The theme of this paper is verbal and non verbal communication of deaf and hearing impaired people. At the beginning of the paper, deafness throughout history is presented, as well as the definitions of deafness and hearing impairments, their causes and the importance of early discovery of hearing problems, in order to start rehabilitation in a timely manner. Although rehabilitation process (for example, implantation of artificial cochlea) is very long and complex and it requires persistence and patience, the majority of people notice significant improvement in communication with their environment. Also, the paper describes the importance of verbal and non verbal communication, as well as the kinds of visual non verbal communication of deaf and hearing impaired people (Croatian Sign Language, lip reading, one-handed and two-handed manual alphabet, „pen and paper“). The gradual hearing loss over the years is shown though my personal experience, as well as the discovery of hearing problems and, in the end, the implantation of artificial cochlea which helped me to maintain the quality of life.