If you asked consumers what is most important when buying a hearing aid, would they say price or sound quality? Hearing Tracker, a respected independent online resource for consumers, and USB Evidence Labs recently surveyed more than 360 audiologists about what brands and features consumers ask for most when buying a hearing aid. Not surprisingly, … Continue reading What Do Consumers Want? Try Asking a Consumer.
Healthy Hearing
Breaking a Logjam on Over-the-Counter Hearing Aids
Cheaper and More Accessible Hearing Aids Could Also Help Reduce Stigma This essay originally ran on Bloomberg View, December 12, 2016. HEALTH CARE In the uncertainty over the future of U.S. health care, there is one ray of hope for a group of people who need more options, not fewer. People with hearing loss usually pay … Continue reading Breaking a Logjam on Over-the-Counter Hearing Aids
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Washington University-based Company Launches Auditory Training Website — Hearing News Watch
Good news for those of us who believe auditory training is essential for learning to hear with a hearing aid or cochlear implant. Audiologists have touted the virtues of auditory training, but for decades numerous attempts at popularizing these programs have been plagued with low patient uptake. A St. Louis company, using an NIH grant, … Continue reading Washington University-based Company Launches Auditory Training Website — Hearing News Watch
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Deaf and Dizzy: Is It Méniere’s?
Many people with hearing loss also have tinnitus. Some have vertigo. When all three conditions are present, the cause may be Ménière's disease, first identified by French physician Prosper Ménière in 1861. I emphasize "may" because Ménière's is notoriously difficult to diagnose. There is no definitive test for Ménière's. It's a clinical diagnosis, based on symptoms. … Continue reading Deaf and Dizzy: Is It Méniere’s?
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Movie Captioning: ADA Issues Final Ruling
Advance Copy: Movie Captioning and Audio Description Final Rule On November 21, 2016, Attorney General Loretta Lynch signed a Final Rule revising the Justice Department’s Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) title III regulation to further clarify a public accommodation’s obligation to provide appropriate auxiliary aids and services for people with disabilities. The Final Rule requires … Continue reading Movie Captioning: ADA Issues Final Ruling
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How to Let 911 Know You Can’t Hear
A few months ago, I wrote a post about emergency preparedness for people with hearing loss: Emergency Preparedness for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing: Tips for Coping with Natural and Man-Made Disasters This week I received some additional valuable information from Matthew Puvogel, the Ready Outreach Coordinator for the City's Office of Emergency Management, who was … Continue reading How to Let 911 Know You Can’t Hear
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Holiday Hearing – You Can Do It!
This post first appeared on Nov 2, 2015. It seemed worth reposting as we head into the holidays. I love the five weeks that begin with Thanksgiving and end with New Year’s, but part of me says, Bah, Humbug. That’s the part that knows I’ll struggle to follow along at family dinners, holiday parties, concerts and … Continue reading Holiday Hearing – You Can Do It!
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TV Captions – Read Them and Laugh, or Weep
Live TV captioning is terrible! I don't think anyone would disagree. But caption spoofs also provide some levity during this lengthy and grim election season. And YouTube offers quite a few. “Bad Lip Reading” is a YouTube channel that takes clips from movies, TV shows and news stories and dubs them with captions that match … Continue reading TV Captions – Read Them and Laugh, or Weep
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Hearing Loss? Don’t Neglect Your Eyes
For people with hearing loss, even a small decrease in vision can affect the ability to lip-read and understand better what they hear. — Getty Images/Hero Images Those of us with more than just moderate hearing loss tend to take care of our hearing. We make sure our hearing aids are in good working … Continue reading Hearing Loss? Don’t Neglect Your Eyes
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Why Internet is Essential for the Hard of Hearing
This past week, we moved to a new apartment and I found myself without high-speed internet — no DSL or Wi-Fi connection at home — for 10 (long) days. It was an uncomfortable reminder of how vitally important the internet is for people with hearing loss. I did have a smartphone, so I was not completely cut off … Continue reading Why Internet is Essential for the Hard of Hearing
Katherine Bouton: Smart Hearing 