Not all Late-Deafened adults embrace their deafness by making it their career, but I did. All of my life experiences after losing my hearing led me to establish a career working with Deaf people, and I know it was meant to be. Yet coming to this realization has not been an easy process…

…Late-Deafened individuals are sometimes automatically judged as “not Deaf enough” simply because they could once hear…

Photo by: Steve Prakope

…For a Late-Deafened individual, the journey into deafhood is mostly about coming to terms with our new identity and deciding which road we will travel. Whether we learn sign language or to lip-read, whether we wear hearing aids, get cochlear implants, use both or neither, whether we marry, work with or socialize among Deaf, Hard of Hearing, Late-Deaf, Deaf-Blind or Hearing individuals, we all ultimately find our place in life…

Read more...

ASL - Sign Language, Deaf, Deafhood, Family, Gallaudet, Grief, Health, Hearing Loss, Late-Deaf, Meaning, Miscellaneous, My Story, Spiritual, Support | 12 Comments »

While I firmly believe in the ability for deaf and disabled parents to be good parents and raise healthy children, life as a deaf parent is not without its scary moments. One came when my son was just 3…

Photo by: “Rick”

…I popped up in my bed and noticed my son’s bed was empty. I shot up the stairs calling out to him. I looked everywhere in our cottage, but my son wasn’t there! Then I saw the front door open and I rushed outside, calling out his name in hopes that he would hear me and come to me. I was frantic with worry!…

…Ahhh… but as a deaf parent, there are inspirational moments as well. I remember one involving my son and his deep awareness of my hearing loss…

…With eyes full of compassion he said, “Mama, if you can’t hear it, I don’t want to hear it either.”…

…The best thing about being a deaf mom is…

Read more...

Deaf, Deafhood, Family, Hearing Loss, Late-Deaf, Love, Meaning, Music, My Story, Parenting, Spiritual | 6 Comments »

Photo by: Erik van der Neut

Deaf parents and other individuals with disabilities have been successfully parenting for ages. The majority of us have done so without adaptive baby care equipment or professional guidance. Being deaf or having a disability does not prevent a person from becoming a parent. Nor does it mean that our parenting will be deficient or not up to standards. Parents with disabilities should take heart. We learn quickly how to build on our personal and family strengths. We, as well as our spouses and children, learn to adapt…

Read more...

ASL - Sign Language, Deaf, Deafhood, Family, Hearing Loss, Humor, Late-Deaf, Meaning, Miscellaneous, My Story, Parenting, Support | No Comments »