One of the great things about being a writer is that it lets you pursue your passions and still call it work. Like many people who encounter hearing loss when they don’t expect it, David Owen, author of more than a dozen books, wanted to know what had happened to his hearing and why. So … Continue reading “Volume Control” Entertains, Educates and Will Probably Make You Mad at the Big Six
The Talkies
For the first time in as long as I can remember, I’ve actually seen – and heard – many of this year’s Oscar-nominated movies. Including the ones in English. What made this possible? The oft-deplored trend to streaming video. When the Oscar nominations came out earlier this week, the news media focused on the showdown … Continue reading The Talkies
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Surfer Girl Wears Hearing Aid
One of the things that makes wearing hearing aids easier is having a good role model. This is especially true of children. This year American Girl, the hugely popular doll company, named as its 2020 doll of the year Joss Kendrick, who was born with hearing loss and wears a hearing aid in her right … Continue reading Surfer Girl Wears Hearing Aid
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Medicare and Hearing Aids
Medicare doesn't cover hearing aids. This is the one thing about hearing loss that never fails to surprise people new to the field. The fact that Medicare doesn't cover hearing aids even for the most severe and disabling hearing loss is even more shocking. Despite universal agreement among health care practitioners that untreated hearing loss … Continue reading Medicare and Hearing Aids
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Noise is a Public Health Issue
Noise is bad for your hearing. This will not be a surprise to anyone. But this week the American Public Health Association made it official. "Noise is not just a nuisance," an APHA statement said, "It's a growing public health hazard and action is long overdue." Noise was a focus at this year's annual APHA … Continue reading Noise is a Public Health Issue
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Emergency 911 is still inaccessible for many New Yorkers. How long do we have to wait?
In New York City, where I live, the deaf and hard of hearing are out of luck when it comes to calling 911 for help. Text 911 (or Text-to-911) is available in thousands of municipalities and counties across the United States. It can be life-saving not only for those who cannot hear but also for … Continue reading Emergency 911 is still inaccessible for many New Yorkers. How long do we have to wait?
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By the Way, She Has a Cochlear Implant
What if hearing aids were as unremarkable as glasses? This is an idea – a goal – that I and others have been tossing around for years. How to remove the stigma and lower the cost of hearing aids so that they are used as casually as glasses. Amazon Prime Video is showing an online … Continue reading By the Way, She Has a Cochlear Implant
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Moviegoer’s Lament
Last week, the Washington Post ran an article about a movement to make open-captioned movie screenings more widely available to the deaf and hard of hearing. Open captions in movies generally run across the bottom of the screen, the same as subtitles you see in a foreign movie. The Post's article, by Michael O'Sullivan, discussed a … Continue reading Moviegoer’s Lament
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Captions: Better and Better!
I don’t like to write about apps and products that I don’t use myself, because the first-person experience is very important when dealing with hearing devices. But when I find one I like, I want to share it. In the past few months, I’ve been using a transcription app called Otter.ai. Otter has been around since … Continue reading Captions: Better and Better!
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New Hearing Aid, New Life
I haven’t written much recently, but that’s because thanks to technology -- apps and equipment -- I’ve been busy doing things. It started with a new hearing aid. My top-of-the-line Phonak, which had bumped my word recognition up considerably when I got it, gradually stopped working well for me. I replaced it with the then … Continue reading New Hearing Aid, New Life
Katherine Bouton: Smart Hearing 