What if we could cure hearing loss? What if those of us who are hard of hearing could put aside the expensive and sometimes frustrating technology we use now? What if we could simply turn a biological switch and hear again, as well as we did before our ears suffered the detrimental effects of noise … Continue reading What if We Could Cure Hearing Loss? A Clinical Trial Explores the Possibility.
Author: Katherine Bouton
Hearing and Healthy Aging
Recently I was invited to write an editorial referencing two studies on the effect of hearing on healthy aging. The article has just been published, in the Journals of Gerontology. Most readers won't be able to access it, so I'm reprinting the text here. The title is "The Importance of Hearing in Maintaining Overall Functioning … Continue reading Hearing and Healthy Aging
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You’re Not Alone: Books Can Help You on Your Hearing Loss Journey
Nice post on the website of Let's Loop Seattle, which discusses books for people with hearing loss, including children. You can add your own favorites, either on the original post or on this one. I'm always looking for good new reading on the subject. I'll be writing about Gael Hannan and Shari Eberts new book, … Continue reading You’re Not Alone: Books Can Help You on Your Hearing Loss Journey
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Does Hearing Loss Affect Your Sense of Direction?
Last April, the New Yorker Magazine ran an article about animal migration called “Why Animals Don’t Get Lost," by Kathryn Schulz. The article was full of fascinating insights into animal navigation and amazing tales of seemingly impossible journeys. But one passage leapt out at me:“The problem isn’t that humans don’t have any innate way-finding tools. … Continue reading Does Hearing Loss Affect Your Sense of Direction?
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New York City Mandates Open Captions in Movie Theaters.
[Note: If this looks familiar, it's because it was published yesterday under a different title. Feel free to read it again.] It’s nice to be able to end this generally awful year with some good news. On December 15th, New York’s City Council passed a bill that requires movie theaters to provide daily showings of … Continue reading New York City Mandates Open Captions in Movie Theaters.
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Some Good News, for a Change
It’s nice to be able to end this generally awful year with some good news. On December 15th, New York’s City Council passed a bill that requires movie theaters to provide daily showings of movies with open captions. Goodbye Gooseneck! That means no more struggling with individual cupholder-anchored, gooseneck caption screens, or with captioned glasses … Continue reading Some Good News, for a Change
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Has the Pandemic Affected Your Hearing?
Captions have become ubiquitous during these many months of isolation. Is that an unmitigated good for those with hearing loss? For me, at least, maybe not. When I watch TV or streaming video, it’s captioned. I set the volume so I can hear the spoken words to supplement the captions, but it’s the other way … Continue reading Has the Pandemic Affected Your Hearing?
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Holiday TLC, Redux
This Thanksgiving may be the first time we've seen family and friends since the beginning of the Pandemic. I'm both excited and a little nervous. Holidays can be difficult for the hard of hearing. Here are some ways you can make it a little easier on yourself. T is for Technology Assistive Listening Devices. Use … Continue reading Holiday TLC, Redux
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What Do Over-the-Counter Hearing Aids Mean for You?
Earlier this week, on October 19, the FDA issued its long-awaited proposal on Over-the-Counter hearing aids. Over the counter means direct to consumer, without the intervention of an audiologist. The FDA’s proposal followed four years of discussion about OTC aids, dating from the passage of the bipartisan Over the Counter Hearing Aid Act in August … Continue reading What Do Over-the-Counter Hearing Aids Mean for You?
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“Captions are the Wheelchair Ramp for the Deaf”
A year or so ago at a meeting on the challenge of global hearing loss, one of my fellow presenters, Catharine McMahon, head of the Department of Linguistics at MacQuarie University in Sydney Australia, said something that has stuck with me: "The challenge of disability should become society’s challenge. Change the environment, not the Individual: … Continue reading “Captions are the Wheelchair Ramp for the Deaf”
Katherine Bouton: Smart Hearing 