How the top 10 deaf blogs are inspiring confidence

Last week I received an email informing me that the 121 Captions blog has been selected as one of the Top 50 Deaf Blogs on the web.

I am elated to share this good news with you, my loyal readers. Not only are we in the top 50, but we made the top 10, and it’s all because you motivate me to stay consistent in my mission to bridge the gap between deaf and hearing people.

A deaf blog is one more tool in our arsenal to improving communication and increasing awareness.

I started blogging in 2007, writing about my hearing journey; going from hearing aids which I had worn all my life, to a cochlear implant, and then a second cochlear implant.

I also wrote about my hearing dog, Smudge. Smudge quickly became more popular than me. His kind, intelligent eyes and charming nature had him connecting with tonnes of people and making friends all over the world. Sadly, Smudge passed away in 2012. My current hearing dog, Bailey, opted to embrace the future of social media and has his own Facebook page.

My latest blog lives at 121 Captions. A blog about communication strategies and services, supporting people with hearing loss by writing about the issues affecting us. Hearing loss affects every part of our lives. Every. Single. Part.

I want to help make your life easier by providing insight from my personal experiences and give you tips and guidance to avoid the hardships I’ve faced. I want you to know that you’re not alone.

It’s hard being deaf. It’s even more frustrating if you’re hard of hearing because believe it or not, you struggle more, and there is less assistance.

Everything seems to be geared toward supporting sign language users, but what if I don’t want to learn another language. Where’s my support then? I felt like an ‘in-between’ – not hearing and not accepted as ‘deaf’ – when actually, I am deaf. I don’t look deaf or use sign language, but I am actually very, very deaf.

It’s very unusual to get two cochlear implants from the NHS in the UK. I was born profoundly deaf, so this was a very scary journey for me. I have gone from the darkness and despair of not being able to hear very much and struggling to communicate in a hearing world, to having perfect hearing yet a deaf brain shouting ‘What is This’?! It’s like night and day.

I now understand what it’s like to hear, and why hearing people have such difficulty understanding hearing loss. So the whole cochlear implant story became a large part of my deaf blog.

There is no real community for us ‘in-betweens’. I wanted to reach out and share my experiences while supporting others. A blog for people with hearing loss was the obvious answer.

I love writing, and blogging has become a way for me to offload my frustrations and share advice with others. Paying it forward and helping other deaf people who feel those same frustrations.

Let me be upfront with you. Many hearing people feel uncomfortable around people who are deaf or hard of hearing. They don’t know how to communicate with us. They don’t know what is and isn’t appropriate.

Rather than risk embarrassment or possibly offending a hard of hearing person, hearing people tend to avoid us or they act overly cautious. Of course, there will always be those that are just downright rude and irritated by our perceived lack of ability. The stigma continues.

I believe a blog about being deaf or hard of hearing can help change this. Sharing our stories and showing hearing people there is nothing to be afraid of, that we can communicate effectively. A safe space to help others understand how disheartening it is for us when people, especially potential employers, assume we can’t do anything.

A deaf blog provides a platform to create awareness and guides those willing to put in a little bit of effort.

Blogging has been a popular form of online communication since 1997 when it was still referred to as a “weblog”. By 2006 there were 50 million blogs. Today, there are over 152 million.

Blogging has the opportunity of reaching thousands of people all over the world, potentially influencing their decisions and points of view and is easily accessible via smartphone, tablet and computer.

My readers have followed my journey and watched as I got a cochlear implant and be successful with it. They lived the experience through me, and that gave them the confidence to take the irreversible and terrifying cochlear implant jump for themselves.

My audiology team love my blog because they feel it’s ‘real’ and doesn’t over-embellish. I call a spade a spade and tell my readers the brutal truths.

My blog readers have gotten to know each other as well. We’ve connected on Facebook and met up in real life, making friendships along the way and supporting each other in our hearing journeys.

Connecting with people going through the same types of experiences is important, especially when you feel alone with your hearing loss. In fact, 1 in 6 people experience some level of hearing loss, and because you can’t see hearing loss, the struggle is often one fought in isolation.

You have to live with it and the profound effect it has on your ability to communicate socially, at work, and at home. Hearing loss has a severe impact on a person’s level of confidence. People still think hearing loss is a joke – until it happens to them.

My blog is all about supporting others in their journey. I’ve got the T-shirt, worn it all my life and have the stains to prove it. My blog lets me share what I’ve learned.

Now, let me share with you some other deaf and hard of hearing blogs inspiring confidence in people struggling with hearing loss.

Deaf blogging is on the rise, and these blogs prove it. This comprehensive list was compiled by feedspot. If you’d like to view the complete list of the top 50 deaf blogs and websites, please give them a visit.

#1 HearingLikeMe: This particular blog received the coveted number one spot because of their relevant content accompanied by high-quality pictures depicting real people doing real things. The stories are written by deaf and hard of hearing people, sharing their personal struggles and accomplishments.

#2 World Federation of the Deaf: At number two, this global organisation work to ensure equal rights for people all around the world. Publishing roughly 5 posts per week, the WFD brings us the type of news that directly affects people’s rights.

#3 Hearing Link: This outstanding blog hosts a number of guest bloggers sharing their hearing loss journeys. Inspirational and motivational blog posts are focused on family life and hearing loss, learning to adapt to your spouse’s deafness and more.

#4 The Limping Chicken: A wildly popular blog stuffed to the brim with giblets (pun intended) of knowledge and spunk. They focus on a full range of deaf experiences and have to date published content from more than 200 deaf writers.

#5 Deaf News Today: A deaf blog depicting the news about deaf people, for deaf people. This blog makes use of both written content and videos made in sign language. With titles like “Skiing accident left woman deaf, but her passion remains”,  this blog will soon become one of your favourites.

#6 Reddit | Deaf: Posts submitted by deaf and hard of hearing people all over the world, creating a network of real-world learning opportunities and support.

#7 Google News | Deaf: No top 10 list would be complete without Google featuring in it somewhere. This up-to-date news coverage on Deafness site, created by Google, can be searched according to your preferred location; UK, Australia, South Africa, etc.

#8 AllDeaf: Okay, number 8 isn’t a blog, but it is a very popular discussion forum for the deaf and hard of hearing. They cover an array of topics, from deaf products and technologies to pets and animals.

#9 Hand & Voices: The writers are the parents of ASL signers, kids with cochlear implants, total communicators and cued speech users. Visit Hands & Voices for regular posts on raising deaf or hard of hearing children.

And last, but certainly not least, the number 10 spot was given to 121 Captions! A deaf blog dedicated to bridging the gap between the hearing and deaf world by providing educational information enabling:

• Deaf and hard of hearing employees to get the career they want in a company that provides what they need for success.
• Employers to provide a work environment supportive of our communication needs and a willingness to learn and appreciate our contributions.
• Deaf and hard of hearing students stay on top of seminars and get their degree with confidence.

My personal favourite hard of hearing blogs includes Hearing Like Me, who incidentally took the number one spot and Living with Hearing Loss, a blog that covers a variety of issues that applies to people of all ages.

Deaf blogs have the potential to be very educational and supportive, and if written well by well-informed writers, they can improve deaf awareness, enhance understanding of hearing loss, and ultimately improve access to services for people with hearing loss.

The fact is, we live in a hearing world. Deaf Blogs are a powerful way to colour in the world and help it become more deaf-friendly, in a way that is beneficial for everyone.

If you’d like to learn more about me and 121 Captions, feel free to browse and have a look around.