Living With Hearing Loss and Deafness

'Highly informative, told with warmth and humour' - Adam Kay, author of This is Going to Hurt

'Heartfelt and hilarious - deaf awareness beautifully told through Sam's unique voice' - Laura Whitmore

'This book is important' - Mark Atkinson, CEO of the Royal National Institute for Deaf People

'Samantha is a strong and powerful woman who talks so openly about her life and about being a part of the deaf community. To have someone who wants to help and wants to make a difference is so important and Sam is that person.' - Gaby Roslin

This is an all-you-need-to-know book about hearing loss and deafness, including facts, experiences and words of wisdom from experts at the RNID, audiologists, deaf activists and people who use and teach sign language. Having been on her own deaf journey, Samantha Baines has met wonderful, interesting, courageous people of all ages who also happen to be deaf. In this book, alongside the experts, she weaves together their insights and advice and, importantly, teaches those of us who aren't deaf, what it is like for those who are. Along the way, she looks at:

The first signs of hearing loss

What is tinnitus?

What to expect at a hearing test

Will I lose my job?

Am I disabled?

What are hearing aids and why do you need them?

Deaf dating

Lipreading

What is sign language?

What not to say to someone with hearing loss

* And much more...

'This is the book I wish I could have bought when the audiologist told me I needed a hearing aid, and I hope it can help you understand this new world you are stepping into. Welcome to the deaf club.' Samantha Baines

Highly informative, told with warmth and humour. -- Adam Kay
This book is important. -- Mark Atkinson, former CEO of the Royal National Institute for Deaf People
Groundbreaking RNID magazine
Heartfelt and hilarious - deaf awareness beautifully told through Sam's unique voice. -- Laura Whitmore
Samantha is a strong and powerful woman who talks so openly about her life and about being a part of the deaf community. To have someone who wants to help and wants to make a difference is so important and Sam is that person. -- Gaby Roslin
Hilarious and so informative . . . You'll want to cherish it and thrust it in the face of everyone you meet all at once. -- Dr Hannah Barham-Brown
It's great to see Samantha being open about her deaf journey and her mission to improve deaf awareness. Living with hearing loss and deafness proves why we need to improve deaf representation and talk more about deafness in everyday life. -- Signature (charity)

As a hearing person, this book answers loads of questions you might have wanted to ask about hearing loss and deafness but were too afraid to ask. And even more importantly, it'll give you the confidence and skills to ask loads more. I imagine someone facing a change in their hearing would find it hugely reassuring. It confronts everyday fears and anxieties with advice, anecdotes, options and plenty of humour.

Samantha has succeeded in writing a guidebook to deafness - a great read for anyone who is deaf or knows someone who's deaf and given that's 1 in 5 of the population, this is a book for everyone.

-- Lilian Greenwood MP
Samantha Baines is on a mission to help educate others. Good Housekeeping
Sam makes a tough subject accessible, easy to understand and above all else funny. Reminding us all that disability is a bizarre hilarious experience. Sam feels like the sarcastic best friend you want in the drs office with you -- Rachel Charlton-Dailey, disability rights journalist and founder of The Unwritten
Concise, clear and compassionate - Samantha Baines is a clever, compelling communicator and her new book Living With Hearing Loss & Deafness is a brilliant tool that will support & enlighten many. -- Deborah Frances White
If you love, live or work with someone with hearing loss (and that's all of us) you need this book. It's funny, practical and moving - a handbook for humanity and inclusion. -- Rt Hon Jacqui Smith
Heartfelt and hilarious - deaf awareness beautifully told through Sam's unique voice. -- Laura Whitmore

Samantha Baines is an award-winning comedian, actress, broadcaster and author. She is deaf, wears a hearing aid and is proud to be an Ambassador for Royal National Institute for the Deaf. Her deaf activism includes TV and radio appearances, advising on campaigns, speaking to MPs at the House of Commons, raising money for deaf charities and fronting the RNID cinema subtitles campaign. Samantha has written two critically acclaimed children's books with deaf protagonists - Harriet Versus the Galaxy and The Night the Moon Went Out. She is a regular contributor on BBC radio and has written for publications including the Guardian, Time Out, Huffington Post, Stylist Magazine and the Telegraph. As an actress she has appeared in The Crown, Call the Midwife and Silent Witness, as well as hosting Magic Mike Live London in the West End.

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