Learning to Hear 2003
Distributed by Fanlight Productions, 32 Court St., 21st Floor, Brooklyn, NY 11201; 800-876-1710
Produced by Lori Kuffner
Directed by Lori Kuffner
VHS, color, 57 min.
Sr. High - Adult
Disability Studies, Health Sciences, Audiology
Date Entered: 10/20/2004
Reviewed by Gerald Notaro, University Librarian, Nelson Poynter Memorial Library, University of South Florida, St. PetersburgLearning to Hear describes two women, both born with hearing, both of whom have lost their hearing long after birth, and then go through the process of cochlear implants. The film uses their personal narratives, as well as those from their family members. Each describes how they learned to live in the world of hearing after they suffer their initial hearing losses. They learn to be invisible and to stay in their own worlds. They both are intelligent, but go from outgoing to introverts. They describe denied opportunities and cut-off communications. Viewers of the film learn of their evaluation process of the cochlear implant procedures, follow them through the surgery, and the miracle moments when their speech programming process eventually commences. These are the highlights of the film; hearing birds in the trees, or the chopping of carrots. Unfortunately, at 57 minutes, the film is too long to be used as a learning tool about the process as it focuses on the dramatic narrative of the two women’s lives. Learning to Hear would best be viewed as a supplemental addition to audiology collections.