I recently read the book “Hear & Beyond: Live Skillfully with Hearing Loss” by Shari Eberts and Gael Hannan, and found it enjoyable and helpful. They emphasize that achieving effective communication is the goal, not necessarily perfect hearing. Sharing their personal experiences, they offer tips and tricks, both technical and non-technical, that help to improve communication. As someone with moderate to severe hearing loss using hearing aids, I can assure you that just talking louder or turning up the volume doesn’t fix the problem. The authors also discuss what it’s like for someone who struggles to hear to keep up in a hearing world.
You may say, “But my hearing is fine. How does this relate to me?” Well, at some point in your life, you’re likely to come in contact with someone whose hearing isn’t good. It may be a friend or someone in your family. It may even be you. The authors talk about non-technical things that will improve communication, such as always face the person you’re talking to or choose quieter areas of a restaurant to facilitate conversation. Some of these ideas might not be obvious. And you don’t have to be a techie to help the listening experience be the best it can be. For instance, when you go to a public venue like a movie, play, or church, you could help with finding out if there are assistive devices that can help your loved one more fully participate in the experience. (I found out that there are glasses that provide closed captions for hard of hearing and deaf movie-goers!)
I highly recommend this book, and hope you’ll pick it up. It might be helpful for someone you love, or maybe even yourself.
To find out how to purchase the book, go to https://livingwithhearingloss.com/hearandbeyond/.