Kevin Whetzel is the author behind Semi-Silent World, a project created to give language to the parts of hearing loss most people never see.

Kevin began having trouble hearing at three years old and was fitted with his first pair of hearing aids at five. Since then, he has lived in the space between sound and silence — hearing enough to participate, but often working harder than others realize to understand, respond, and stay connected.

His writing is not clinical or academic. It comes from lived experience. Through his books and essays, Kevin explores the emotional and social side of hearing loss: listening fatigue, missed words, group conversations, social withdrawal, misunderstanding, and the quiet loneliness of constantly trying to keep up.

His work is written for people living with hearing loss, but also for families, friends, teachers, employers, and anyone who wants to better understand the difference between hearing and truly understanding.

At the heart of Kevin’s writing is a simple belief: communication is the core of connection — and better understanding begins when we stop treating hearing loss as only a volume problem.