Cecile says - I was born deaf and had struggled through mainstream education all my life. I had heard a friend of mine – who was actually deafer than me – had had a successful cochlear implantation. I wanted to improve my life and decided to have the implant.

Cecile, a beautiful young french woman, was born deaf into a hearing family. She describes what it felt like to be different to everyone around - her struggles to just do normal things and to get an education.

I find it sad that so many people will suffer because of hearing loss as they age. At a time when they are likely to become isolated from their communities and families due to a loss of mobility, at the same time they are becoming isolated because to their hearing loss.

Having a Cochlear implant is a difficult decision for many people. This article looks at the key issues in the decision process and then compares that with the decision to have a bi-lateral implant.

May is Better Speech and Hearing month.

For some people ordinary sounds are extraordinary. May is Better Speech and Hearing month in the USA. It is the month when focus is on educating the public about speech and hearing disorders, promoting treatment and understanding for people who my need it.

Do deaf children benefit from having a Cochlear implant and if so how? Does it give them a better future, improved opportunity for education and are there social benefits?

Sometimes it can be good to be deaf. Here’s a few times I was glad to be deaf.

What does it take to become a teacher of the deaf? Why is it different? I was asked for some advice - obviously in this short space I can't give much - but here are some thoughts.

Some people do not have an ear or ear canal and certain kinds of tumours, or the operation to remove them, can cause loss of the middle ear. Sound cannot penetrate the damaged portion but a bone conduction hearing aid could be an option.