I was recently invited to an event hosted by Oticon Medical. As soon as I read the invitation, I was really excited to attend. Advocates Weekend is an opportunity for bone anchored hearing device users to get together and network. It was an absolutely amazing experience.

Since I got my bone anchored hearing aid almost ten years ago, I have met three other bone anchored device users in my day to day life. Thanks to internet communities, I have been able to connect with more people who use devices like mine. But I am not going to lie, being in a room full of people who use the same devices as me was really special. It was amazing to hear their stories and share tips and tricks for success with our devices. The weekend became emotional at several moments, as people shared struggles and how their hearing devices improved their lives.

Another special moment of the weekend was that in this particular group of people with hearing loss, I was not in the minority for being young and having hearing loss. I think that is the first time in my life I have been in a room where that was true. I really appreciated feeling like I fit in. It felt so comfortable talking with other people who intrinsically understood some of the difficult pieces of my story.

Every time I get together with other people who have hearing loss, I learn so much. People share their stories and experiences, and I grow in my understanding of how hearing loss impacts others. Also, I always learn new hacks and tools to help me be more successful in my life as a person with hearing loss. I am consistently impressed by the creative solutions people have found.

I am also blown away by how warm and welcoming all of the hearing loss gatherings have been that I attended. We all know that hearing loss can be isolating. I certainly experience moments of insecurity and social anxiety because of my hearing loss. Whenever I attend a hearing loss event, I feel like everyone is excited to connect and happy to strike up conversations. Knowing that the other people in the room understand the struggles with hearing loss really helps me feel comfortable.

I recently led an eight week class for people with hearing loss using Katherine Rybak’s amazing book, Becoming Hearing Empowered. One of our discussion questions was, “What is the best thing hearing loss has brought to your life?” Over and over again, participants answered that the people they have met because of their hearing loss are the best thing that has happened due to their hearing loss. I absolutely love that, as again, hearing loss comes with a lot of risk of loneliness and isolation. I adore that it can also become a starting point for building a wonderful community that is full of understanding and support.

I know that becoming connected with others who have hearing loss has greatly improved my quality of life. Learning from others and feeling understood are just two of the many benefits. There is something so validating about discussing these struggles with someone who has also walked a mile in those shoes. I have also become more confident and more accepting of myself and my limitations because of my connections with others with hearing loss. Giving grace and understanding to others helps me give it to myself. Standing up and advocating for people with hearing loss as a group remind me to advocate for me.

If you haven’t found your hearing loss community, I really encourage you to seek one out. It can be virtual if that is more accessible to you. There are a lot of good virtual ones out there. I am in several online groups and I find them really helpful. If I end up in an online community that isn’t a good fit and beneficial for me, I just leave and look for others. But if you have an in person opportunity I truly recommend that you take advantage. There is something magical about face to face interaction that the internet cannot fully replicate.