Hearing loss affects 37M people in the United States alone, which is equal to California’s population. Put another way, for every three people you see with glasses; you can assume you’re seeing one person with hearing loss.
Even though we all know dozens of people with hearing loss, we don’t talk a lot about the condition.
That’s why the work of the blogs, forums, communities, and websites on this list is so important.
We've grouped the list below into a few categories: personal stories, participatory forums, and professional recommendations.
We’ll start with some blogs that share personal stories.
Living With Hearing Loss - Shari Eberts
Living With Hearing Loss is a blog and online community for people living with hearing loss. Founder Shari Eberts has an adult-onset genetic hearing loss and hopes that she will help others live more comfortably with their hearing issues by sharing her story.
Shari first noticed her hearing loss in her mid-twenties. It has gotten progressively worse since then, and she now wears hearing aids every day to hear better.
Shari writes on relevant topics like accessible video conferencing software and over-the-counter hearing aids. Shari recently Executive produced a Cannes winning film titled We Hear You | Now Hear Us.
Hear Me Out CC - Ahmed Khalifa
Ahmed Khalifa is a deaf/hard of hearing person who writes honest blog posts about topics from hearing aids to discrimination, and awareness. Ahmed’s YouTube channel features content about sign language, subtitles, and the unhelpful things people often say about deafness.
He describes his site as a place for him and others in the same or similar situations to feel accepted. Ahmed sees it as his duty to help readers so that they can help those around them.
My Hearing Loss Story - Carly
Carly’s relatable blog captures the story of her sudden, 2016, sensorineural hearing loss and how it has affected her life. Carly is a well-traveled girl next door who has chosen to use her life-changing experiences to help the world around her. Her story was featured in a compelling BBC radio documentary in 2019. Carly leads an active Facebook support group where nearly 800 members share their experiences.
Lip Reading Mom - Shanna Groves
Shanna Groves is a mother, hearing aid wearer, and lip reader. She uses her blog to share candid experiences from her life with hearing loss. Shanna’s blog has a distinctly upbeat tone balanced with the real challenges of living with hearing loss.
In addition to her blog, Shanna is the author of Confessions of a Lip Reading Mom.
Let’s move on to some forums, Facebook groups, and communities
Community for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
This group is 34,000 strong and connects members to learn in a positive and open environment.
Pardon Facebook Group
Pardon is a 6K member Facebook group dedicated to the wide-ranging experiences of deaf and HOH people. The group is dedicated to exploring access to communication across all the parts of our modern life.
Hearing Tracker Forum
Hearing Tracker is one of the most dynamic and informative websites on hearing loss. The founder is an audiologist, and the site is one of my favorite places to research. Hearing Tracker’s forum is particularly active, with dozens of threads and comments each day.
Hearing Journey
This online forum hosts over 30,000 members who share stories, advice, and experiences. Advanced Bionics sponsors the community.
Oticon Medical Friends
This online portal and forum are devoted to Oticon hearing aid wearers. Members of Oticon Medical Friends get access to the Oticon medical community, can shop for accessories and learn tips & tricks about living with your hearing device.
Finally, these are the best resources for learning about hearing aid treatments.
HearingTracker
HearingTracker launched in 2013 as the first independent information and review site in the category. The site is regularly updated, accurate, and credible if you want to learn about hearing aid tech.
Dr. Cliff Olson
This Arizona-based audiologist turned YouTuber produces multiple videos every week. His candid style and in-depth reviews set the standard in the category. Cliff was one of the first resources I found in my search for hearing aids, and I still return to his channel regularly.
Treble Health
Dr. Ben Thompson and his brother Dr. Garret Thompson offer thoughtful reviews of traditional and over-the-counter style options on their YouTube channel and site.
Treble Health also provides a remote and brand-independent consult service that anyone can use to determine which hearing aids are best for them. The service is $99 but can help save customers thousands in their final purchase.
