspielerin, Komödiantin und Autorin Gael Hannan aus Kanada beschreibt mit schonungsloser Ehrlichkeit die Schwierigkeiten, denen Menschen mit Hörminderung trotz bester Hörtechnologie-Versorgung ausgesetzt sind. An vielen alltäglichen Beispielen gibt sie sehr persönlich Einblick in ihre von ihrem Hörverlust geprägte Alltagswelt.Die Autorin schreibt ein klar verständliches und gewähltes Englisch, benutzt den gesamten Reichtum des umfangreichen Vokabulars dieser Sprache, was zur Folge haben kann, dass der deutschsprachige Leser das eine oder andere englische Wort im Wörterbuch nachschlagen muss. Gleichzeitig schreibt sie aber so witzig, dass man bei der Lektüre oft schallend lachen muss.Erst spät hat sich Gael zu einer Botschafterin für schwerhörige Menschen entwickelt und ist inzwischen eine gesuchte internationale Referentin geworden. Mit ihrer komödiantischen „Ein-Frau-Show“ versteht sie es, anderen Menschen die Schwierigkeiten von Schwerhörigkeit nahe zu bringen, ihnen einen Spiegel vorzuhalten und sie gleichzeitig zum Lachen zu bringen.Seit einigen Jahren schreibt sie als Konsumenten-Vertreterin einen wöchentlichen Blog [...] Viele ihrer hervorragenden und witzigen Blogs hat sie jetzt auch in ihr Buch integriert.Wer das Buch gelesen hat, wird seine Kommunikation ändern, weil er jetzt weiss, wie wichtig es für den schwerhörigen Menschen ist, bei der Kommunikation zusätzlich zum Hörgerät oder Cochlea Implantat die Lippenbewegungen des Gegenübers sehen zu können.Es ist ein eindrückliches Buch, das nicht nur Betroffenen selbst Mut machen, sondern auch Angehörigen die Kommunikations-„Spielregeln“ immer wieder vor Augen stellen möchte. Für Ärzte und Pflegepersonal sowie für Audiologen und Hörgerätakustiker ist die Lektüre dieses Buches ein absolutes Muss. Aber auch allen anderen Menschen, denen an guter Kommunikation gelegen ist, kann dieses Buch die Augen öffnen.Siegfried Karg, Winterthur Schweiz

I really enjoyed the perspective Gael projects in this book. So many of the things she talked about I could relate to having 1st hand experience. A great read

... and everybody else as well, as it gives a wonderfull insight of life with hearing loss.Very informative without being boring instead more than funny.Hoping for more