Have You Ever Wished Someone Could Just Hear You Out?

Then you have come to the right place. Hello! My name is Amena Arshad, the founder of this website, Let’s Hear Each Other Out! You might be wondering what the purpose of this website is. What type of audience am I trying to target? Are we actually hearing people out on this website?

First off, all great questions. But before I answer these questions, I want to describe a bit about myself and why this website exists.

I have been living with bilateral hearing loss since the age of three. I got my first pair of hearing aids when I was four and started speech therapy when I was six. Because of this, many aspects of my early development, especially speech and communication, took more time, effort, and support. I experienced a speech delay, which later led to a speech impediment. A lot of my early years were spent catching up and working harder just to reach the same point as my peers, especially in environments where people didn’t always believe I could.

However, with the support system and resources around me, I was still able to thrive in school and am now attending a rigorous high school. More importantly, I’ve learned self-advocacy, confidence, and the importance of accessibility.

What made you want to start this website?

Reflecting on my own journey, I realized that I am extremely privileged to be where I am today, not just academically, but socially and mentally. A lot of that comes from the fact that I was able to access support and learn how to navigate life with hearing loss. I learned how to advocate for myself, understand my worth, and recognize the importance of accessibility.

But as I got older and reached a point where I could potentially guide younger peers, I kept thinking about the questions I once had myself: “Where can I find the right audiologist?” “What is a mapping test?” “How do I navigate school with hearing loss?”

That made me realize something important: resources are not always easy to find, but even more than that, guidance is missing.

I often wished I had someone who truly understood what I was going through, someone with lived experience who could help me navigate those early life transitions. Because even though I learned to adapt, I also had to figure out a lot on my own. That included learning how to maintain my self-worth in environments where I sometimes felt like I stood out in the worst way.

In competitive academic spaces especially, there’s already pressure to be “perfect,” “well-spoken,” and “well-rounded.” When you add hearing loss on top of that, it can feel like every part of you is being observed and judged more closely.

Why a blog style specifically? 

We live in a generation where people often feel most seen through short-form content and influencer perspectives. While that format is powerful, I believe the same sense of connection can still be created through long-form storytelling, such as a blog.

I also believe it is time for the experiences of the hard-of-hearing community to be more visible and openly discussed. There is still a lack of recognition and understanding, and I want this space to help change that, even in a small way.

 What do you want other hard-of-hearing peers to take away from this?

Honestly, I don’t want the target audience of this website to be solely hard-of-hearing peers. I hope hearing peers also come across this website with curiosity and an open mind.

But most importantly, I want people to feel seen. I want this to be a space where someone can read something and think, “I’ve felt that too,” or “I finally understand this better.”

Because at the end of the day, this isn’t just about hearing loss. It’s about being understood.